Female Siberian Husky started staring at the ceiling and walls and acting very scared.
We have a female Siberian Husky whom we rescued about six months ago (her age is approximately 16 months). She was on the street, and her behavior indicates that she was abused. She was rather reserved at first and had destructive behavior but was making incredible progress. She now feels very safe and comfortable with us and can be left in the house with our older male Husky for as long as to six hours when we are at work without causing damage. Just last weekend, though, she started staring at the ceiling and walls and acting very scared. She then hid under the bed for hours. Since then she has continued this behavior for periods and then seems fine for a few hours. We recently discovered mice in our house, and it looks as if there is a nest in the attic, right in the spot she seems most afraid of. We believe she can hear them running around and she doesn't know what the sound is so she gets scared. The odd thing, though, is that our other dog does not react at all, but he also is much more laid-back. We are trying to get rid of the mice and have been letting Cleo go under the bed as she pleases. She was so nervous last night that she kept us up most of the night. She even escaped from our house earlier in the week through a small bathroom window and then hid in the back yard until we got home; this obviously is causing her great distress. Do you think our theory is correct, or could she have mental problems? Is there anything else we can do to help calm her? We are very worried about her but would prefer not to put her on drugs.
Well, it could be your dog is suffering from a medical problem, specifically something neurological. I would pursue a medical examination to rule this out, but I'm guessing you may be right about the mice. If it is a phobia she has developed in reaction to the noises she is hearing; she will need serious behavioral modification to help her overcome it. Temporary drug therapy, as prescribed by a veterinary behaviorist, can help ease and speed her recovery. Because the mice seemingly are the trigger for her defensive reaction and because she can't investigate them, she is going to have a hard time dropping her guard.
Here is a rather complicated experiment you can try, but it is not a replacement for either medical assessment or behavioral evaluation / modification, both of which would benefit your dog. The objective is to see if the mice are really causing the problem and, if so, to help desensitize your dog to them a bit.
Try setting humane mouse traps in your attic that will catch the mice alive; be sure to make the release far from your home (cross a river or two if you want to err on the side of caution) to be sure they don't make an "incredible journey." Or, if all already have been dispatched in a more traditional (fatal) manner, go to the pet store and buy a mouse (or better yet, borrow one; ask if you can return it if you don't really want a pet mouse) and a small cage with a little nest, water bottle, food, etc., so as to be humane. You justifiably may have no affection for the little critters, but the poor things really can't help that they are in the wrong place at the wrong time. Your pet mouse may help you adjust your dog's weird attitude, so be grateful and kind to it! While your dog is outside, bring little Mickey inside (in his cage) and put him on your table or kitchen counter. Next bring Cleo in on a leash, keeping her close to you and restrained. Try to remain emotionally nonchalant rather than excited or reassuring; after all, we really don't think mice are scary, do we? If you are sympathetic and supportive, you may be accidentally reassuring and validating her fear. Let her investigate Mickey, in his cage, at her own pace. Don't force his presence on her (the mouse really will be grateful), but instead, let her get comfortable with it at her own pace. Say "Mousy!" when she looks at it or sniffs it, and act indifferent (If you really are mouse-phobic yourself, try to counter condition yourself too--remember it is in the cage and a lot smaller than your big, carnivorous pets!)
If she becomes aggressive toward the mouse correct her with the leash by pulling back on it and distracting her attention away from Mickey. If she is comfortable and/or assertive rather than flighty, have someone put the caged mouse in the attic, right in the spot that seems to hold her attention. Now, whenever she looks at this spot, say "Shhh . . . listen! What is that?" and make an obvious point of looking up at the spot on the ceiling. Say something like " Hmmm . . . I'll go check!" and then come down with the cage and the mouse. Say "Mousy!" and let her check the mouse out (non aggressively!). Then put it back up there again. Repeat this several times, but now when she looks up, say "Mousy!" and then go get the mouse. Once you are certain all of Mickey's wild cousins have been removed, and your dog has been allowed to discover a real source for all of those mysterious sounds, she should seem less reactive to them. When she looks up, say "Mousy" without looking or responding to her. If she continues to show interest, keep her on a leash, held by or attached to you as you relax in the house together. If she becomes concerned, say "Mousy" unenthusiastically and continue to go about your business with her by your side. See if her flight and your reactions have been reinforcing her overreactions; when you discontinue both, she should start to show less interest in the ceiling. At this point you may decide to return Mickey or donate him to a local first grade school's classroom. If you have to return him to the pet store, keep in mind the mouse probably is destined to be someone's pet snake's dinner rather than someone's pet. Personally I think you owe the little guy, so if you haven't grown so fond of Mickey you just have to keep him, please try to find him a safe home. When you remove him from your home permanently, allow your dog to see you (or a helper) retrieve the cage from the attic, and allow the dog to accompany you as you walk the mouse to the car. As the car drives away, have the dog on a leash by your (or your helper's) side watching it go. Now Mickey is gone, and hopefully your dog will rest easier having seen his actual final exit.
This experiment should be amusing even if it isn't effective. At a minimum, it will reduce any actual mouse-phobia either you or your dog may be suffering from as a result of their recent uninvited occupancy of your home. I really don't think I've given you a cure here. Most likely the dog will require some behavioral modification from a professional, and I do worry about the possibility of an underlying medical cause. Even though I may seem to take your problem lightly in this answer, I really think you should seek help first from your veterinarian and then from a behaviorist. Good luck.
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