Jim, a 3 year old cocker spaniel mix I found lost this March, who has seemed perfectly normal and sane, behaved very strangely the other day. He was lying at the foot of the bed, having just jumped up there. He was wide awake. Suddenly, without warning, he sat up on the bed, staring up into the air. He sat up expectantly, wagged his tail, whined excitedly, stared hard, as though he was seeing someone. Then he stood up on his hind legs in a begging position, and panted happily, as he stared up into the air. I called to him, but he was so engaged with whatever-he-thought-this-was that he ignored me. He continued to sit up on his hind legs begging, looking at the thin air above him, for at least a full minute or two. Then suddenly he jumped off the bed and rooted about on the floor.

I went to see what he's doing on the floor. Poor Jim seemed to be looking for a treat, then behaved as if he found it, 'ate' something for a few bites (I watched him gobble thin air), then stopped and looked puzzled when he realized he wasn't eating anything. He then rooted around on the floor somemore looking for his treat. Finally gave up and hopped back up on the bed, sat up looking up at the same spot in the air, and carried on as I've already described, staring, begging on his hind legs, and not stoping when I spoke to him, though he did glance at me this time.

After some more minutes of this, he tried to make his way from the bed to the desk so he could get closer to whatever this was he was looking at (he stared at a spot in the air a few feet above the desk). He couldn't do it, much as he tried, so I put a chair down, stood on the chair and lifted Jim up into the air so he could get closer to the thing he - and only he - could see and hear. He stared hard and sniffed the air, quivering slightly as if he's so excited and happy.

After I put him down, he was more relaxed, but still stared up in the air at whatever he thought it was. Which he thought moved at some point as his head and eyes moved across the room in a tracking stance. Then he finally stopped staring and begging, and finally sighed a big sigh, and returned to acting normal.

I am not a dog person and am unfamiliar with Cocker Spaniels. Are they known to do this? If so, why? I've heard of children having imaginary playmates, but never heard of a dog having one. He lives with 3 other dogs, gets along with them all. One other dog was in the same room as Jim did this, saw what Jim did, but did not see or hear whatever Jim thought he saw and heard. Jim has not done this again thus far.

But it was so very odd, and he carried on for a good 15 to 20 minutes total with this unseen-to-my-eyes-and-the-other-dog-eyes thing that it has left me wondering if this is just something Cocker Spaniels do. EC Kostrubala

Hi Kostrubala your very brave.
I would have been out of that room like a bat out of hell . Seems to me like the ghost of probably his former owner was playing with him and giving him treats . I cant think of a rational explanation . Mari

LOL @ Mari. I read this earlier and thought about stereotypic behaviour, heavy metal poisioning, epilepsy but none of them fit and I couldn't think of anything that did. A ghost is a good suggestion :).

well I go with the ghost theory ,checked out the w/site Mmmmmmmm........interesting ;)
Liz

I also go with the ghost theory, it probably was his former owner for him to act like he did, he was pleased to see someone that he knew. After my hubby died my dog was doing the same thing, at the place where my hubby sat on the settee, looking up in the air and wagging his tail, and jumping up on the furniture. Then he would lie down and cry!!!!! makes you wonder!!!!!

very spooky but so very true! dogs do this all the time, so ive heard!

but i wasnt sure if to believe dogs had a thing for ghosts, altho a believer of the unexplained and all that...

that was until my staffy did a similar thing in our kitchen only an hour ago. it was scary and i got out and watched from the next room.

she was staring 5-6 feet in the air and kinda just circled the spot, without taking her eyes off it she was sure something was there!

it may have been my imagination but i saw a flicker of a semi transparet grey which really freaked me out, but like i sed it was probably imagination, my mind was freaked out!

maybe it was ghosts, maybe it was your dog having somekind of sleepwalk (!?!) whatever it was it seems a very perculiar expierence!

dan

I am so glad I didn't read this thread BEFORE I went to bed last night :D

Melody

We had a 'friendly' ghost at our old house that took a real liking to our eight week old Chocolate Labrador puppy. My other half actually saw the ghost when we moved in and said it was a young girl. We went out for an hour and when we came back the puppy was in the lounge having the time of her life. The strange thing was our other dog was still behind the baby gate and the door into the lounge was firmly shut, there was no way for the puppy to get through the gate or open and close the door. Plus furniture was turned over that would have been far too heavy for an eight week old pup to move and things that had been high on the book case were on the floor for the puppy to play with. The cat left home for two weeks after this incident but the dogs seemed really at ease. A week later we came home and the lounge was trashed again, but both dogs were behind a closed door and a baby gate.At this point the house went on the market. You could sense when she was about and it really frightened me but the dogs were not at all concerned, they used to get quite excited if she had 'visited'. I saw a cat that vanished in to thin air where she was seen. (Wonder if it was hers?) She seemed to be friendly but we moved out four weeks later and she didn't follow us thank goodness!
Amy

Hi,

I too would agree with the ghost theory!! I probably won't be able to get a wink of sleep tonight after reading this:). Sometimes my dog looks behind me and I have to turn round to see what he is looking at, but there is nothing there! My 7 month old son also does this so I do wonder if they can see things we can't?? Spooky!

