Dogs fear owners leaving the house
17 posts across 4 communities in the last 60 days; 59% from r/dogs.
“My dog has become more and more scared of things. It started that he would not go on certain parts on the living room. I believe he was afraid of slipping on the hardwood floor. He also has been reluctant to get off his bed in the bedroom. More recently he has become nervous…”
“I have a rscue dog whose been abandoned by their previous owners and now has horrible separation anxiety to the point of destroying things.its not just when we leave the house but when we're not near him or he can't see us he becomes destructive. Any advice?”
“Fellow FF dog enthusiast here. I have a friend who's dog refuses to get into their car, and only displays this kind of behaviour with the primary owner. My experience with the dog getting into my car as the primary handler (walks with myself and dog): an annoyance, but not too…”
Multiple dog owners describe their dogs exhibiting unusual anxiety and awareness when the owner prepares to leave. Dogs display specific behaviors like staring, following, or refusing to move, suggesting a strong attachment and potential separation anxiety.
SOURCES (22)
“My dog has become more and more scared of things. It started that he would not go on certain parts on the living room. I believe he was afraid of slipping on the hardwood floor. He also has been reluctant to get off his bed…”
“Dogs seem to learn the little patterns of everyday life surprisingly well. Sometimes, just a small change like a different walking route, a different time to eat, someone visiting, or something moved around the house can immediately grab their attention. I think it’s interesting how quickly they pick up on things people might not even notice. What’s a small change to your regular routine that your dog always seems to pick up on? submitted by /u/Massive-Row-3229 [link] [comments”
“I'll go first. My dog has decided that 8:00 PM is strictly "toy time." If I am not actively throwing his ball by 8:01 PM, he will sit directly on my chest and stare at me until I comply. He has also decided that the bathroom is a group activity, and closed doors are a personal insult. What are the unspoken rules your dogs have forced you to follow? I need to know I'm not alone in being bossed around by a 40 pound fluffball. submitted by /u/CartographerHour7788 [link”
“my senior pup is pretty deaf now, so whenever i walk into the room he usually has no idea i'm there. i have to gently put my hand on his back to wake him up. instead of getting scared, his tail just starts thumping the floor in slow motion before his eyes even open. old dogs are just something else. what's a tiny habit your senior dog does that instantly makes your day? i really need some good, wholesome stories today. submitted by /u/coldbvg1111 [link] [comments]”
“I have a GSD mix. He's 9 now, definitely not a pup. I've trained him quite well, he works, he assists me with some stuff, he's overall great. But I don't think he knows he's a dog. Obviously I'm half serious when I say this. What I mean is he's not just a Velcro dog, he's very dependent on me. But, at the same time, distrustful of strangers. We live in a cabin in the woods. He isn't left alone most days but when I have to go into town, he stays inside for a fe”
“hi all, would love some insight on some new behavior that I'm really struggling to figure out how to manage. there's some context/info I'll try to be concise about. My dog is a 8 y/o husky/aussie/chihuahua mutt. I adopted her when she was 4 months old and she's a really good dog! Fear-wise, she gets spooked by fireworks and thunder, but that happens rarely enough that our routine for it is to make a den under then bed, play gentle music, and wait it out. Her entire life she's”
“My 2 year old border collie/german shepherd mix is scared of going on walks and being outdoors. A few days ago we were walking, I am not sure what scared him as I had my headphones on but all of a sudden he freaked out and started running towards home. I thought maybe it was thunder or a truck making a loud noise. The next day he was okay on the walk at first and then a truck carrying metal items made a loud bang across the river and he freaked out again and ran home. That night when I took him”
“I have my dog (Noah, 5 yrs old, female) since she was 2 weeks old and I’m at home 24/7 so we’re pretty attached to each other. She slept with me in my bed every night, basically cuddling with me since I got her. The thing is, about 2 weeks ago she started sleeping on the floor and doesn’t sleep in my bed anymore. Sometimes I put her there to give her some cuddles and she stays for a bit, but when she’s almost falling asleep she just gets to the floor again. I know it’s probably nothing, but I ju”
“When I go upstairs or outside the house, my dogs will often cry and howl as if I'd left them behind forever. After a minute, they'll stop and go back to doing whatever, ignoring me when I return to them. Is this common behavior? Just curious. submitted by /u/spillmonger [link] [comments]”
“My Mums dog runs the the door and jumps at her the second the she gets home, and climbs at her every second of everyday. When mums not home hes with our other dog and follows her everywhere, but when alone outside just sits in the one spot and doesn't move, wont even lay down. Hes constantly by her side or shes holding him in her arms. Everytime he does this she gives in but whenever our bigger dog tries to get some attention and pats she tells her to go away. Also whenever she leaves the ho”
