Hi I am a new member. I have two rat terriers that are 9 yrs old and are litter mates, they are both girls and their names are Cali and Macy. We adopted them almost 9 years ago from a neglectful home.  They overcame the anxiety and other problems they developed from that environment, with lots of love.  They are for the most part happy dogs with tons of energy and have not given us any problems.  Lately Macy has begun acting strange.  She has started to get very clingy and she tries to hide under the toilet in any bathroom she can sneak into. If I leave a door open to a small room or closet, she runs in there and tries to hide in the corner.  She crawls under the computer desk when I sit at it and sleeps there. She still gets plenty of attention and lots of play time. We have not moved recently and there are no family dynamics that have changed.  She scratches on doors to be let in,  and if you are in the bathroom she cries or scratches to get in, she will hide under the bed too.

Our dogs are kenneled trained and have a safe spot. They do not get upset when we leave and usually are asleep when we get home. They are very rarely left alone for long.  What could be wrong with her? The other dog (Cali) is not acting like this at and seems to be ingnoring Macy's weird behavior.

Has anyone experienced this? Or know what is wrong?

Thanks for the advice.

Jen

Hi Jen and Welcome. I am sorry but I have no clue on how to help. Nora is the sites training moderator. I am sure she will be able to help. try posting again in the training forum. BTW....we LOVE pictures around here.

Have you had a health checkup by your vet?  Sometimes a change in behavior like this can indicate a health problem.  Keep us updated.

just wanted to say hello and welcome,

I am not sure what to say about your dog being scared.  Nora, our training moderater is out this weekend,

but one of the things that pops in my mind, is could it be some kind of health issue?  Maybe a trip to the vet might help you to get some kind of insight of what's going on with Macy?  Just a thought.  poor girl....   I hope she can relax again soon.... 

Great minds!! 

Which dog would you say has been Alpha over the last 9 years you've had them? Have you ever seen Cali act snappish or aggressive with Macy? Females can be quite contentious for Alpha position in the pack, sometimes even more so than males. Fights can be quite nasty between females vying for the alpha slot. I'm wondering if they have gotten into some alpha squables, lately, perhaps when you were not at home. If Cali bit Macy, even if she didn't draw blood, that might explain her insecurity and driving need to be close to you. She may be afraid of Cali? And turning to you to protect her.

Just a thought, because my Zipper (rescue) has been fairly nasty with Button the whole time we've had her. And Button is NOT that assertive, and tolerates Zipper's nastiness like a trooper. Button has only gotten mad enough at the aggression to return a snarl one or two times in over a year of this. I think Zipper wants to be alpha, but Button still holds that position. That's why Zipper continues to be "snippy" with her at times. Others have told me once a dog IS alpha, they don't have to snap at the others any longer. Those dogs "submit" without question and Button does not most of the time.

Do you have a picture?  Where did you get the dog from...shelter? Breeder?

You might just try separate crates just when you cannot be there to watch for any aggression. They may APPEAR to want to always be in the same crate. But as dogs get older, sometimes the disturbance during sleep is not appreciated and it may set Cali off. And this may be when you aren't home. Even if an occasional snap is occurring, it might make Macy insecure. Her behaviors would indicate insecurity or hidden pain, from my personal experience.

Did your vet think there was any possibility she could have knee, hip or back inflammation or pain? Or perhaps even arthritic pain as she ages.  Reason I ask is my dachshund years ago with a history of back trouble would get under furniture and "hide" in corners if we ran out of Rimadyl or steroids & the pain got unbearable before I could get to the vet for a refill.

I posted the most recent picture I could find with my profile. It does not show up on the forum. Not sure what to do about that. My husband had a stroke in December and as you can see in the photo, the girls were a big part of his recovery! 

Jen

OMG I see you're in Leavenworth!  My Dad was Air Force teaching air strategy/tactics at the Army Command & Staff college at Ft. Leavenworth when I was in 9-11th grades!  Attended Patton JHS on post and LHS downtown!  Wow!  Small world.  I LOVED it there!  And my Mom lilves in San Antonio!  Truly a small world. 

It is a small world. My husband is attending CGSC here at Fort Leavenworth.  We are going to Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio. My kids attend Lansing Schools, we live off post.

Jen

Check your PM's Jen.