Jill

Sorry to be a bit more practical but could this dog have a floater in his eye.Gillian

That's an interesting suggestion Gillian. I've no idea how a dog would see a floater or how it would react but would guess that it might well misinterpret it.

The reason i suggested it is I know a Bc with eye problems who does watch and chase floaters.Gillian

I most certainly agree animals and children see things we dont . When Aislinn was three she asked another younger baby could he tell her are the angels still there as she cant see them now .
Her brother aidan is ten and still says he saw an angry man that was trying to push him down the stairs in a house they had rented while waiting for their one to be built.
It was owned by a very violent man who killed himself in his car .
He was a wife beater and child beater in drink . Lots of things went on in that house and my daughter had to come and stay with me . She feared for Aidan . He still remembers it .
We all have things happen we cant explain .
Mari

Mari, as you know, I'm about as sensitive as a brick but I once had a rented flat that there was just something wrong with. I didn't see anything and can't expain what it was but quite a few visitors mentioned the cold (it was always freezing no matter what you did) and the oppressive atmosphere without any prompting. I didn't think that sort of thing would ever get to me but it did and I moved out after a few months. A couple of years later, and quite by accident, I found that the turn over of occupants in the flat had been phenomenal for years and that it began when somone actively involved in terrorism had lived in it until he was shot dead. Very strange.

One of my dogs regularly seems transfixed on something I cant see. I just accept that they can see hear smell and sense things we cant.
Mick

Amy- I'd have been out of that house like a shot;) In my last house Shannon saw loads of strange things- one night Sean woke to her trying to climb the wall, screaming that a man was in the corner by the window- she described him too and she was only three- he opened the door-it was freezing, he said it didn't feel right-grabbed her and ran back into our room without looking. When we were younger one of our best friends died in a house fire and when I was pregnant wth Kane- Sean got up since he couldn't sleep because I was fidgeting - he said Shannon just sat bolt upright and started giggling and smiling saying 'Coulston's there- he's stood next to you- he misses you, you know'. She also sat and told us details of his funeral and death and that we obviously didn't tell her and we didn't say it infront of her either but yet she sat and told us telling us that Coulston's told her:o To be honest it's quite comforting knowing that he still goes on since we were so young when he died that it used to really upset us at certain events- as he wouldn't be doing those things etc. Sean actually made a note of him on his thingy on the friends reunited site because he thought it such a shame that he isn't with us anymore to list his name himself.

Stacey x x x

Brrrrrrr...I was just about to go to bed when I read these!

Not a dog tale (tail?!) but my friend was working night shift at the vets where she is a nurse. The practice cat, Lucy, was asleep on her lap when she suddenly woke up and started growling. She arched up, hair standing up along her spine and tail fluffed out, and growled unceasingly at the door which was behind my friend (who was alone in the building btw). My friend said the temperature dropped but there was NO WAY she was going to open or even look at the door. Eventually Lucy stopped but she was quite unsettled and kept glancing at the door and lashing her tail.

The next night, my friend was alerted by Lucy looking up at the ceiling and growling as she had the previous night. Seconds later, my friend heard the unmistakeable sound of heavy footsteps running across the flat roof. She rang the on-call vet for advice as she thought it might be a would-be burglar or someone making a getaway but didn't want to ring the police straight away for fear of looking stupid. The vet came round and had the bright idea of asking the security officer at the commercial premises next door to the vets to look at the CCTV video, as one of the cameras had a clear view of the vets' roof. He obligingly rewound the relevant tape to slightly before the time in question, and the three of them duly watched the tape...and watched...and watched...nothing. There had been no-one there - or at least, no-one visible.

Shortly after these events, Lucy became noticeably unsettled and went off her food. She was extensively checked and no medical reason could be found - she was in apparent perfect health. My friend became convinced that Lucy was unhappy because she could sense some kind of malignant spirit presence (my friend is one of the most down to earth, prgamatic people you could ever meet btw - not one given to fancies or fey ideas). Eventually, one of the other nurses took pity on Lucy and adopted her as her home pet cat, and within days Lucy was back to her old relaxed self and eating like a good'un.

Makes you think, eh???

