To have overreacted about DDog and terrified us both for no reason?

[squashedalmondcroissant]

Dp and I were watching tv last night and I got up to go to the loo.

DDog has his own bed in our bedroom but isn't generally allowed on our bed as he gets it all hairy. He knows this but sometimes sneaks onto the bed anyway if we are downstairs. He ALWAYS immediately jumps off the bed if he hears us coming upstairs (trying to hide where he's been 😂).

I walk past the bedroom and notice he's laying on the bed on his side, not moving, eyes open. I got worried as he hadn't jumped down when he heard me coming, and although he does sometimes sleep with his eyes open I thought it odd that he didn't wake up when he heard me come in the room. I walked over, spoke to him, called his name and stroked him. Then I put my hands under him and sort of gently 'jostled' him to try and wake him up. No response at all, not even a blink.

By this point I was really panicking and called Dp upstairs saying I think something was wrong. He came in and not long after DDog woke up, jumped up like nothing had happened!

Once our heart rates had returned to normal I started feeling really guilty that I had overreacted and worried Dp for no reason, we were both a bit out of sorts for the rest of the evening.

Did I overreact? Should I have tried harder to wake him up? I was panicking and DDog is quite elderly so not infeasible that something could have been wrong.

Sounds like he knew he’d been caught out and was pretending not to be there! 😂

If your dog is elderly, his hearing probably isn’t what it once was and the noise of you coming in probably wasn’t enough to wake him.

When my dog was very old, she stopped coming to greet us when we got home because she just didn’t hear well enough to wake. We had to gently prod her to let her know we were home and then she’d be all surprised and pleased to see us.

Ime possibly dog's hearing is going a bit thus enabling him to fall into a deeper sleep. Our ddog is currently testing us the same way op! Vet assured us it's a bit of hearing loss and a bit of taking the piss!!

I reckon he's got to the age where he now just thinks 'fuck it, I'm not moving' 😂

I don't think 'overreact' is the right word op, you just had a fright. Totally understandable.

When ours wakes in the middle of the night (e.g one of us going downstairs for a glass of water/coming home late) she pretends she’s bot awake and prays we bugger off and let her sleep 😄

but if that’s not normal behaviour for yours, totally understandable that you were worried.

glad your pooch is fine ☺️

Ha! My 12 year old dog did exactly the same thing to me one night - he was laying on the bedroom floor with eyes open and fully blanked me when talking to him, shaking him and shouting! Finally, when I jumped up in a panic and switched the light on, he slowly stood up, sighed and went and plonked himself back on his own bed in the corner! He gave me the evil eye and I swore at him....dogs eh!!!!!

My sisters dog does this, frightened the life out of me the first time I was letting them out and she wouldn’t wake up

I don’t think you over reacted, I would have done the same.

Also, it’s worth noting dogs can have absence seizures like humans, so it might be something to consider or look into if it happens again.

He must have been enjoying a real deep sleep bless him. He probably is a bit deaf or has selective hearing. 😴

Sounds like a mild seizure.

Glad he is okay 😊
You didn't over react, you just love him dearly.

Playing possum? I do that sometimes in the morning too to avoid my responsibilities.

In all seriousness, glad he's ok!

Hearing not as sharp maybe ? One of mine used to get petit mal , they are seizures but he would just drop and lie still after a few minutes he would get up right as rain . I'd see if it happens again before I'd consider that though. Its most likely he knew he was caught and froze

My spaniel does this when he's lying on my side of the bed and I try to get in. He pretends to be asleep, can't hear me and goes all floppy and a dead weight if I try to move him 😄

My cat sometimes sleeps with his eyes open, it's really freaky and I panic as well

DCat does this too, I’ve whispered my good byes to her more than once only for her to wake up and lick her arse, whilst I’m in bits.

I walked past DDog lying in the hallway and he didn't react to me. He had been a bit off his food so I went and had a closer look and his eyes were half open but he still didnt move. I poked him with my foot - nothing.
I rushed into the lounge and said in a panicked but hushed tone (didn't want DC to hear) "Stay calm but I think DDog is dead". DH replied "very funny" and I said "I am not being funny, I really think he's dead"
DH sat looking baffled at me and then I realised DDog had followed me in the lounge and was standing behind me wondering what the fuss was

😂

It sounds like sleep paralysis. Or maybe a mild seizure. Or he might have just been in a really deep sleep 🤷🏼‍♀️

My cat did this after I had told him off for not coming in on time
I even yanked the cushion from under him and he just fell off it limply, not moving
I was about to ring the emergency vet when one eye snapped open, glaring at me

It's very comforting to know that you all have had similar frightening experiences lol 😂 Makes me feel a lot less ridiculous!

I went and sat on the sofa and cried after, I felt like I couldn't breathe when I thought he was gone, my heart was pounding and Dp said he felt sick. That's why I felt so guilty because I'd made us all freak out for no reason but it really was so out of character for him, he's normally a light sleeper and quite 'reactive' to sounds/movement. I hadn't considered that his hearing might be going, I'll be sure to make more noise in future 😝

Mine used to do this to me all the time. She was a sound sleeper (even as a pup). I got used to thinking she had died. The first few times it was panic inducing.

Now the night she woke up screaming was another story. Never did work out what the problem was, we figured it was a night terror. Now that scared the shit out of me.

If it happens again I’d encourage a vet visit incase he’s having some kind of seizure.

dinner behave normally after he got up..?

My dog does this! My heart jumps out, it’s like he doesn’t hear me! Lies there even if I’m shouting him.

Can hear a crisp bag opening from 3 streets away though!

His hearing is probably deteriorating. One of my dogs lived until she was 17 so I fully understand the panic of having difficulty rowsing a very elderly dog.