PTSD in dogs

[Brittney]

Does anyone know if dogs can suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder?

Ever since my break in, Nola has been acting very off. She paces around the house constantly. She begs to go out front or in the garage multiple times a day. She doesn't nap during the day anymore. She inhales her food so she can get back to pacing. She lies in front of the front door. She moans and groans all the time, pees and poops as close to the house as possible and rushes herself and she has no interest in play anymore.

My car is in the garage now and every time I let her out, she runs over and smells it and her hackles go up. I'm not sure what's wrong with her at all. It's like she doesn't feel safe anymore and is agitated.

Not quite sure how I can get her to calm down.

 

[fanofdmb84]

My guess would be that she's picking up on your hesitation since the event. Or maybe she only noticed it shortly after and it has just become a habit for her. Did anything happen to her during or after the break in? I'm sure there was a lot of commotion and that probably upset her, because everyone around her was anxious and she probably didn't understand why. I would spend some time doing really relaxing things, like reading or just lounging, with her in the places that she is feeling anxious. Maybe once she sees you are calm then she will have a chance to calm down.

On the other hand, behavior changes in dogs can be a symptom of thyroid or other problems, and you may want to make a trip to the vet to rule that out.

 

[3CsMommy]

After a break in at my grandparents house (many years ago) their Great Pyr/Golden Retriever mix did the same thing you're describing, complicated by a sudden, violent loathing for a neighbor. I think it's likely a behavior change brought on by the break-in, though whether she's reacting to *your* reaction to the event or the invasion of her territory, I couldn't be sure.

I'd suggest as much exercise and play away from the house as you can for a couple of days. Taking her to an unassociated place like a park or a friend's fenced yard for some exercise might help her snap out of it sooner. (And heck, if you want to stop and buy her a vanilla kiddie cone to eat in the car, it's a common way we spoiled our dogs that would give her happy associations with the vehicle again.) Eventually, she'll get comfortable in your house again, but if it continues, she could get more territorial of your home, which might be a bad thing.

 

[JennyBug]

As Cesar says, your dog will pick up on your energy. Have you been feeling nervous or wary? If so, your dog has picked up on that and will act the same. Basically, if you feel you have something to be afraid of, your dog feels the same way. When you come home, try just sitting and relaxing. It may take a little while, but eventually your dog will calm down too.

Our pit mix, Chase, can always tell when we're anxious around him; you can see it on his face! It's like looking into a mirror - if I look at Chase and see a forehead wrinkled in worry, I know he's picking that up from me, and I take a deep breath and calm down. Dogs pick up on how we feel in the sense that they know that something is wrong. While dogs may not feel the same emotions as us, they know when something is not the way it should be. Take some time to relax - even if you don't feel you're nervous, your dog is picking up something.

 

[Jeanette]

Even before I read other peoples' comments on here, I thought
What are you doing differently?
Are you nervous to go outside after dusk?
What have you changed in terms of your routine?

Even my cat knows when I'm upset. I'd bet that a dog could do the same and then some.

Try to follow your normal routine and don't coddle her when she exhibits the behaviour you mentioned.