Recently our 1 year old golden retreiver "Murphy" began "seeing" things that are not there. The other night while watching tv in the media room he obsessively stared at something behind me just over my shoulder for about 5 minutes. I looked over my shoulder several times and did not see anything. I was alone in the house so I decided to search for an intruder. I went all over and when I came back he was on the sofa getting a closer look at something. The strange thing was that Murphy's normally perky ears were flat against his head and yet he seemed quite concerned about me. Two nights ago while I was reading in bed Murphy sat up and began to stare in the same manner as before into the corner of the room. I got up and showed him that there was nothing there. I even felt for a cold spot just to humor myself. He still stared at whatever it was for a good 4 minutes all the while ears flat and once again concerned for me. Last night I went to let him out and he ran right up under a tree and sat up in a begging position. Then began to wag his tail then sort of re positioned himself several times in circles all the while not taking his eye's off of what ever it was that he was staring at. I looked up into the tree, there was no wind at all and no animal as the tree was well lit by a street light. I tried to get him to stop but he just kept obcessing at that spot. Finally he went on with his business and seemed to forget all about it. Until I called him in. He went for one last sit up and beg position then when I said "Murphy, I'm scared!" He turned and ran right up to me and stayed very close to me for the rest of the night. What is all of this about? A ghost? Help Crabthree

Kostrubala,

I'm reading this in the cold light of day and it's sending shivers down my spine! I've not once seen or heard a ghost but since we've had our two pups we've lived in a 1930's house where an old lady died in her sleep just before we moved in.

The dobe quite often growls and barks at nothing at all during the night but I've always put this down to typical dobe guarding behaviour or the snuffling of a hedgehog that I just can't see. However, our little beagle, Bert, has occasionally had a good old five minute interaction with things we can't see or hear. He'll stare at empty spaces, wag his tail & give little excited whines. I've never noticed any drops in temperature or anything else that is spooky but it's usually enough to tempt me to the drinks cabinet for a little medicinal slug of brandy and sleep with the lights on!

Lady G

Gillian, thank you for the suggestion that it could be a floater in Jim's eye. He's due at the vet this month for his heartworm preventative shot anyway, so I'll have the vet check for that. I'd think if it IS a floater, then Jim would be doing this fairly often. Thus far, he's only done it once. But I'll have the vet check for a floater. I'll also tell the Vet exactly what Jim did and see if he can find any other cause for it. I"d rather rule out physical explanations, before concluding it is Jim seeing a spook.

From what I can gather from everyone else - and I really appreciate all of your replies, I'm amazed by your stories of what your dogs or cats have done - is that apparently it is not unheard of for dogs, of whatever breed, to carry on as though they see and hear someone whom we can not see. So at least I know Jim's not gone loopy.

As for your ghost theories: I did not want to influence your responses, so I deliberately explained only what Jim did, as I want objective opinions from people who are familiar with dogs, which all of you are. For among my *unobjective* friends and family whom I've told what Jim did, all of them immediately jumped to the conclusion that my dog-loving late husband is the one whom Jim saw. And that my late husband chose that particular day because a TV programme I watched earlier was a documentary about the existence of an afterlife and spirits: a programme I watched with great skepticsm and annoyance (since it included hauntings, poltergeists and other rot).

I'll admit, I began to think it could have been my late husband, but I've no proof of that. I decided I've got to ask people who don't know me nor my widowed circumstances, who also know dogs, what they think.

Well, all I can say is I'm blown away by all of your replies and stories.

If Jim has a floater or something physically wrong, I"ll let you know. EC Kostrubala

Barney our lhasa used to bark in the kitchen every night around 9-9.30. Our house used to be one big house with the one next door and we believe there is a ghost. Me and my mum both saw a woman in funny clothes in the house next door when it was empty and there is a picture of the house with 'something' in the window. Now the clocks have gone forward he barks around 8.30pm!! Hope it is friendly . seems to be and Molly only joins in the barking when she hears Barney start :D
Gina

PS Here he goes now :)

Boy, that is amazing about your dog. Of course, I want to believe as my friends do that Jim saw my late husband, but I don't want to be a sap. So I came here thinking surely I'll get logical, physically based, explanations for Jim's behavior. With the exception of Gillian's floater suggestion, everyone else thinks it's ghosts. And now that I've re-read all your replies and have had some time for it to sink in, I'm more amazed than ever. If it IS spooks our dogs and the cat see, I wonder how they do so. But as someone here said, there are some things we just can't explain. EC Kostrubala

I wouldn't worry at all. If it is a spirit your dog is seeing well it's a friendly 1. I would find it comforting.

Well, since we're sharing "Ghost" Stories, I will tell you all of my experience with my brand new house (just completed 2 weeks ago) and my APBT Einstein. Let me begin by stating that I am a very logical thinkiner, and I do not beleive in the supernatural. But I cannot explain what happened to me last Tuesday.

