My dog is scared of the house

[kbahus]

So out of no where it seems my six year old lab is scared of the house. He hangs out upstairs (his safety area) and does not want to socialize. He comes down stairs but is very anxious and doesn't want to hang around. If you turn on the fireplace he runs upstairs. He also doesn't like the oil lantern in the bedroom. On walks he refuses to come back to the house, I had to carry him in on Sunday which is a challenge with a 90lb dog. I don't know what happened but obviously something has him spooked. He has been like this since late last week and I can't figure it out. Cleaned the whole house thinking maybe something in the house had him weirded out but that didn't fix anything. Any body deal with something similar with their dogs? It's starting to worry me.

 

[wob]

ghost

 

[kbahus]

Our neighbor (condo) did die last year in the bath tub. Creepy

 

[agomez]

so whatever it is spooking him has to do with the first floor?

 

[haryv]

Some times animals sense spirits. Another is possibly smoke was coming from some where in the main living area. My dog gets spooked when he smells smoke and goes running up stairs. Did you burn something pungent in the house that day he started to act strange?

 

['74 UA FJ]

Some times animals sense spirits. Another is possibly smoke was coming from some where in the main living area. My dog gets spooked when he smells smoke and goes running up stairs. Did you burn something pungent in the house that day he started to act strange?

Spirits? Hfs.

 

[fsusteve]

spirits like cheap gin?

 

[splitshot]

Any CO or smoke alarms in the house?

 

[tag3]

You bustin out the peanut butter again.

 

[splitshot]

Sorry, I thought we were in tech here.

 

[tag3]

Allright, Creaky floor, furnace coming on and making weird noises?

 

[splitshot]

Allright, Creaky floor, furnace coming on and making weird noises?

I'll bite, something humans can't hear but the pooch can..

 

[tag3]

Hey, I got called out for the sarcasm so I'm trying to come up with something.

 

[splitshot]

Seriously, after six years of being a couch tater, if Husker all of a sudden developed a fear of the house I would be concerned for the family...
kbahus, two things to consider here; your lab has gone 'bonko' or he is trying to tell you something.

 

[BrotherRob]

I haven't had a dog in years but I have a now one year old feline that developed a fear of leaving the kitchen as a kitten. I started bribing her with food and attention in different parts of the house. Her confidence soared within a couple of weeks and her natural curiosity took over. Her territory now covers the whole house.

Something probably spooked your dog, you may never know the cause. He may need some patience and attention to regain his confidence.

 

[sparkplug]

I'm thinking your dog is just a freak. The use of strong sedatives for the rest of its life may help.

 

[seapotato]

when I was a kid my dog was terrified of the fireplace.

Didn't care if there was a fire in a pit outside, he'd walk right by it, but soon as it was in the fireplace in the house, freaked him right out.


Present dogs, one is freaked out by smoke when cooking, can always tell if you're burning dinner, cuz he's hiding in the bedroom...

So the burning thing is definately a problem, they probably think the house is on fire..

Is it just since it got cold and the fire started getting lit etc this year?

 

[D'Animal]

You might want to have his eyes checked. Our Alpha Beagle started acting strange and would hang out in his Safe Place in the house. If the commercial on TV was too loud, he would go there. If the dinger on the microware went off, he would go there. If the doorbell rang, he would go there.

Long story short, he had a brain tumor and the pressure was making him blind. He knew his Safe Place and could navigate through it in the pitch blackness of the night without bumping into anything. We did not know about the tumor until he had a massive seizure and passed away.

 

[patride71]

You might want to have his eyes checked. Our Alpha Beagle started acting strange and would hang out in his Safe Place in the house. If the commercial on TV was too loud, he would go there. If the dinger on the microware went off, he would go there. If the doorbell rang, he would go there.

Long story short, he had a brain tumor and the pressure was making him blind. He knew his Safe Place and could navigate through it in the pitch blackness of the night without bumping into anything. We did not know about the tumor until he had a massive seizure and passed away.

Not to scare the OP as well, but my sister's dog started acting really strange and it turned out he had a brain tumor as well.

Unfortunately he passed the same way D'Animal's pooch did.

 

[BrotherRob]

Dave and Pat make good points, behavioral changes are a good reason to see the vet. It may be nothing, but fido should be checked out.