We need advise/help with a dog problem. Please help!

[tandot]

We have a 9-year old Chihuahua-mix who is not one of those nervous and yappy ones. He is really calm and rarely barks. He doesn’t get upset over fireworks or any other loud sounds. He sleeps on the foot-end of our bed in his own blanket and doesn’t get up until we are getting up.

Two nights ago around 2 am he came out of his blanket, totally nervous, standing on my pillow, shaking, and looking toward our bed room window. We couldn’t calm him down. He went underneath our comforter, but wouldn’t lay down, came out again, walked on our pillows, always raising his ears and shaking. He was completely scared and anxious.

I was able to hear a faint beep every 30 seconds or so (almost like the one you hear when the battery in the fire alert gets low) and saw that he raised his ears whenever it beeped. I closed the window and was able to calm him after a little while. He fell asleep between us.

The same thing happened this morning at around 2 pm but I didn’t hear any beeps. And, this time, not even closing the window helped. I was trying to cuddle up with him to comfort him but he wouldn’t stay.

I was wondering if someone in the neighborhood had an ultrasonic sound high-frequency dog-deterrent, but why would it come on in the middle of the night and at the same time? What is the reach of these things? Is there anything else that could cause an untrasonic sound?

Has anyone had a similar experience with a pet? What can we do to calm him down? How do we get rid of that noise?

Thank you so much for your help :hi:

[Corgigal]

1. Did you raise this dog?

Has he lived with you, in this home for the full 9 years?

[tandot]

2. Yes, I got him when he was 10 weeks old. He never behaved like this.

Nothing in our house has changed in the last 3 years.

However, I just remember that we hooked up a wireless cablebox to our bedroom TV. Can those make ultrasonic sounds? If they do, shouldn't it make the sound continuously and not just suddenly start in the early morning?

[Corgigal]

3. did you check around your window

to see if anything has been tampered with? The reason I'm asking is because years old our little dachshund doggie did what yours did and someone was trying to sneak in at night. We didn't know it at the time but the next day we checked and she was right. We thanked that little doggie.

[tandot]

4. We listened to any unusual sounds and looked out the window.

We live on a well-lit street with not much traffic. Usually pretty quiet.

I am glad that your dachshund was so attentive. I think we have to stop sleeping with open windows. However, it would be unusual if someone tried to sneak in two nights in a row. Our bedroom window has a screen and lines up in a way that you couldn't see that it was open from the street.

[flvegan]

5. Ultrasonic dog deterrants have a very short reach.

They also are made to distract not cause anxiety. You also wouldn't be able to hear it.

I, for one, think that this sounds like normal reaction to some sort of predator. You might have had a bigger dog or a wild animal (or person) in your area at that time. Remember, it's not just sound that can cause a dog to react like that, but also smell.

I think that the noise is probably just a coincidence.

[tandot]

6. We've heard stories that coyotes have been spotted close by

However, this has been months ago and he never reacted like that before. He also never showed any fear of other, way bigger dogs.

We'll ask our neighbors if they've noticed anything unusual or heard reports about any predators close by.

Thanks for replying :)

[marzipanni]

12. If coyotes were sighted months ago, (winter?)

maybe your windows wouldn't have been open? It could have been a coyote, perhaps looking for water, and your little dog smelled it through the open window.
I know deer come down from the woods to look for water when streams are drying up, maybe coyotes are doing the same.

[InvisibleTouch]

7. Not much help, but a similar anecdote:

My last year's litter of pups was absolutely bomb-proof - nothing phased them, they were fine with the sound of blenders, vacuum cleaners, thunderstorms, fireworks, you name it. The only time I ever saw them freaked out by a sound, was the first time I activated the microwave when they were in the kitchen. The whole litter jumped up in alarm, whining and squealing. I don't know if it was the sound (not even very loud) or the radiation that they were responding to, but something sure startled them. They quickly learned that microwave=food, more often than not, and they never showed a response like that again.

I can't imagine how or why there would be a source of microwaves hitting your home at 2 AM, but that's the only similar experience I've had.

[tandot]

8. He doesn't mind the microwave. It has to be something new that just

started two nights ago.

I actually talked to my neighbor across the street and her three dogs went nuts around the same time. Tonight, we'll turn all electronic stuff off (wireless cable, computers, TV, etc.) and sleep with the window closed.

If he does the same thing again, I don't know what to do. Should I go to the vet and get anti-anxiety drugs? Is there any instrument I can purchase that would detect ultrasonic sounds or high-frequency sounds?

I am exhausted from not getting enough sleep but feel even worse for my poor baby.

[InvisibleTouch]

11. White-noise generator, perhaps?

Definitely stay away from anti-anxiety drugs unless you've tried everything else first. You could try Rescue Remedy, though, which is a flower essence and has a calming effect for some individuals (humans can take it too).

If your neighbor's dogs are going nuts at the same time, something is definitely going on, and medicating the symptoms is just putting a band-aid on the problem. If it's affecting the dogs, it's probably affecting you as well, just that the "signal" is beyond the range of your senses. Not sure what to tell you in terms of finding the source, but I'm curious to hear if it happens again tonight. Keep us informed, if you would.

[tandot]

13. Thanks. I'll post the results tomorrow.

I'll research the white-noise generator. Tonight, we'll leave the fan running in hopes to drown out any noise.

[tandot]

16. Hi Invisible Touch:

I posted the update below. My dog slept through the night without any interference.

Thanks for your advise :hi:

[InvisibleTouch]

17. Glad to hear you had a peaceful night.

Hope everything settles down for you from now on. :)

[NMDemDist2]

9. I'd ask that neighbor over there if they have any new toys

water softener or new sprinkler system??

first stop neighbor's house IMO

[idgiehkt]

10. I wouldn't rule out an intruder

it's strange, though, that there would be noise accompanying it, because most predators are a bit smarter than that. You migh talk to your neighbors about it...I pay attention when one of my dogs alerts, because she only alerts on people. Another one barks when there is nothing there, another barks at thunderstorms, geese, and other animals, and the fourth and newest member of the brood barks when the third one barks, even though he's unsure why. But my aussie cattle dog is always reliable...it sounds like this little guy was as well. Something was going on out there, or next door though no telling what. It's non unusual you wouldn't be able to hear the sound during the day (I wasn't clear if you meant to put 2 p.m., or a.m. because you said 2 p.m this morning).

[tandot]

14. I meant 2 a.m. in the morning. Sorry :)

He is totally different if someone knocks on the door or is visible through the window. Not afraid. He might have a little warning bark but stops as soon as we tell him to. The last two nights, he was totally freaked out - scared and trembling. I've never observed that behavior and didn't observe it the last two days during the day. Only at night he acted like that.

[tandot]

15. U*P*D*A*T*E

Last night we turned off the wireless cableboxes, TVs, computers, turned on the evaporative cooler fan, and closed the window. My dog Leo (and us) slept without any interruptions until our alarm clock went off. He was a happy dog this morning :)

Tonight we will leave the cableboxes on to see if that is the culprit. Could it be that the wireless connection is picking up a signal from some place else? Lately, we have noticed that our phone line has frequently bad interference. Maybe Agent Mike lives close by? :crazy:

We'll find out tonight.