My fiance and I allow our buddy to sleep with us in my bed at night. This is normal for us, and normally he sleeps on my chest. I glanced at the time and it was about 2:00am in the morning and I knew I had been up too late, so I turned off the television and lights and went to bed. I drifted into sleep like I normally would. Dancing between dreams and awareness I felt something bop me on the chin. I knew it was Einstein moving around so I did not take much notice of it, but I opened my eyes just to make certain. I glanced down at Einstein, and he was spastically twitching. I had seen him twitch in his sleep before, but not to this extent. I then glanced at my alarm clock again, it was 2:34am. That's when I saw "it." Out of the corner of my eye I saw a "Figure" of "something" standing at the foot of my bed. "It" was about 4 ft tall. I prepared to lunge at the figured as I had instantly assumed that it was a robber. The following all happened in about five seconds. I took a better look at what I thought I saw. It was no human form. It was pitch black. I had never seen anything more black than this. To put it in perspective, it made the shadows look like a weak brown. It was more like a "blur" of form, if you will. There were no arms or legs. I noticed that further to the right of the center of this "thing" there was a point, similar to a hat you'd see on a fictional wizard. I got the distinct impression that it was sneaking up on us. Right about then I let out a scream. At the top of my lungs. I am a twenty one year old male, and it takes a little bit to get me screaming like a schoolchild. As I began screaming the "thing" vanished! It "dissolved" into multiple directions and vanished. I continued screaming. Einstein woke up with a loud scream of his own, and began thrashing about the bed. I still have the wounds he inflicted on me (He hadn't had his nails clipped in a few days.) He promptly ran under the bed and would not stop barking. My fiance also darted out of the bed, and was still in her sleep - spouting out jibberish. I frantically requested that she turn on the light. As the whole room was still dark. She figured out that something was wrong and began crying hysterically. (I think it was due to the fact that she noticed my chest and arm was bleeding.) So I turned on the light. Einstein was still hiding under the bed and barking relentlessly. Finally we were able to get him out. We managed to calm down and lay back down. We left the lights on. Einstein sat alert at the foot of the bed. Occasionally he would let out a LOW growl. Very low. We slept with the lights on that night. In the morning Einstein was still in the position we had left him in. Growling.

I have no idea what I saw. But I want to assure you that all of this is true to the best of my memory. People have suggested that I was asleep. I do not beleive I was. I saw the time, for one thing, I was cut up in the process for another, and I remember it all. If anyone has had a similar experience and could perhaps shed some light on the "darkness" I saw, I would love to hear it.

Nahireen you need the house blessed . I am not a religious person but I know when something does not sound right , that does not sound right so go to a church tell the priest and he will bless the house .
Im not trying to scare you but get it done,
Mari

I have in the past kept quiet about stuff like this, cos u usually get people telling you its all rubbish.
But..... When i was a kid, i am told by my parents that i had an imaginary friend, even when i was a tiny baby, i used to smile and giggle at stuff taht wasnt there. When i was about three or four, i can remember a woman who used to sit at the end of my bed each night, she used to talk to me, and i called her Kitty. I think for a long while, my parents thought i was talking too/about our cat.
Still, i can recall describing her early victorian clothing, and sayings with great clarity. Yet, my parents where at a loss to explain how a four yr old could know all that stuff. My mum actually had to do a load of research to see if the stuff i said was true, and it was.
Also, i can remember when Kitty stopped coming to see me, i think i was about six or seven at the time, and i just couldnt understand it.
No one told me until i was about 18, having one of those very odd drink induced chats, about Kitty, and about how no one else could see her!
I used to see stuff that i couldnt explain too, like rooms going cold, curtains and lights swaying, but there being no breeze. I could also tell you about peoples houses, even though i hadnt been in them before, like, i would know exactly were to find every room, and everything immeadiately after setting foot in teh place.

I cant do much of that now though! I guess its a kid thing really.
My dogs havent done anything 'that sort of weird' lately, but they are a pretty dense bunch at times, i could have a whole house full of ghosts and this lot wouldnt notice!

Emma

OK normally I would NOT post something like this on any message board. But since you all seem so very open minded and I spent some time thinking about it... I will. I think what you dog probably saw was a ghost be it of your late husband, his former owner, or another spirit among us. Let me tell you this. Our cats have watched spirits about our house, and I know when they do. We lived in an apartment last year where there was a young child that would play with our cat. I too see what they see so I know it is really there. Trust me, they are not seeing nothing! If it is a floater or something I would be surprised. If it is perhaps I should have my eyes checked too. I have seen them all my life... though they are not as vividly detailed as they were when I was a child. Getting the house blessed probably isn't a bad idea though I must say my parents house was blessed every year as the priest came around the farms to do so and there were still spirits present in the house. It may help if it is something that is unpleasant though. Most of them have no need or want to cause us any trouble. Some want our help, others are just 'stuck' or waiting for something. I wouldn't worry too much about your dog... if it doesn't ever happen again I would assume it was someone coming to say 'goodbye' to the little fellow... perhaps they felt well enough to leave now knowing the dog was in good care. I know all of this may sound completely loopy... but, it is not. Think of it what you may, I know what I see and hear and I know that we are never ever alone, and I hope I don't freak you all out too badly.

