This is going to sound silly but there is a tree in the park and every time we pass it puppy cracks up. None of it is directed at the tree, the tree could just be a red herring but it always happens opposite this tree. He never looks at the tree.
He starts jumping on me, biting at the leather strap on his lead if he can get it (I always try and hide all of it in my hand) nipping at my hands, biting at my coat, kangaroo hopping, play bowing, mainly jumping, nipping and mouthing.
The way the park is set up there is the tree, a path, a stream, another path, a bit of grass, a fence, the street, the road, the other side of the street.
It doesn't matter which path or side of the street we are on, as soon as we pass this tree he cracks up.
Sometimes there are other dogs in sight (this has a tendency to make him crack up) sometimes there aren't. There is nothing particularly unusual about this tree. It's just a tree. There are lots of trees in the park.
We walk past the tree at various times through the day, he always does it. He can do it on his way to his walk or on his way back. His walks vary in length, sometimes he is worn out, sometimes he is not.
Nothing especially exciting has happened near this tree.
I've tried distracting him i.e. we do sit, down, stand, sit-stay (I then walk to the end of his lead) and come all the way past the tree as soon as we get to the tree he goes off on one. I've tried "look dog" past the tree. I turn my back on him and cross my arms everytime he starts so he not rewarded for his behaviour in anyway.
Besides from avoiding the tree, which will be difficult because it's on my street and my way home from the park, how the actual jeff do I stop him? It's driving me mad. The rest of the time he now walks nicely on his lead, apart from when see groups of three or more dogs, this is just too exciting and drives him into a frenzy, but not as bad as The Tree of Bounciness does.
If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.
The doghouse
What is with this tree and how do I stop it?
D0oinMeCleanin · 22/10/2012 09:25
Maybe it's the wee tree and he gets a whiff of all his doggy mates 
I am seriously considering dousing the tree with DAP
maybe he's not actually a mad puppy, but a gifted and talented medical detection dog in the making. Perhaps the tree has some nasty disease and he's sniffed it out. he'll be the first ever medical detection dog for trees. You'll be famous and everythink 
Our JRT does this but its not a tree its a certain field it seems to mark to him that we're on our way home so he goes bloody mad spinning in circles and running off at 100mph only to run back at the same speed aiming for your legs then dodging at the last second.
I think its just something he see's as his last chance to have a bit of fun while out. 
Perhaps he's a "sensitive" & something weird happened once at that spot
Hey! Not that mad!
When we first married we lived in an old cottage, on the very top of a hill.
The sheepdog we had used to act very odd, would not go into the hall if he could help it, used to peep round the door, hackles up growling.
Then, when our son was young, he swore someone came in his bedroom & picked him up some nights.
We found out that there had been an ancient hill settlement on the top of the hill where ours was the only house.
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