My sisters dog (big lab boy) who is 5, has started doing some very strange!

Last night her 5 year old daughter shouted up the stairs 'mum George is behind the TV' Now this TV is on a corner unit and it touches both walls, for him to jump up and in the small space its about a meter and a bit high.
She just recently got George the lab from a friend who was emigrating but she's had him for a while and has just started this.
My first thoughts were that Ella my niece was annoying him and he got in there for peace and quiet, BUT she came home from the shops today and there he is standing behind the TV like a big dumping.

He's such a big laid back kind of dog so god knows what makes him want to jump behind the TV, its worrying in case he hurts himself or pushes the TV over and hurt the kids!

Does anyone know why on earth he would want to jump a massive jump into a small uncomfortable place? He has a comfy bed and near a radiator so its not as if he's going there for the heat?

Your comments are much appreciated.

Was there any gun shots or fireworks?

My girl will go and hide in a small space when this happens, just an idea :)

Nothing like that! They live on the beach front so the only noise really is the sea, and they have triple glazing. Its just SO strange!

Hes such a massive dog! Hes a proper big boy. If he was more laid back than he is he would be backwards. Its just so strange.

It gives me the fear thinknig if the TV fell over on the kids....

She could keep him in a seperate room while the kids are in, but thats ashame as hes such a big softy and loves being around people, he usually just lies there sleeping.
If you met him you would understand!!

I know you say that he is laid back - but he sounds very unsettled and frightened to me.  Getting in a small space is his way of feeling more secure.  He is probably giving out signals that aren't being read by the owner.  Some time needs to be spent finding out what is troubling him - because something is.

Just a thought but there isn't anything on the TV at the time like other dogs or animals?
My youngest looks round the side of the TV if a dog or something runs across the screen thinking it has gone that way.

I hear what your saying about him being unsettled, they have had him for 6 months and he always just lies on his bed and ponders about the house doing his thing....Until yesterday and this is when he first got behind the TV..Its so random. He doesnt look stressed and he gets plenty of excercise etc. Its just so strange, i would love to see how he gets into this space as he must have to run and jump cause its a fair height. There isnt even anything been moved out of place. The Tv wasnt on today when she got home from the shops, he was just sitting there wagging his tail looking at her from behind the TV!!!

If it definitely isn't any type of fear, which I would have presumed it was and he was hiding, could there be (may sound silly lol) a ball or a toy of his behind the tv? Especially if he is wagging his tail?

The only thing behind the TV is wires, the unit is like wall to wall there is nothing behind it. Hes a big gun dog type dog and the space is tiny, when she gets him out she has to move everything to then let him free.
If i believed in creepy paranormal stuff i think i would be going off my head! But i don't believe in it lol.
She was at the vets today getting wormer and they have given her a number for a pet therapist to see if she can help.
What a poor boy ;-(

hi scotgal2009, I suppose you could try moving the television so that he doesn't need to jump over it (if I've understood you correctly) and see what happens next. I know dogs like a safe corner when they are feeling stressed or outfaced. Mine dives in every time he hears the grooming kit coming out--the other two boys love it :). The thing is, it's HIS space--so he uses it to stash important toys and forbidden things like socks and underwear (Gap ought to buy his food in gratitude!). So that might explain why he is having a happy wag--he is pleased with himself.

You didn't tell us how he gets out again...

Seriously, if you have a webcam or some such item you might try leaving it focused on the corner so that you can see what's going on when he chooses to exit stage TV. I'd love to know.

Hi there,

He doesn't exit himself.... My sister has to move the 40inch TV move the corner unit and let him come out.

The more i think about it the more I'm starting to feel sorry on him :-( He's such a big lovely dog, imagine a big black gun dog style dog big head the lot. Wouldn't say boo to a goose. Well the woman she got him from (a friend) was quite disabled with MS so his daily routine was a plod around the block and a very quiet house (no family) apart from her grand daughter who would come once a week and climb all over him etc!

now hes in a full on family house 2 kids under 6 (and they dont annoy him they have been told not to) and on many walks a day, and also on a slight diet by the vet as he has arthritis in his front leg (he fell off a table when he was a pup) so he needs to lose a few pounds which would benefit him. So its like the opposite from what he's used to. They had him on a 3 month trial to make sure he was ok and he fitted into family life amazingly. Seemed very happy with everything and loved his daily beach walks and meeting new people etc. Its just now well from yesterday hes started the Tv thing?. Its so random. the fact that he has that stupid 'oh hello mum how you doing face on' when she finds him and the thumping of his big tail on the ground.

Its just so weird. Its almost impossible for him to get in there!!

