NJSwede Posted May 29, 2014 Report Share Posted May 29, 2014 Hi! It's been a while! A few weeks ago (maybe six) we took Seana to the vet for some routine shots. It didn't go well. She was trembling with fear and wet herself all over the floow. For some reason, that trip to the vet traumatized her deeply. After that, she now spends the hours around noon-time hiding in the basement. She lets us approach her and greets us happily, but she does not want to be removed from her spot, presumably because she's afraid we're taking her to the vet. It's very difficult to get her to leave the house at these times, even if it's for fun activities, such as walks or training. Once we get her out and into the car, she's fine and enjoys her activities. Also, she's totally fine in the morning and in the late afternoon/evening and willingly joins us for walks or even trips in the car. I can't think of any other explanation than that she's associating someone bringing her out of the house at that time of the day with her scary experience at the vet. Kind of fascinating that she understands what time of the day it is in that case... Other than this behavior, she's perfectly fine and interacts normally with the family, has good appetite and enjoys playing with the kids. Should we just wait and hope it goes away? I've tried to bring her out with high-value treats, but she's not interested. Is my presumption that this is correlated with the trip to the vet correct? I can't think of any other bad experiences around that time. Oh, and she's a rescue, so God knows what other experiences may be hidden deep inside her mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJSwede Posted May 29, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 29, 2014 ...and now, right on time, she came out of her hiding, put her paw on my lap and gave me that "Well? So? Is anything fun going to happen soon? Dad? Dad? Please?" kind of look. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted May 30, 2014 Report Share Posted May 30, 2014 When I was growing up, mid-day was often accompanied by a noon siren, church bells, or other sounds. Could there be something like that, maybe something you can't hear, that's affecting her? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GentleLake Posted May 30, 2014 Report Share Posted May 30, 2014 Like Sue said, there could be something else spooking her that she's aware of but you're not. But let's assume for a moment that is was the trip to the vet that started this . . . Could you close the basement door or otherwise block access to the basement so she can't hide there? If it doesn't stress her too awfully much, maybe she'd start to re-acclimate to the normal routines of the household. Another thing I might be inclined to do would be to anticipate the time she begins wanting to hide and get her out of the house doing fun things right before she starts hiding. Maybe you'd be able to break her pattern if you could do this consistently for a while. No way of knowing how long it would take, though, but if you can manage it it might be worth a try. Silly dogs. Sure hope you're able to help her get over this. Oh, one more thing . . . maybe you could check to see if there's a mobile vet in your area who'd come to your home the next time. If not, when Seanna's regained some confidence, maybe make a bunch of fun trips to the vet. Always call ahead to make sure it's OK with them, and try to make it when they're not terribly busy so it's not a burden for them. But just popping in and having staff (and you) give her lots of very wonderful, special treats and no scary exams might help to desensitize her to the vet's office. Might be worth giving her some melatonin or L-theanine before you go, too, to help calm her just a bit. Best wishes for figuring this out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz P Posted May 30, 2014 Report Share Posted May 30, 2014 Agree with Sue. It's likely something happens that you can't hear/smell/sense that has her worried. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorthfieldNick Posted May 30, 2014 Report Share Posted May 30, 2014 My Hoot, who is quirky even for a Border Collie, makes connections, rational or not, between things that happen simultaneously. I would not put it beyond him to make this connection. He'll hold on to things for weeks sometimes. He currently has to run down, then back up, the stairs at meal times. I have NO IDEA why. I mostly ignore his weird behavior & carry on as normal (although his normal is always a bit off...). Eventually, he quits. If you can rule out some other cause/sound/event, it may just be a waiting game & making no big deal of this until Seana "un"connects the events. The suggestion of taking her to the vet for treats, etc is a great one. If that's too much, drive through the parking lot & continue on your way. Then stop for a potty break. Then go in. I promise, if you explain things to the staff, they'll understand. They've probably seen weirder My boys think the vet is a box full of snack dispensers & belly rubs... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BCjetta Posted May 30, 2014 Report Share Posted May 30, 2014 Turbo took 3 months to get over being scared of DH closing the bathroom door when he accidentally slammed it in his face once. I was amazed how bothered Turbo was. Whenever DH would get up and walk in that direction Turbo would intently watch. As soon as he went into the bathroom he would leave wherever he was and hide under my desk until DH came back. Then he would discard me and go back to shadowing DH. What if you tried to replace her nervous anticipation with a different one. Like maybe every day give her a tasty bone or some sort of treat down where she's hiding to try and change her thought of that time of the day to one where she gets something good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJSwede Posted May 30, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 30, 2014 Well... I just gave her a tasty rawhide bone and she's happily chewing away upstairs. This is the time of the day she would normally go into hiding. Maybe she'll eventually forget about it if we keep doing this... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJSwede Posted May 30, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 30, 2014 BCjetta, One thing I've learned over the years is how amazing dogs are at picking up small cues and associating them with things. We once had a boxer who would know days in advance when we were going to our cottage. He had figured out that when we were getting certain clothing and other things out of the closets, it meant that a trip was imminent and he got extremely excited (read: a pain to deal with...). Of course Seanna can't tell time, but I bet there's some minute thing in our behavior at that time of the day she picks up and somehow associates with whatever negative experience it is she's dreading (I'm still leaning towards the vet). Next step is going to be to desensitize her to the vet. I think setting up practice trips is the way to go. Since we have four dogs, we're regulars at the vet and I'm sure they'll help us set it up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJSwede Posted May 30, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 30, 2014 I guess she must be reading the Border Collie forums, because today she hasn't been hiding at all for the first time in weeks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Camden's Mom Posted May 30, 2014 Report Share Posted May 30, 2014 I guess she must be reading the Border Collie forums, because today she hasn't been hiding at all for the first time in weeks. Well, they are the smartest dogs in the world, maybe she was hiding downstairs teaching herself how to read? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted May 30, 2014 Report Share Posted May 30, 2014 When my dogs were youngsters, we would regularly drop by the vets for some petting, some treats, to sit and read a few minutes, etc. I think it made a positive impact on the dogs to get accustomed to the vet office as being a happy place, a benign place, and a common place to be. Your dog may take some time becoming better adjusted to the vet office and may never be really comfy there but to spend some trips where *nothing but good things* (like attention, treats, the chance to sniff around) happen, may well have a positive effect on her. At the least, hopefully, it may reduce her anxiety. Too many pets only go to the vet when they are sick, injured, or requiring procedures (shots, rectal temps, uncomfy exams, surgery) that are uncomfortable and so they naturally become anxious about the vet office (and anything associated with it, like the dog that only rides in the car to go there and never to go to a fun place). So, give it a try and see if it helps. Best wishes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJSwede Posted May 30, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 30, 2014 Thanks! We're just not used to having to deal with vet issues. All our other dogs are Cavalier King Charles Spaniels and they have one thing in common: They are absolutely fearless. Lack of fear is even part of the breed standard for cavs. So going to the vet has never been an issue. They more or less jump up on the table and greet the vet with a wagging tail. Border Collies, apparently, not so much. At least not our girl. She's just very emotional about everything and she's decided that the vet is the scariest thing there is. We'll work on it. She's such a great girl and she deserves anything we can do to make her experience less traumatic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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