As we all are being open about this, has anyone ever felt or sensed the presence of a dog they've lost? I'll admit to being fairly superstitious as I was a child in the sort of extended family where ghost stories were told in old houses lit by oil lamps and that sort of thiing leaves its mark. But I think the people here who've met me would agree that I'm reasonably level headed, not particularly suggestible and more than inclined to be sceptical about anything I can't find evidence for. Yet I've been quite certain that I've felt the presence of two dogs at times when I've had personal problems or have just been unhappy. When I was younger it was a WHW terrier called Fergus. He belonged to mum but decided he was my dog as a pup. He died an old dog just after I went to university, and when I was miserable sometimes I was sure I felt his presence. Fergus went away (or perhaps I 'forgot' him?) when I was in my late 20's. Then since Corrib, a wolfhound who was very special to me died I've sensed her far more strongly. She always knew when I was troubled and would come and put her head on my lap, and several times since she died I've been sitting thinking and suddenly 'felt' a big warm shaggy face touching my hands and been quite sure that something of her was beside me. This may all be wishful thinking of course, or maybe I've finally gone right off my trolley :).

Sharon

Not a dog - but certainly a cat we lost a few years ago, For a few weeks after we lost her, she just seemed to be there and I did see her face where it always was at the window when we came home. - very spooky.

It stopped when we got our house rabbit. I don't know if it was simply our minds looking for something that wasn't there anymore.

I do go with the floaters in the eye idea though. I get those and then can be so weird at times.

Pam n the boys

Ok then, in the last 20yrs I`ve had 2 cats & 1 dog & with all 3 of them after they died, I heard them & thought I could feel one of the cats on the bed.
Christine, Spain.

Ooo Emma :)

I bet if you went to a spiritualist church you'd start getting /seeing things again. It's probably not left you, just dormant since you've not been using it.

I'm always a bit of a sceptic because I try to analyse things logically and prove spiritualists etc are wrong because I can't find a real, tangible explanation for them but for some reason things do seem to happen. I used to go to a spiritualist church and was fascinated at how true the mediums were. I used to enjoy going and it certainly wasn;t spooky or strange ;) ;)

Dot

The lady I work with used to have a GSD years ago- it died- she had kids etc so didn't bother getting another dog- but she swears that she could *hear* the dog sigh and slump down in the kitchen- where it's bed used to be. I've also heard of people who used to have cats- feel them (the spirit) jump on the bed and lay down.

Stacey x x x

I was expecting to be laughed at when I posted it may have been a spirit so I posted light heartedly .
I firmly believe in spirits and I guess 50% of us do .
I too had an imaginary friend as a child a beautiful girl with long blonde hair named phylis .I stopped seeing her when I was about 9 but later on I found out I had a first cousin ,well before my time . She was put in a mental home because she used to take fits .when she was still in there her mother my gran aunt was combing her hair and found wires sticking out of her head .She had been experimented on and died a distressing death as a result.Her name was phylis.
I asked my Mother why they they never disbelieved me when I was talking to her at the table etc she said they knew it was her.
I have other things happened as well so im not a skeptic . I dont know any other explanation for this and if there is I would be interested to hear it . Mari

Hi,
I used to see our old cat, Grey, after she died, she used to sit on my bed, and also, run past you down the stairs.
Very odd.
Emma

Hi everyone,

I've never "seen" anything, but a few days after my first hubby died I lost a gold bracelet that he had given me the previous Christmas. I was very upset and looked everywhere, leaving nothing untouched, even searching relatives houses and the ground outside our flat with a fine toothed comb. Eventually I had to admit defeat. Six weeks later, I took our daughter to the car and lifted the driver's seat to put her in the back and there in full view was the bracelet. I had checked that car at least half a dozen times before and it hadn't been there - I couldn't have missed it as it was in the middle of the floor. The strange thing was that it was my birthday!!!

Joan

He's gave it you back then for your birthday;)

Stacey x x x

I certainly couldn't explain it! The romantic side of me wants to believe it's true.

Joan

Another 'spooky' incident, although not dog related - my dad used to make his own calendars - the kind with the dates in large red and black numbers, and you moved a metal square along for each day. He used to take a lot of pride in doing them, he was a very meticulous and patient person.

Sadly he died quite suddenly in Feb 1989. After the funeral we were all sitting chatting in the living room and suddenly my brother pointed to dad's calendar on the wall - dad had done something very out of character - he had missed out a date, jumping from 17th to 19th. No doubt you've guessed - 18th Feb was the day he died !