I hope the therapist doesn't rip her off and help them get to the bottom of it, best to nip it in the bud now rather than wait. Unfortunately the Tv cant be moved, But I think there going to get it put on the wall.

> I hope the therapist doesn't rip her off and help them get to the bottom of it, best to nip it in the bud now rather than wait

Has the vets seen him and ruled out any medical cause? There are so many things that could make him feel like hiding (pain etc.) I would have thought that a full check up would be of benefit as there is little point in trying behavioural modification if the casue is a physical one. He may be feeling a little unwell (dogs hide things so very well) and wehn on his own (without the the adult that tends to all his needs) he may feel better being stuffed behind the TV. Bless him.

Yeh he had his yearly check up about 3 weeks ago and everything is good. I hope they get to the bottom of it soon for his sake.

Is he showing more interest in area behind the TV at other times? Wonder if they have mice???

oh i never thought of that! I may mention the mice thing to them! Its a big beach house they live in so i hope not!!

It's odd behaviour for him to start after 6 months, put perhaps once everything re: health checks etc has been ruled out, maybe he wants a place that feels secure and dark for himself. I'm wondering if where he lived before if he had a crate which was covered a place more den like and he has decided he would like a place of his own again.

Maybe with having children here he just wants somewhere to escape, often dogs do take themselves off. Might be worth getting him a crate and putting a throw on it to see if he wants a den. :-)

Might be mice or something bigger :-)  I noticed my young bitch paying a lot of attention to the area close to my TV.  We have a ventilation "thingy" there - which is what was interesting her.  I went outside round the side of my house and found a hedgehog family living right outside :-)  We have to remember that their senses are so much more acute than ours!

> and on many walks a day,

> and also on a slight diet by the vet as he has arthritis in his front leg

I do think, after being used to a plod around the block, it must come as a total shock to unused exercise.  Bearing in mind, he has arthritis, I would have built up walks slowly, in keeping with his weight loss.  (Slimmer will be less traumatic on his achy bones!)

I had a rescue GSD ( a cruelty case) and she could open doors. She would suddenly jump up, run and open the door to my airing cupboard and force her way behind the emersion tank. It was impossible to get her out and if I attempted to pull her collar she would snarl and shake, so I had no alternative but to leave the door open and carry on as normal. Sometimes it took her hours to very slowly emerge. I had no idea what caused it until one day I tied it in with my neighbour slamming his car door. It seems that her original owner ( I won't use the word 'man' ) used to come home from the pub and slam his car door then come in and beat her up, so she associated that noise with beatings and she was in hiding terrified in my airing cupboard waiting for it to happen again. ( she was a dear sweet dog )
I am not saying for one moment that your dog has been beaten but just that a dog can hear an everyday noise that we would hardly notice, and they can react to that noise and leave us completely puzzled by their behaviour.

> her original owner ( I won't use the word 'man' ) used to come home from the pub and slam his car door then come in and beat her up, so she associated that noise with beatings and she was in hiding terrified in my airing cupboard waiting for it to happen again.

Poor thing :(  How can people be so cruel.....
Did she ever get over that or did she always hide?

She learnt to trust me but was terrified of men. She was a beautiful dog and very loving, but many noises frightened her, even the rattling of the chain on her lead (that makes most dogs happy and excited), I think she was either chained up a lot or beaten with a chain so that sound had bad memories for her. She developed serious mental problems after a couple of years with me and eventually at the vets advice she was gently PTS. She was very loved for those 2.5 years and died being cuddled.

> She developed serious mental problems after a couple of years with me and eventually at the vets advice she was gently PTS

Ahhh bless her :(

what a terrible story, Roxylady, thank goodness you found each other--at least she had peace in her life with you.

My BC boy does exactly the same, it appears to come out of nowhere, we call them "silly moments" but there seems to be nothing that sets them off. He can't get behind the telly as its mounted on the wall, but tries to get in the smallest possible gap between the settee and a chest in the corner. I can tell by his body language that he is insecure about something. If I didn't know better I would have thought he'd had a beating as he goes all floppy when you try to get him out like he is frightened.

At first he started it when we got a new dishwasher as the old one broke and everytime someone opened it he went into his "silly moment" but now he seems to have grown out of it (the dish washer bit) as he no longer is afraid of it, but he still has his silly moments and we've yet to find out what causes them... they occur maybe twice a week

> I'm wondering if where he lived before if he had a crate which was covered a place more den like and he has decided he would like a place of his own again.

I agree with Carrington, perhaps she used to have a covered crate to sleep in and call her own space, somewhere she feels is her home/den.  therefore sshe is looking for somewhere small to escape too.  FDo ou know whethter she used to have a dog crate?