I have a lovely 2 year old aussie. He’s just a doll, is healthy and gets along well with everyone, incl our 4 other dogs. He’s always been generally submissive and not a very brave dog - but he does boss the puppy around occasionally.
In the last few weeks he’s started to act really odd outside after dark. We have a small fenced yard - about half short grass and half dirt, with a mature oak tree. He has no problem going to the bathroom all day in the yard, but when it gets dark, he stares at the grass as though its going to jump up and eat him. The first couple of times I thought it was a cricket or something that startled him, but I’ve walked out there in flip flops (and I’m notoriously sensitive to bugs) and noticed nothing at all moving in the grass.
If I stay out with him, trying to get him to pee, he’ll get even more dramatic. He’ll tiptoe around and leap into the air at some imagined movement.
Last night he was still upset when he came inside. He stared at the concrete floor as though it was moving, or a bug was going to just appear. He laid down on the bed with us briefly, but leaped in the air when I accidently moved my leg near him under the covers. He finally chose to sleep by himself on a dog bed in the other room, which is very odd for him.
A month ago, my BF killed a snake in the back yard. The dogs were out with him at the time, but none of them were nearby when he found the snake. Maybe the memory of that might be bothering him, but instead of fading in the past few weeks, it seems to be getting worse.
I could take him out in the front, but he isn’t used to going out there and it isn’t fenced. It’s just so odd he’s acting like he’s seeing ghosts.
Anyone else experienced something like this?
