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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

Original poster

Dog refusing to come in from the garden - what is going on?

43 replies

ApolloandDaphne · 06/06/2018 21:16

6 yo female lab. Last night, about 3am she was crying so i went down and she was standing by the door. Let her out thinking she needed the toilet. But she just went out and lay on the grass and would not come back in - not even with the offer of food. When we did get her in and we went back to bed she did it again and again to the point that DH ended up sleeping on the sofa with her on the floor beside him as we were worried she was ill, however she seems fine.

All day today she has stayed outside. She seems well enough although she didn't come looking for her food at 6 like she usually does. It was 8.30 by the time i realised she hadn't been fed.

This is not usual behaviour for her and i wondered if anyone else had a dog that did this? I am rather dreading going to bed as i suspect she will start up again. We plan to just ignore her if she does.

OP posts:
KinkyAfro · 06/06/2018 21:26

She's crying to go out and off her food, I'd be making a vets appointment rather than just ignoring her

Original poster
ApolloandDaphne · 06/06/2018 21:30

She isn't off her food completely as she is eating when her food is put down. I think her schedule is all out today due to being awake in the night. She was fed later this morning. Then my DD has come home from uni with 3 friends so her usual quiet routine with me has been disrupted. She doesn't seem at all ill, however if she has another unsettled night i will call the vet tomorrow.

OP posts:
GinIsIn · 06/06/2018 21:32

Is she spayed?

Iamagreyhoundhearmeroar · 06/06/2018 21:33

Is it the heat? Our greyhound gets very unsettled when it’s too hot, he also goes off his food.

Timeisslipingaway · 06/06/2018 21:34

Maybe something in the house is annoying her. Have you got any new electrical equipment recently? Sometimes things like this for off sounds that we can't hear but dogs can. We had the plug in things for keeping mice away, our dog hated the noise.

Kochkor · 06/06/2018 21:35

Our lab did this when she had a temperature - I would make a vet’s appointment

Original poster
ApolloandDaphne · 06/06/2018 21:35

I did wonder if it was the heat. We are in Scotland so it isn't roasting but it has been warmer and sunnier than usual recently. The garden is lovely and cool.

OP posts:
Pinguine · 06/06/2018 21:37

Strange behaviour like this warrants a vet I'm afraid. It's probably nothing, but it could also be a sign of neurological issues etc... better to be safe than sorry.

Original poster
ApolloandDaphne · 06/06/2018 21:38

If she seems off tomorrow i will call the vet. They are very good at checking them over same day. We are going away on holiday on Saturday and she is going to my DP's for three weeks. I really don't need her to be ill right now!

OP posts:
MudCity · 06/06/2018 21:38

Really unusual behaviour. I would definitely take her to the vet if she isn’t 100% in the morning. My Lab displayed a similar restlessness and desire to go out all the time when she had inflammatory bowel disease. She didn’t seem to know what to do with herself at all.

Good luck OP. Hope you get it sorted.

PlumsGalore · 06/06/2018 21:38

Maybe she’s just appreciating the cool, I am laid here with the windows wide open appreciating the breeze. It’s lovely.

littlemisscomper · 06/06/2018 21:40

If she's not spayed my bet is false pregnancy. My girl thinks the small wooden kennel at the end of her grassed outdoor area is the best place to have her imaginary puppies in the middle of the night! Not her nice cosy bed in the house near her water bowl and with the people to look after her... Hmm

If she's been spayed I guess just the heat upsetting her. Maybe get one of those cooling mats? Are they any good does anyone know?

Judashascomeintosomemoney · 06/06/2018 21:41

My boy Labrador does something similar when he is ‘guarding’ us from a fox. If he has smelt, heard or seen one he doesn’t want to come in. Barks to go out, sits on his hill and surveys the garden and wooded bit occasionally doing a quiet low grumble. He does come in for food though he will want to get straight back out. Tbh though any unusual behaviour is worth seeing a vet for a check over jic.

LanaKanesTerfyVagina · 06/06/2018 21:42

I had this with my lurcher.

She was 10ish, and all of a sudden one summer she was petrified of being in the house.

Long story short... it turned out she was terrified of anything that buzzed, so anything from blue bottles to wasps, to mosquitoes.

She'd never been bothered before, but had had a habit of snapping at things that buzzed in her face.
The best we could work out was that she'd been stung by something, probably when snapping at it, and was now freaked out by anything she felt "trapped" with that in her mind would hurr her.

I don't have much practical advice cos in the 2 years before her death Sad she never got over it.
All we did was let her spend as much time in the garden we could really.

Just thought my story might help shed light on this.

LittleNoSleep · 06/06/2018 21:48

I second the buzzing theory. My dog goes crazy if there’s a fly in the house. Wants to go out, panting etc. Then won’t come back in.

Original poster
ApolloandDaphne · 06/06/2018 21:50

She has been spayed.

OP posts:
welshmist · 06/06/2018 21:52

do you have hedgehogs?

LanaKanesTerfyVagina · 06/06/2018 21:54

@LittleNoSleep
That's exactly what mine did.

Run out, panting and scared, then would lurk in the garden.

Took us a while to work it out, and it seems so trivial, but it clearly really bothered her.

Original poster
ApolloandDaphne · 06/06/2018 22:32

She is yowling her face off right now. But there is no point getting up to let her out. I just need to hope she settles down soon.

OP posts:
JanJan71 · 06/06/2018 22:47

Needs the vet!
She is unwell. She is going outside as cooler and laying in her tummy in the cool helps!

JanJan71 · 06/06/2018 22:47

On her tummy!

Problematique · 06/06/2018 22:51

My cat did this, turned out she had fleas and a bad skin reaction.

PointyCabbageQueen · 06/06/2018 22:57

Could it be your visitors? , my mums cat started cleaning her paw to the point of taking her hair out, the vet , after examining her and lots of questions, concluded that it was due to my sister staying at the house, he gave her an injection ( not sure what ) and she was fine..the cat that is 😀
Sister had thought it funny to slightly irritate a lovely cat, and it upset her.

vivasunshine · 06/06/2018 23:00

Aww hope she's ok Shock

My lab is 6 years old and last week we was all sat in the garden and she was crying to go in which is very unlike her as with all labs she loves company and to play. I did notice her wanting to just lie on the wooden flooring so was probably hot and needed to cool down. I would think it's very strange to want to go out in the middle of the night and howling. I'd definitely get her checked out.

Eatmycheese · 06/06/2018 23:02

Our dog did this a lot the other week
No fleas, plenty of exercise, spayed etc but bedside herself and with getting outside to the back garden
I ended up going out with a head torch only to discover a hedgehog lurking in the shrubbery

Hope it is something as ridiculous as this and she is ok OP

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