Behavior or Health

[Yankee Hammond]

my dog and I have been training at the same facility for years.
The last few training sessions she has blinked, ducked and backed away from me in class. This behavior only seems to be in this one building. We do both rally and agility in this building. While we are playing - she is fine and preforms well. I took her to my regular vet for an eye exam - and she thought she was fine. I am thinking about a more detailed eye exam but I am not really sure it's her eyes since it only happens in this building. I really cannot think on any changes in the dogs she is with, the building itself etc
Does anyone have any thoughts?

[mellie]

What are you working on in the training sessions ? Maybe it's too much for her or too new... Maybe something has spooked her in this building. Has the equipment been changed around or new decorations or a flag or something flapping out the window. My girl is freaked out by things being out of place in our home, anything out of the usual.If this building is the only place it happens it sounds like it is behavioral. No head tilt or anything like that is there ? No snapping at shadows ?

[Yankee Hammond]

it appears to be only this building. I am going to try a training practice in a different building today and see what happens

[2GoodDogs]

What is making her flinch, is it tied to your movement? Are you flashing a hand signal? Is your dog sight and sound sensitive by temperament?
Have you ruled out the shadows that might be created by the lighting in the building?

[*Caro]

Maybe she just needs a break? At one stage Tully was shutting down at agility training, we stopped going to training for a session and next time we turned up she was excited to be back.

[Justicemom]

My girl Ember, who is a very strange girl, doesn't like being touched when working in general. Aways has been but I had ways of working around it.

A couple years ago she started doing the ducking thing too and seemed scared of me touching her or taking things from my hands usually only at the training building but occasionally at other places. Eye sight fine.

One day my instructor was watching her and goes I think she is getting shocked. She was repeatedly closing her eyes in the weaves. The building is dry in the winter and sometimes with the AC in the summer. I got some dryer sheets and rubbed her and my hands over and the behavior stopped about 90%. Since the behavior occurred when I was standing, I only touch her when I am sitting and that took care of the rest. It has also helped with the weaves and the cute to weird but she didn't like those either because she had been shocked with static.

[Yankee Hammond]

Sounds good I will try that

[mellie]

Originally Posted by Justicemom

My girl Ember, who is a very strange girl, doesn't like being touched when working in general. Aways has been but I had ways of working around it.

A couple years ago she started doing the ducking thing too and seemed scared of me touching her or taking things from my hands usually only at the training building but occasionally at other places. Eye sight fine.

One day my instructor was watching her and goes I think she is getting shocked. She was repeatedly closing her eyes in the weaves. The building is dry in the winter and sometimes with the AC in the summer. I got some dryer sheets and rubbed her and my hands over and the behavior stopped about 90%. Since the behavior occurred when I was standing, I only touch her when I am sitting and that took care of the rest. It has also helped with the weaves and the cute to weird but she didn't like those either because she had been shocked with static.

Ahhhhh, makes sense.

[Sheltiemama]

My little Max started ducking when I reached to pet him. Like I had hit him!!! I was bewildered. Finally I realized....I was shocking his little ear when I reached for him due to the static electricity. I try now to make sure that "charge" is gone when I reach for the little guy. And his ducking has diminished a great deal!

[Yankee Hammond]

Did you feel the shock too or only your dog
I wiil keep trying the dryer sheets for a bit and see how that works