“I have a rscue dog whose been abandoned by their previous owners and now has horrible separation anxiety to the point of destroying things.its not just when we leave the house but when we're not near him or he can't see us he becomes destructive. Any advice? submitted by /u/chef-boyardee333 [link] [comments]”
“How do you know when your dog is ready to be free roam? Or have you found that this just isn’t an option and they need to be in their kennel when you aren’t there, because of anxiety, wrecking things, etc. Or is this something they get used to and more comfortable when you are away? submitted by /u/Dear_Mountain4849 [link] [comments]”
“Fellow FF dog enthusiast here. I have a friend who's dog refuses to get into their car, and only displays this kind of behaviour with the primary owner. My experience with the dog getting into my car as the primary handler (walks with myself and dog): an annoyance, but not too much of an issue to where its a main priority of our training. She stops 3m before the car and sits. I wait, apply tension to a short lead, give a cue, and then we go. The encounter may last 1 minute max, and is irregu”
“Very recent issue - I’ve been walking a dog for a few months around 5/6pm and had no issues. He’s a very needy 2 year old (stops for everyone to pet him), but very energetic on our walks. Schedule changed and now the owner leaves at 7/8am, I go into the office around 1pm so I’ll walk him before I leave. He will pee, walk a little bit, then lay down and smile at me. Refuses to move. Will come up for pets, but won’t move. I’ve tried to ignore him to discourage this, which will get him to stand up”
“Is anyone else’s dog like a magnet to you? She sleeps pressed up against my legs or back every night, will cuddle in any position and not move, wakes up whenever I do (unless needs to go potty). She’ll follow me downstairs if I’m sleeping on the couch and continue laying on/next to me wherever I’m sitting. She waits outside the bathroom for me when I’m doing my makeup and follows me everywhere. Yet she doesn’t have separation anxiety! If i’m out of the house for a day or night she’s fine. I love”
“I made a post yesterday about watching an Australian Shepherd who “nips” at me. Now I’m officially watching her, and she avoids me completely and won’t come out of the owner’s room. I started watching her and the other two dogs yesterday evening. That time she barked at me like she has been, went outside with the other dogs, then went straight back into the owner’s room. Came back out a little later, got some water, then went back in the room. When I went over later that night, she didn’t come o”
“My dog has been acting like this for the past 5 months where every time someone in the family tries to leave the house, instead of just barking, he will literally howl as loud as he possibly can (he cant) like he’s trying to stop us from leaving, especially his mom. He’s also been barking way more aggressively at literally anything outside, even if it’s just someone walking by the house or a dog that he already knows. Then when people come home, he goes absolutely crazy barking at them, but it’s”
“I have 2 dogs, and this concerns the Chihuahua. For the most part, walking has been with both dogs, but I decided to try fostering some one-on-one time between them. For much of his life, he's mostly walked with my other dog (they're about 2-3 months apart). Welp, he walked by himself and sometimes, he'd plant just to be able to sniff the area. Mind you, we've walked that same stretch for his entire life, and he was fine until he walked one time without the other dog. I also some”
“We rescued a 1 year old Great Pyrenees/Australian Cattle Dog mix about 6 weeks ago. She was found as a stray in Texas and now lives in our apartment in NYC. I don't think she was a stray her whole life because she lovvvessss all people, kids, and dogs. She's super well-socialized, not fearful of them whatsoever. That being said, I don't think she's ever lived in a house. There's been a lot of things she's had to adjust to in our apartment (let alone NYC at large), like st”
“I swear I can do everything except actually leave. Put on my shoes? Nothing. Grab my keys? Still nothing. Walk toward the door? Suddenly she's right behind me, staring at me like I' ve betrayed her personally. And somehow she can tell when I' m actually leaving versus just grabbing something from the car. I have no idea how she knows. Dogs really do have their own little surveillance system Does your dog have a weirdly specific way of knowing what you' re about to do? submi”
“My 4 year old lab mix loves to walk. Me and him Walk for an hour most days and usually 2+ hours on the weekend. It’s his favorite thing and he races to the door as soon as I touch the leash. All of the sudden as soon as we leave the house he gets this terrified look and refuses to move. This has gone on for a week and I don’t know what to do!!! There have been a lot of thunderstorms lately and some thunder and lightning started last week as we were ending a walk. Could that have spooked him and”