Is my dog going crazy?

Question

I've heard that when dogs get older some of them can go crazy or "turn". Well she isn't being aggressive towards me, or my family, but she is starting to nip at my younger dog. She used to be a good guard dog, and whenever someone was home she would know, and she would bark, but now she barks at EVERYTHING, she hears someone put something down on the table hard, thinks it's a knock and starts barking, hears someone close a door, she starts barking. She has just been acting really weird lately, moody and she just barks at everything!!! Is she going crazy in her old age??? She's only 10, but our vet said she is aging very quickly.... and she is slowly going blind, I feel so bad :( I don't know what to do for her. She can still see, I just don't think very well. What can we do about her barking? (p.s. I am not getting a shock collar.)

Answer 1

She is most likely losing her hearing as well. We had the same issues with our Golden Retriever, Murphy, when was 11. They have trouble distinguishing between sounds. You're RIGHT about not getting a shock collar. The "aggression" you described is because she's just not hearing well, and is easily startled. With Murph, it got to where he completely lost his hearing. We'd come home, he'd be asleep, and it wasn't until he felt the floor move as you waled past him that he realized you were home, and it would scare him. And he would "hear" things that weren't really there. Imagine that ... it's like having people sneak up on you constantly. She's not crazy, she's just hard of hearing and confused. All you can do is accept it and be patient with her. Give her a hug for me. :-)

Answer 2

She not going crazy and she's not going to "turn" on you unless she has a brain tumor. When dogs get old and their hearing starts to go, they often bark at everything (or even nothing). They may be in pain, which can make them grumpy and intolerant of a younger dog that wants to play. Just be careful when you touch her - she may snap at you if she's startled or hurting. There's not a lot you can do except try to make her comfortable - a soft dog bed helps.

I'd keep her on a leash by your side and gently correct her for the barking. If a dog loses its sight, it's not that big a deal as long as you don't move the furniture. You can give her glucosamine / chondroitin pills for any joint pain she might be having. You vet may be able to prescribe something that could help. When she's having more bad days than good, it might be time to think about putting her to sleep. Hate to think about it - one of my dogs is getting old, too - but it's better than letting them suffer.

Answer 3

Your pet is having probelms with herhearing and that is why all the barking. As they age they do not hear quite as well and can not seperate sounds of stuff so they just bark at everything.
Also going blind will make them more likely to bark as they can not see what it is but can hear it and just bark to be sure.
They make a med for conjetive disfunction in dogs and you should ask your vet if something like this might help your pet.
I have a blind dog and he is now 9 and he barks at opening doors and setting things down to hard and all sorts of stuff that used to never bother him.
I just tell him NO or NO BARK and he will stop but I feel like somedays that is all I tel him.
Good luck.

Answer 4

Her blindness may be why she barks at everything. Since she can't see things and people approaching, they startle her when she finally hears them. That may also be why she nips at your other dog. She can't see him coming up, can't smell him, so when he's right under her nose and she can hear him or he touches her, it startles her and she nips at him.

Talk to the vet. There may be something you can give her to calm her down, or he may have some suggestions that would help her.

If she's ten and she's aging quickly, treat her like you would your 80 year old grandmother. Just understand her quirks and give her love and be with her as she winds down to the end of her life. Be patient with her. She's loved you with all her heart for ten years, and she doesn't understand what's happening to her.

Answer 5

Since she is going blind, her sence of hearing has probably heightened which may be what is causing her to bark at everything. She is also probably confused about the changes going on with her. If she were my dog(I have a 9 yr old & a 14 mo old-both female) I would comfort her every chance I got & show her lots of LOVE. Good Luck.

Answer 6

The older a dog gets, no different than people in many ways, their senses sometimes get disoriented. She may be nipping at your younger dog for many reasons. Aggravation, sore joints, disorientation, etc. Sounds and sights are not as good as they used to be for her, so sounds she does hear, she is responding to, and things she thinks she may see, she will also respond to. Most likely from her perspective, she is only doing what she has always done. She doesn't realize that she is slowly losing her faculties that were once very sharp. My elderly Lab did much better with me reassuring him more often, being more aware of making him feel secure and comfortable. Our dogs make us feel safe and secure and loved for most of their lives, but as they age....the roles reverse and it is our time to make our aging friends feel the same.

Answer 7

I am really glad you are not getting a shock collar.Sounds like your dog is not only losing her sight but losing her hearing a bit as well.
It's really sad but just part of life.
Try to be really patient with her. She must be very stressed as she doesn't realise what is happening.
Make sure she knows what is going on around her. She probably nipped at you other dog because she didn't see or hear him approaching and got a fright. Try not to startle her and see that she has a good view of everything.
Try to imagine how you would feel with limited sight and reduced hearing!

Answer 8

Its possible that her sight or hearing (or both) are going. A dog really doesnt understand that, so things are constantly "suprising" them, or they are hearing things slightly, so they dont know what they are anymore, both of which can lead to biting or barking. She could also be getting arthritus, which since its pretty much a constant pain, can lead to a dog being in a generally snippy frame of mind as well. You should definately have your vet check her out, as there might be somethign he can do if she does have arthritus. Good luck!

Answer 9

Talk to your vet again about her sight and hearing. Lots of older dogs go deaf and blind and become very confused. Have the vet check her over to make sure she doesn't have any kind of illness starting that can be treated medically. If it's just old age (vision and hearing loss) be patient, make sure that you don't change her surroundings and give her lots of love.

Answer 10

Yes, many older dogs do become senile, just as some people do. There isn't nuch to do about it. You can feed her Chamomile tea, to sooth her nerves.

Chamomile tea works very well, and is safe for her. dump it out of the teabag, and use 1 teaspoon for small breed, up to 1 tablespoon for a large breed. mix it in a little canned food, such as Mighty Dog, or Cesar's, and give about 30 minutes before she needs to relax. It will keep her happy, but reduce stress.
If your grocer doesn't carry chamomlile, you can use 'Sleepytime Tea' as it is the same,but with added herbs. Plain chamomile tastes better to a dog.

Then brew a cup for yourself, you will all feel much better!