Wow - obviously Jim has not gone loopy given all of your dog tales. Boy howdy, I love each one. Amazing. Absolutely amazing. Jim goes to the vet this week for his shot, and I will tell the vet what he did and see what he says about it.

Nahirean, I believe you - that what happened to you is exactly as you recall. Since you ask for explanations for the dark figure, and similar experiences, this is mine:

I think you were dreaming, even though it seemed extremely real to you, and in light sleep your dog did scratch you. The dark figure you saw I think was conjured up by your mind in your dream state because what you describe - the figure (not the hat, but we know where the hat can come from) - reminds me of the Shades that inhabit Hades in Greek Mythology. They are the spirits of the departed. Dante wrote of them in his Inferno. Heck, in the 1990 movie Ghost, the little black shadowy creatures taking the sinner to hell is based on the Shades, no doubt. Though they aren't demons in Greek Mythology. What you saw is most like what the movie Ghost portrays. You may not recall ever reading about the Shades of Hades, nor seeing the movie Ghost, nor hearing about them, but that doesn't mean you have not heard about them at some point in your life. And thus 'the Shades' is buried in your mind, to come up in that odd state of sleep/wakefulness you were in. And I know you truly believe you were not dreaming as it was so realistic. All I can say is I know how that feels, for I too have experienced something that was extremely realistic while lying in bed in that sleep/half awake state, as you were in:

I very clearly saw and heard my late husband stand over me in bed, his face looking directly into mine, while he shouted happily, "Helllooooo EC!!!!!!" as he lifted the cover of the blanket off me a couple of feet. I was so startled I instantly awoke fully and froze in shock, my heart pounding. It was so very real. I was shocked out of my wits. The blankets were indeed up off of me, like a tent. But I explain that away as a very realistic dream that one can have when in that sleep/half awake state and my knee must have raised to lift the blankets that way, and the frozen state I was in is due to that state one gets in at a certain point in drifting into or out of sleep when one physically can not move for a bit. And of course, I'd give anything to have my late husband alive and waking me up in the morning - thus the subject of the dream in the first place.

So I think what you went through was a very realistic dream. And your dog reacted to you and your fiance's screaming, and subsequent unease.

I find what Jim did so astonishing because he's a dog, who was wide awake, who has no reason to wish to see my late husband, as he never knew him. Some of you all think it could have been Jim's former owner - thing is, there's no evidence of that person's death. I found Jim lost at a gas station in March. He was unneutered, no collar, and I think he jumped his fence looking for females, given when I got him home he repeatedly tried to jump my fence, and continually humped Phillip (a female dog) until I got Jim neutered. My fence just happens to be unusually high, for privacy. Thus, Jim couldn't jump it.

But anyway, I love all your stories because they are not at all what I thought I'd hear. Thought you dog breeders and lovers would know precisely what is going wrong with Jim to have him act that way, and not think it is ghosts as my friends think - and had me thinkiing it is my late husband.

I guess Roy is having the last laugh on me with this one. EC Kostrubala

EC,

While I respect your opinion I know I was awake. I watched the dog scratch me from an alert state, I saw what I saw from an alert state. I have had lucid dreams in the past, and I have experienced things being half asleep. I also noted the time before I saw "whatever" I saw. I've seen the movie "Ghost" before. When I was battling this notion within my mind I drew a conclusion that the closest thing it resembled were the "Mothmen" in the movie "The Mothman Prophecies"

Nahirean, I do apologize for not realizing you were in a fully awake and alert state when you saw the thing, since your original description of your consciousness level at the time of the event is: "I drifted into sleep like I normally would. Dancing between dreams and awareness I felt ... but I opened my eyes ... I glanced down at Einstein ... I then glanced at my alarm clock again ... That's when I saw 'it.' Out of the corner of my eye I saw...."

Jim sees the vet today. I'm eager to hear what the vet says about Jim's behavior. Who knows? He might tell me Jim saw a spirit, or he might make a note in Jim's chart that I've gone loopy. :) Or maybe Jim has floaters in his eyes or something else wrong. So far, he's behaved that way just once. We'll see what the vet says.
EC Kostrubala

Just returned from the vet. I explained to the vet Jim's behavior just as I explained it to you all at the top, leaving out any mention of spirits, my late husband, etc. I simply told the vet what Jim did. Well, the vet was so at ease with this and not in the least bit surprised. He did not think anything is physically wrong with Jim. Though he did check his eyes when I asked if we shouldn't check his eyes (they're fine). He said it "is in the vet literature of dogs behaving strangely like this," where "they are fixated on something and react to it as if something is truly there." He said it is not a seizure related thing. I asked him about floaters. He said people get floaters far more than dogs do, and that Jim's "fixated and directed behavior is not what you see a dog do if he's got a floater." He cautioned me, "Don't be surprised if Jim does this again. We find that some dogs who get fixated on something and really think something is there, that they'll do it again at some point. Only if he does it most of the day on many days would we then maybe treat him with a tranquilizer to calm him down. But I don't think he'll get like that since he isn't doing it all the time now. But we find that dogs who do this even once usually do it again, so don't be surprised when he does it again."

