"Help - I'm scared"

[Daisy]

I was busy in the kitchen this morning when Cooper started barking/whimpering. I called him, but he didn't come to me - very unusual. In the end I went to see what was the matter. He was standing on the half landing, which is only two steps up, pacing and anxious. I thought he wanted something upstairs - a ball rescuing from under furniture or something like that. No nothing! He followed me back down stairs, but stopped in the same place.

I tried to encourage him to follow me into the kitchen, but no, he wasn't having any, not even when I opened the treats drawer.

Then I remembered this is how he is when he gets on our bed and looks over the side at the evil, scary monster that is OH's bedside rug. I guessed he'd slipped on the hard floor and taken fright! So I dragged the hall rug to the bottom of the stairs and made walk ways along the hall with towels, dog mats etc. Still he wouldn't get off the step. Thinking he might be getting desperate for the garden I slipped his lead on and he walked onto the rug with no problem.

So now I'm carrying the lead round with me ready to slip on every time he's too frightened to tread on the hall floor!

[Oma]

Aww bless him floors are scary places you know hahaha

[Gemini]

Aww poor Cooper! Strange what can frighten animals isn't it?

[Nanto2girls]

Awww poor Cooper. Maybe he knows something you don't.

[Daisy]

Nanto - he probably does know something I don't! It was one of those days with the dogs today. Later on OH went out to visit a friend who hasn't been well. Eva suddenly came rushing up to me trembling and shaking and wanting to be picked up. OH hadn't quite closed the internal door to the garage and it was rattling! That's so scary for Eva.

[Oma]

Its daft things that spook them Daisy , Remember when DD had to carry storm over bridges that went over water hahaha
Poor Eva she is such a sweetheart xx

[Gemini]

My ex, the girls and I (and later DD3's best friend) stayed in a Spanish villa in a quiet countryside location several times.
The owners lived up the hill and had three dogs. Poppy and Tara who were medium sized dogs, Jacko who was a big Alsatian. Not being dog person I was wary of Jacko when I first met him. He was a sweetheart though The dogs treated any holiday makers in the villa as extended family and hung out with you by the pool (especially on BBQ nights The owners told us that if you don't want the dogs, just send them away the first time they call and they won't come again during your stay. We liked having them there.

One year there was an evening thunder storm. We soon realised that Jacko was terrified! No way could we send him back up the hill or leave him outside, so we had to let him sleep in the villa whilst we went to bed!
He had gone home in the morning once the storm had passed.

[Daisy]

Gem - what a lovely story. I'm glad you didn't try and send Jacko back home in the storm.

Dogs get scared of the oddest things. Many years ago the DSs and I decided to go to South Stack Lighthouse in Anglesey (we had a mobile home there) and took our lovely, but very large, Labrador with us. The lighthouse is separated from the island by a short walkway with steps at either end. We had a nice look round the lighthouse, but the dog decided he wasn't going to climb up the open tread steps back onto the land. No way! In the end, I had to carry him up this steep flight of steps with him wriggling and squirming, desperate to get away from the scary sea underneath.