How do you know what your dog wants?

[flutterby]

Jewel is around 10 years old - don't know exactly because she was adopted as an adult from the humane society, but she has gotten quite a bit of grey on her snout.

Lately at night when I'm up, she keeps coming up to me - not really whining, but making some kind of noise. I pet her, play with her, she has food and water, she doesn't want to go potty. Then she'll lie down about 5 feet from me and stare at me, continuing with the not-quite-whining thing. If I look at her, she comes over to me and wants me to pet her. Then she decides that she doesn't want me to pet her anymore and the cycle starts over.

I can't figure out what she wants/needs. Any ideas?

 

[skeeter]

Is the being up at night out of the usual thing for you? I know with all our older dogs, they get to be such routine hounds, that anything different makes them nervous. There are times I sleep on the couch because I can't breath (like right now when the ragweed is bad). Wyley would get up and "check" on me several times a night when I would do that - it was different and it would throw him.
They also begin to tell US when to go to bed. Our current dog, Buddy, starts this about 8pm. He'll get in his "chair" in the living room, but if we're sitting there watching TV, he'll keep giving us the "eye" until we go to bed, and he will then move to his "futon" in the office. If we don't get the hint - he'll still move to the futon but will get up and see why we aren't in bed yet.

 

[MuM_of_OCD_kiddo]

Are you stressing more than usually? Tense? Aggrevated and not able to settle down in the evenings? What breed is she?

Most of my poodles are very intuitive, sensitive and touchy/feely. They know when I am not feeling well, physically hurting or just in a tense, angry, worry, etc mood and adjust their behavior accordingly. Some try to distract me and either put on clown mode, others step up the coddling mode and try to love on me instead of my loving on them and yet others just get quiet and observant and tend to be glued on to me and go everwhere I go, shadowing me.

If she is healthy and otherwise ok, she might simply feed of you and your mental state of wellbeing [or not so well being].

 

[DDD]

Our dog is absolutely a creature of habit. Ace, like Skeeter's dog, "knows" when it is the usual bedtime and really does not settle down for the night until we are in bed and settled. On the rare nights when we stay up to read or watch a later program he behaves similarly to what you described. In our case he's saying "come on guys it's time for all of us to hit the hay". DDD

 

[Hound dog]

By process of elimination. Now some things are easy.

Molly bangs her dishes on the floor she wants either food or water. Coming to us with a little dance and then rushing to the door.....she wants outside for whatever reason, doesn't always mean she needs to go.....could be she wants to play or check something out in the yard.

Betsy will come and do what you described. It either means she wants affection or she needs to go. I wish she'd at least go to the door for the need to go part but she's 5 so I doubt that is ever going to happen now.

But Betsy will tell us when it's time for her to go into her crate. She goes at basically the same time every night. She'll whine and go in and out of her crate. That's our signal to get her treat and put her to bed.

Has the routine changed at all? Is there any new sounds about that time outside that is making her want to check her yard or something?

 

[TerryJ2]

She could be in pain.

Or, she has to go ... even if you don't think she does. You'll find out the hard way.

 

[donna723]

She could be in pain too - a 10 year old could have arthritis and it seems to bother them more at night. And just like people, when they get older, they sometimes have to get up to potty more often. They are such creatures of habit, any change in the routine will throw them off. And they seem to be able to tell time and it throws them off if something doesn't go by their schedule. My Trace wakes up at EXACTLY 9:00 am every morning, ready to go outside. And if he misses it for some reason, he knows that when he hears Regis on the TV, it's time to get up.

 

[DDD]

Just thought of another Ace communication. It drives me crazy! Ace stands by the door and looks over his shoulder to say he needs to go outside. The last few months if we aren't paying any attention he heads to the door, looks and waits. When one of us opens the door...he rolls his head in the other direction and walks away. This is not my idea of a fun game, lol. on the other hand, he gets the attention he wants. DDD

 

[flutterby]

She wouldn't go out. I have noticed from time to time that she seems weak in her backend, but she seemed to be moving around just fine. She had a lot of energy. I don't keep normal hours - sleeping when I need to. Her usual routine is a later dinner, go potty, then she goes to bed. She doesn't wait for me.

