mbc1963 Posted January 9, 2009 Report Share Posted January 9, 2009 My dog has a specific bark he uses only for directing my attention to something that's frustrating him: his toys have been set up high while I vaccum and he wants them down, or the kibble has slipped under the low cabinet and he can't reach it, or the bats are crawling around in the walls and he wants to get at them but can't. Last night, after I went to bed, Buddy started making that very specific, "Help me! Look at this predicament!" bark. So I came downstairs, only to find him standing up in his bed (a knock-off of a Kuranda bed - a canvas sling set about 6" off the ground). He was staring at the floor and making that demanding bark. His problem? He could not - or would not! - jump down off his bed. I went over and squatted down, tapped on the floor, and said, "Come on, you can do it." He looked at me, seeming to be relieved, and jumped down onto the floor. Then he offered a happy, wriggling posture of relief, like, "Boy, that was really something! Thanks for helping me down!" Any theories as to what was going through his head that made him think jumping down onto the floor was impossible? Weirded out, Mary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurae Posted January 9, 2009 Report Share Posted January 9, 2009 Maybe he woke up from a nightmare? Or woke up stiff/in a bit of pain? Craig sometimes barks in the middle of the night in what seems to be a panic. If I go into the living room where his crate is and turn on the light, he is fine and even looks a little sheepish. No idea what that's about, but I've always wondered if he has just woken up from a nightmare. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soda-pop Posted January 9, 2009 Report Share Posted January 9, 2009 Maybe he started to get down and weirded himself out because it wiggled strangely or he saw a weird shadow... or something. Soda does that all the time--but she's kind of neurotic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SS Cressa Posted January 9, 2009 Report Share Posted January 9, 2009 ROFL Maybe he saw a mouse?! ETA: Cressa also has a high pitch bark that could probably be heard from mile when she want my help or attention. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
afrancis Posted January 9, 2009 Report Share Posted January 9, 2009 That's funny Mary. Be careful. He may be training you to be his butler Ailsa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweet_ceana Posted January 9, 2009 Report Share Posted January 9, 2009 Poke has that bark, only his is ear peircingly high pitched. It will make you twitch! I agree that he probably had some sort of dream or saw something. I have to say though, that the image of Buddy refusing to get out of his bed made me giggle. What a character! ( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vanillalove Posted January 10, 2009 Report Share Posted January 10, 2009 I would LOVE to hear what people have to say about this one. Pete has a complex about stairs all of a sudden. We know he never fell or hurt himself and he's been vetted a few times about the issue, as we thought it may be arthritis, some stiffness or something but the vet assures us he's in perfect health and is as sound as can be. Yet somedays he'll just sit at the bottom or top of the stairs and WHINESCREAMS like he can't get up or down. Other days he's flying down like they're nothing but, well, stairs. I just try to ignore him and not fuss over it too much and he seems to just do it fine. In the beginning, we tried to re-train him to carefully go down, but that seemed to only enforce the "scariness" or whatever his deal was and his episodes were more frequent when he thought there may very well be something dangerous about them since we were so fussy over it. Now, we just let him do what we know he can, it just takes him a little second to figure it out, haha. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beachdogz Posted January 10, 2009 Report Share Posted January 10, 2009 Last night, after I went to bed, Buddy started making that very specific, "Help me! Look at this predicament!" bark. So I came downstairs, only to find him standing up in his bed (a knock-off of a Kuranda bed - a canvas sling set about 6" off the ground). He was staring at the floor and making that demanding bark. His problem? He could not - or would not! - jump down off his bed. I just love reading all this stuff! Mine has "that bark"....and she usually wants something. Anything from "get my ball from under the bed" or "I need to go out" to "Stormy took my toy...go get it off him and give it back to me". Sometimes I try to figure this all out and sometimes I just chalk it up to why I love this breed. I really find that they communicate so much more with us than any other breed I've ever worked with. Did anyone read that National Geographic article about animal behavior that featured a B.C. and how intelligent they are (as we all know.) I love the "jumping off the bed story." Mine will bark that special bark when her toy gets stuck somewhere...and I usually encourage her to problem solve to get it...and when she does she is so happy that she got it herself - and I really think she's proud of herself. What an amazing and wonderful breed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ms.DaisyDuke Posted January 10, 2009 Report Share Posted January 10, 2009 Oh Dear! I am sorry but I laughed, it's kinda funny! Daisy has the same type of bark. She does it if she gets a toy or treat stuck out of reach, but her bark is usually followed by a nice forceful shot with her paw at the object that is trapping her food/toy/treat. It's kinda funny. Anyway, was it dark? My first thought was that if it was dark and his bed is set up a bit high, maybe he was having trouble telling the depth from where he was to the ground? I don't know though, maybe he is training you to be his butler! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BCjetta Posted January 10, 2009 Report Share Posted January 10, 2009 Mine doesn't bark....she whine/groans at me and stares at me and wags her tail. How old is your dog? Is it possible his eyesight is starting to not be as good? Allthough if its a bed he always goes in, you'd think he'd remember how to get out... Or maybe he thought he was supposed to stay in it unless you told him to go? Thats happened with Hannah before...where she assumes I want her to stay somewhere and then I go to another room and she'll start whining/groaning at me because she thinks i've forgotten her. Those 2 things are the only things I could think of... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbc1963 Posted January 10, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2009 Thanks for your thoughts, gang! I'm crossing my fingers that it was a bad dream - that was my neighbor's suggestion, too. It'll be a funny story after I'm sure it's not some new, weird OCD or neurosis. They are so odd. Mary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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