Dog Scared Of Torch

[glenncol]

Hi all

I thought i would ask you guys ofr some advise on a little issue

We have a 13 month old Lab\Poodle that we have had since a pup, during the evenings when we take him out for a pee we use a torch as he goes around the dead side of the house and rhis has been done since day dot.

Lastnight we took him out for a pee and when the wife came inside for some reason the torch shon (spelling) on the roof the dog see it and came cowering over to me, we could not believe it so we tried it again and he really did not like it.

Not he spent the rest of last night and tonight looking up at the ceiling every 3 or 4 minutes sometime more often

I dont want this to utrn into a habit so what are your toughts?

[Erny]

Lastnight we took him out for a pee and when the wife came inside for some reason the torch shon (spelling) on the roof the dog see it and came cowering over to me, we could not believe it so we tried it again and he really did not like it.

We tend to take so much for granted in assuming our dogs understand the things that we understand. Your dog simply doesn't know what the light is about and wouldn't have made a connection with it being from the torch in your wife's hands.

Whatever you do, don't turn "spot the light" into a game, because although it might help him get over being worried about it, it also has the very real potential of turning into an obsessive compulsive behaviour (ie chase the light and try to catch it). Ask others whose dogs do this - often starting out by a game and then building to unsatisfied prey drive. Not that you were going to do this, but just in case you brought it out and this ended up being an inadvertent side-affect.

Don't fuss on it too much, but give your dog a chance to understand the light is from the torch. Just use the torch as you need to, without making too much of a big deal about it. Avoid shining it upwards and of course not in his eyes - keep it pointed to the ground near your feet. Give your dog a food treat. Don't look or draw attention to the torch light. Only use the torch for what you need - no turning off and on to see if your dog is ok with it or worried about it any more. Just use it as you need to when you go out each night. If you make a deal of it, your dog will (continue to) think there is a deal to be made of it.

ETA: It might also be helpful if you turn the torch on whilst you are still inside the house with the lights on and let your dog come out with you. The contrast might not be quite so astounding to him that way.

Edited April 23, 2011 by Erny

[Dogsrawesome]

Lastnight we took him out for a pee and when the wife came inside for some reason the torch shon (spelling) on the roof the dog see it and came cowering over to me, we could not believe it so we tried it again and he really did not like it.

We tend to take so much for granted in assuming our dogs understand the things that we understand. Your dog simply doesn't know what the light is about and wouldn't have made a connection with it being from the torch in your wife's hands.

Whatever you do, don't turn "spot the light" into a game, because although it might help him get over being worried about it, it also has the very real potential of turning into an obsessive compulsive behaviour (ie chase the light and try to catch it). Ask others whose dogs do this - often starting out by a game and then building to unsatisfied prey drive. Not that you were going to do this, but just in case you brought it out and this ended up being an inadvertent side-affect.

Don't fuss on it too much, but give your dog a chance to understand the light is from the torch. Just use the torch as you need to, without making too much of a big deal about it. Avoid shining it upwards and of course not in his eyes - keep it pointed to the ground near your feet. Give your dog a food treat. Don't look or draw attention to the torch light. Only use the torch for what you need - no turning off and on to see if your dog is ok with it or worried about it any more. Just use it as you need to when you go out each night. If you make a deal of it, your dog will (continue to) think there is a deal to be made of it.

ETA: It might also be helpful if you turn the torch on whilst you are still inside the house with the lights on and let your dog come out with you. The contrast might not be quite so astounding to him that way.

Agree with this it can easily turn into an obsession.

[glenncol]

Lastnight we took him out for a pee and when the wife came inside for some reason the torch shon (spelling) on the roof the dog see it and came cowering over to me, we could not believe it so we tried it again and he really did not like it.

We tend to take so much for granted in assuming our dogs understand the things that we understand. Your dog simply doesn't know what the light is about and wouldn't have made a connection with it being from the torch in your wife's hands.