I quizzed the vet what does he mean that this behavior of seeing things not there is noted in the vet literature, what do they say causes the behavior? The vet said they just don't know what causes the behavior but it's assumed it's something neurological since some dogs do this while other dogs don't, but they can't actually ask the dog what it is he thinks he sees, so it's hard to come up with an explanation of what is going on, neurologically, for a dog to act like this. But that it is not at all unheard of. Some dogs bite at nothing in the air, as if they're biting a fly which is not there, which the vet calls "fly biting" syndrome, and other dogs at times seem to really believe they see something and interact with what they see in their mind's eye, and once "whatever they're fixating on is over the dog goes back to normal." The vet reiterated that Jim's in healthy shape and he's not going crazy nor does he have vision problems or seizures. He said Jim "really believed he saw something in the air, and really believed a treat was thrown to him and really wanted to get up closer to what he believed he saw. He was fixated and directed in what he did. And don't be surprised if Jim does this again. When he does, just let it run its course. He'll be alright."

No mention of spirits. But then again, the vet also said they simply do not know why some dogs see and interact with things that are not there (to our eyes). But that it happens enough to be written up in their literature and he has no doubt Jim did exactly what he did. EC Kostrubala

Not wanting to be flippant about all this, as I know it was concerning you, but Jim is a Cocker Spaniel and rational behaviour is not something usually associated with the breed :D :D :D

Fiona
x x x

owner of the mad, air freshener and action man balaclava eating cocker spaniel :D

Boy, if I am not learning that's true with Jim the Cocker Spaniel. I don't know what his previous owner let him do, but this past summer when various friends came to stay with me, I found out that Jim is a coffee slurping, cigarrette smoking, whiskey slugging, chocolate chip cookie eating dog. [Not that I allowed him to have those things - he wanted them from my friends - and did manage to slurp down some coffees when their backs were turned.] EC Kostrubala

Sounds daft I know but I would go with the ghost theory too.  A dog of mine did this and I was never sure what he was doing until a friend of a friend came to dinner.  She was a medium and my dog did his usual trick of staring at something in the corner that no-one else could see.  She immediately told me there was a presence in the corner of the room and my dog could see it.   2 or 3 years later we moved and made several moves in quick succession and he never displayed the odd behaviour in any of our new homes.

what is a floater??

my dog tends to bite the air like shes trying to catch a fly, she does this quite often :|  she will also bark at the corner of the room.  This happens to be the same corner that i myself see things.  Though probably in a half awake state.  I find myself waking up and seeing things like spiders on the wall or something floating above me, or laser beams :| 

must be a bit loopy :D

Dogs notice things quickly if someone opened a window and reflection bounded onto the celling you wouldent notice quick enough to know what happened,
So I belive its for lights shadows and reflections  on the walls cellings or floor , belive it or not lots of dogs do this there owners just dont know why ,
they think they have ghosts not untill tested its known why they do this  ,
it mainly happens in spaniels ,collies , working dogs and  After  looking into why dogs do this Ive found its called Canine Compulsive Disorder  You can read about it here  .

http://www.doglinks.co.nz/problems/barry_place/obsessive_compulsive_behavior.htm

Some dogs just watch and try and play others take it bad and make there paws bleed trying to get to the shadow, if it gets like that the vet can give your dog medication 

I see the new replies only today.  My registration had expired, so I needed to re-register today in order to respond.  Wow, what is going on?  The last message here was on Dec 10, 2002.  Therefore, this message must have worked its way very very very far far far down the list of messages at this site.   Yet suzieque, you somehow found it and replied on Jan 25, 2005.  Clearly that brought the message back to the top of the board for all to see and for jenny and lovelylady to respond.  What is going on?  This is freaky to me.  I will explain why. 

But first, to update you all on Jim.   Jim has never done that since then.  The only time he has done that is that one time, as already described.  He continues to be in good health and spirits.  Jim's facial appearance has changed since that day, however.   He grew a moustache.  This startled me because my late husband wore a moustache and strangers who did not know his name on our travels would often call out to him, "Hello Moustache."  Thus, the nickname of Moustache belonged to my husband. 

I had told folks about Jim's behavior but continued to say, when they suggested it is Roy whom Jim saw, "That doesn't mean it is Roy who appeared to him.  It could have been anyone.  There's no proof it is Roy."  Then that moustache began to show.  By Christmas 2002, it was fully grown in.  I took Jim to the vet asking why he, at the age of somewhere between four and five years old, has suddenly sprouted a moustache.  The vet did not know.