I was stressed and she does seem to pick up on that. She's a whippet mix. Never did figure it out, but she eventually settled. Whatever it was, it must have worn her out because she's been sleeping the day away.

 

[Star*]

Talk to your vet about peanut butter and some enteric (coated) aspirin or getting a prescription of Rymadil. At ten years old? Things happen....she's about 60ish...if she could walk around going OY vey? and you could hear her? She probably would. The enteric aspirin isn't something you can do ALL the time, but it's a little Mother's helper and if you dip a butter knife in a jar of DOG peanut butter (we get a jar or two just for them) and come out with a length of it - then dob the pills in the peanut butter and have her sit - then let her see them; and kinda rake the knife over her upper teeth? VOILA----medications go down like a breeze....they can't HELP but lick the peanut butter and the pills at the same time - DO NOT get crunchy peanut butter - it's too much get smooth.

As far as what shes telling you? She could be saying -----
I'm achey
, lonely
need some reassurance that things are going to be okay -
HEY how about another blanket this floor never USED to be this lumpy (I've found a baby crib mattress or a MAMASAN or PAPAsan cushion makes EXCELLENT EXCELLENT large dog beds - sew a cheap cover out of an old blanket and use as a duvet and then cover with a sheet for easy washing.)
I need to go out
I hear something you don't because even at 10 years old? My hearing is like 100 times better than yours can we just CHECK the house? Thanks. I feel better now that you checked too.
I need a snack..got COOKIES? Keep a biscuit by the bedside OR ....my sneaky trick - a little butter bowl full of dog food and hand one piece out at a time LIKE biscuits. Hand to mouth calms them down then say OKAY everyone go NITE NITE. Momma has to get up in the morning make a nickle to buy the kibble and feed the babys
(it's ALWAYS about them)
Check paws - could be a burr, a tick, a chigger - a piece of gum,
Check butt - could be constipation - do you watch her poo? Is she regular?
Check butt - could be diarrahea - she could use a wipe with a warm cloth - something could be burning and she may need desitin too.

How about hot? Is she a little warm? Put a fan on the floor for her and let her move later.
How about cold? Throw her blankey (she DOES have her own baby blanket right???????) Throw it in the dryer and warm it up and cover her up, tuck her in and kiss her goodnight. Then say ALL GODS puppies go sleepy.

Check toes - are all her nails in tact? Broken nails are painnnnnnnnnnnful. They do grow back - but ow.

Check her teeth - did she crack a tooth? That would need removed....see a vet.

Olivia had a stick stuck in the back of her roof of her mouth - I have no idea how it stuck there but we check everyone daily all the time for ticks - and check for those...ear flaps - ear mites......pads of feet for burrs....thorns ---rips....

Maybe she just needs a hug?

How long did you play with her tonight? Was she worn out? Maybe she needs to play a little longer and burn off some energy - she could be antsy......like restless......just can't sleep and wants to talk...like a kid on a koolaid high. Thats easy to solve - play 10 minutes longer...harder and throw her toys farther.

Water -=does she have water? Ice cubes---how about a snack of ice? Maybe she just has a dry throat?

Fleas....could it be fleas.......check her coat.....


It could also be sonic sounds - like earth quakes and the hurricanes...........but I doubt it..........I'm more inclined to think she just needs to burn off some energy.....but I'd give her a thorough going over and a little reassurance at night, get that dog food in a SPECIAL container...offer a few pieces......walk the house with her...give her a snuggle....then tell her IT"S OKAY.....and just both of you relax......

Bout covers it -------and if it keeps up with her just lay in bed quietly and talk softly to her.......and if it still keeps up - try benadryl........one or two a night should knock her right out. Once in a while it never hurts.

Works for car trips too.

 

[InsaneCdn]

out covers it

One more... minor change in routine can be confusing, especially when they are really young (under 2) or older (over 8 or so depending on breed). They like regular meal times, regular bed times, regular everything. YOU'RE staying up late? Umm... hey, I (the doggie) really don't like that... I'm ready for bed.