Whatever you do, don't turn "spot the light" into a game, because although it might help him get over being worried about it, it also has the very real potential of turning into an obsessive compulsive behaviour (ie chase the light and try to catch it). Ask others whose dogs do this - often starting out by a game and then building to unsatisfied prey drive. Not that you were going to do this, but just in case you brought it out and this ended up being an inadvertent side-affect.

Don't fuss on it too much, but give your dog a chance to understand the light is from the torch. Just use the torch as you need to, without making too much of a big deal about it. Avoid shining it upwards and of course not in his eyes - keep it pointed to the ground near your feet. Give your dog a food treat. Don't look or draw attention to the torch light. Only use the torch for what you need - no turning off and on to see if your dog is ok with it or worried about it any more. Just use it as you need to when you go out each night. If you make a deal of it, your dog will (continue to) think there is a deal to be made of it.

ETA: It might also be helpful if you turn the torch on whilst you are still inside the house with the lights on and let your dog come out with you. The contrast might not be quite so astounding to him that way.

Thanks heaps

Yeah the last thing i want is obsessive compulsive behaviour,the little bugger does enough things that i really think he thinks is funny and dont need something else

[BigDaz]

I mentioned in another thread that one of my Staffies sometimes thinks the moon is a hot air baloon and gets frightened, so the torch on the roof could represent something the dog is scared of, or could be totally random.

[Erny]

My own boy went through a phase where shadows spooked him. It was during what I believe was his 2nd fear impact period and I made a point of not having the torch light make more shadows. My boy has since come through this period and is much more settled and tends to ignore what he used to think was absolutely deserved of his attention and alarm. This could be something similar with your dog. It is where things that they might have known before become a bit scary to them, and things they've never known before are even spookier than they would be under similar circumstances. Your job is to have things so they don't represent as scary. Hence the "torch on before you and your dog leave the lights of the house" and keeping the torch shone down to the ground in front of your feet.

[glenncol]

I mentioned in another thread that one of my Staffies sometimes thinks the moon is a hot air baloon and gets frightened, so the torch on the roof could represent something the dog is scared of, or could be totally random.

You could have something there

[glenncol]

My own boy went through a phase where shadows spooked him. It was during what I believe was his 2nd fear impact period and I made a point of not having the torch light make more shadows. My boy has since come through this period and is much more settled and tends to ignore what he used to think was absolutely deserved of his attention and alarm. This could be something similar with your dog. It is where things that they might have known before become a bit scary to them, and things they've never known before are even spookier than they would be under similar circumstances. Your job is to have things so they don't represent as scary. Hence the "torch on before you and your dog leave the lights of the house" and keeping the torch shone down to the ground in front of your feet.

Makes perfect sense.

Our little guy is a little timid here and there, like hears a noise like the kids next door playing in the back yard and he will bolt over and prop next to me shitting himself, but i ignor him and noise and he got use to it.

I have found by ignoring him he does not seem to worry about things after the frst or second time but with this and him lokking up at the ceiling all the time worried me a little, torch will be pointed down at all times now

[Erny]

And just as food for thought ..... did you and your wife look up at what your dog was worried about?

It would be a natural thing to do, but your dog would look at you doing that and know there was something there to worry about.

When I spot things my boy indicates concern about, I treat those 'things' as though they aren't there and carry on, business as usual - so to speak .

Once your boy is ok with the torch, you should be able to point it anywhere without any trouble. It's doing it without making a point of doing it, that is the trick :D.

[glenncol]

And just as food for thought ..... did you and your wife look up at what your dog was worried about?

It would be a natural thing to do, but your dog would look at you doing that and know there was something there to worry about.

When I spot things my boy indicates concern about, I treat those 'things' as though they aren't there and carry on, business as usual - so to speak .

Once your boy is ok with the torch, you should be able to point it anywhere without any trouble. It's doing it without making a point of doing it, that is the trick :D.

Yeah honestly i cant remember what we did once it clicked what the issue was, but may very well be right