I took Jim to one groomer to ask.  Didn't like their answer that they'd never seen a dog like Jim at his age suddenly sprout a moustache, so took Jim to two more groomers asking about it, getting the same answer:  that had Jim originally upon maturity had a moustache, and had it shaved off by a groomer before he got lost and I found him, his moustache would have grown back within 6 or 7 weeks, NOT he have a fully smooth face and muzzle for 8 months and then, suddenly, very rapidly grow a moustache.  So none of them had any explanation for it either, though each offerred to shave it off since they assumed it bothered me that he now had it.

I declined.  I watched that moustache - which I had to laugh and admit is a symbol of my husband - to see if it would suddenly fall out of it's own accord.  It did not.  So, after one more year, I had a groomer shave it off so he'd have the smooth muzzle he had before (he looks better without it.)  Smooth muzzled immediately sprouted moustache again, fully grown out within 7 weeks.  Well, that proved to me that Jim's hair grows at a normal rate and also showed me that that moustache is here to stay, even though he'd lived from 4 to 5 years without one and did not start to grow one until that day he saw something I could not see which was tossing him treats, etc, as already described.   Each time I look at Jim I giggle a bit, as that moustache is a constant permanent reminder of what happened the day he saw things not there, to my eyes, and seems to be a message to me from my late husband to Stop saying that I don't know who it was that Jim saw, could have been anyone, not necessarily Roy. 

I throw up my hands in surrender.  : )

So, now to January 2005.  The reasons that I am astonished that this message here was seen by anyone again, after 2 1/2 years, and responded to is for the following reason:

One of my other dogs, Phillip, has had a lick granuloma on the inside of her leg that the vets and I have been battling since first of October. I suddenly went out of town all of September.  Lick granuloma was there when I got back first of October.  I took Phillip immediately to vet.  Vet asked me if I'd been away, I confirmed.  They did surgery for it, bandages, that collar on her to keep her from chewing it, but she'd still get the collar off at night and chew.  It has been an ongoing problem.  Whenever I'd take her back to vets, they'd ask if she gets along with the other dogs and have I been away again.  I had not been.

Finally, right after you wrote, lovelylady, (but I hadn't seen the new messages till now) I took Phillip back to the vet for scheduled surgery again, this time with a cast on her leg. 

This behavior of hers has been of some concern to me as well as to the vets.  They never told me why they asked me if I'd been gone nor if she gets along with other dogs, etc.  But after reading the information on Canine Obsessive Disorder (I saw the link, then searched from there) I now have a perfect understanding of why Phillip is doing this, and what set if off and continued to keep it up!  Thank you, thank you!  The info does not apply to Jim.  It isn't descriptive of what he did nor the behavior since then, but oh how very descriptive it is of Phillip.

In September, as far as Phillip was concerned, I vanished for a month.  When I got back, her mother (I am her sister) vanishes (my mother had knee replacement surgery) for a fortnight.  Then she's back but there are all these strangers parading in and out of the house for the next two solid months (the PT and nurses). Then we have out of town company at the holidays.  I'd been so busy with the upheaval that Phillip also was left to play with the other dogs in the large backyard, which I thought was good enough.  But after reading the Canine Obsessive Disorder information, I now realize that she misses the walks we went on before September.

Things are calmer in the house now.  And as soon as that cast is off, back to daily walks.  I am not a dog person (am a cat person) so just did not know that a dog may not be satisfied with playing in a large backyard with beloved playmates, or be so unnerved by all the commotion that's been going on.

Before we went for the second surgery and the cast (which Phillip has removed this Monday), I had actually asked my late husband outloud, as I am prone to do, to please let me know what he thinks is going on with Phillip and what would he do about it.

That is when suzique saw this message and responded, when the message is already 2 1/2 years old.  And thus made it visible for your comments, lovelylady.  Comments that have answered my concerns about Phillip and help me understand the vet's motivation behind their questions regarding her.

Jenny to answer your question, a floater is a little round or oblong clear object one sometimes sees.  Try rubbing your eyes  very hard, or staring at bright light, then looking at a dark spot and you might be able to see them.  But you also might not see them.  They are, I think but could be wrong, the blood cells in our eyes.  We shouldn't normally be able to see them.  When one does, they look like they are free floating about.  One can tell that it isn't external, but something internal one is seeing.  Vet says people get these far more often than dogs get them.

Thank you all very much indeed for your help.
EC Kostrubala

Sorry i'm a sceptic, maybe it could be a shadow or dust coming through the sunlight, our dog stares at the shadows when the suns out. Sorry sounds really boring compared to all the other spooky stories.

cocker coats do change as they get older , alot of very smooth young dogs do suddenly turn into hairy cuddle monsters :) and even top cockers in there older days end up having to be clipted to look smart once again :) ,
Im a sceptic too and i have a dog that does this , you shine somthing on the floor or reflect somthing onto the wall and you will see yourself :)