I really need help, my dog, who is a 10 year old staffie, keeps shaking every time her and my stepdad are near. At times it gets really bad and where I have anxiety I panic. I have no idea, he hasn't hurt her or anything like that. He gets really frustrated because he tries talking to her and telling her to come but she starts quivering and turning her head. I really need an answer because she has been with me most of my life and she means alot to me.

when did this start? I would suggest your stepdad just ignores your dog, no eye contact nothing and wait for the dog to go to him, maybe after a while you could get your stepdad to feed her?

hi...im really sorry 2 hear this because as u probly know the first thing that pops in2 peoples heads is scared-only with 1 person tho? hmm personally i would be watching my maisy and everything going on with/
around her alot more closely....saying that my girl is only 2half and i have only a bit ov experience with old timers my nieghbours lab doesnt get fazed by anything cept pushing you outa her place on couch and people shouting! it must be worrying for you hun :(
has her/his routine changed lately?
time to make like columbo...look for clues
has she been showing signs ov her age?
attitude?
off food?
also if your getting anxious doggy will pick up on it 2 and think oh crickey why we gotta be scared dad! agree dad to ignore doggy till he/she get over it already! thats what i would do! emma x

Is it just your stepdad? I'm just wondering if her eyesight or hearing is starting to deteriorate and she has had a fright at some point. Worth getting checked out.

Agree with Lindy-Lou... Any sudden changes in behaviour should be checked out for a physical cause, and especially so with a dog in its later years.

Thanks guys. It turns out that she has had a small stroke along with the beginning of cataracts. What I think is that when she wakes up she thinks where am I so once she goes up to my nan's, she is okay. The past few days she has been alright, she has played football with him and they chill out in the shed together while me, my mum and little brother are indoors. From personal study I have learnt that sometimes she has bad days and sometimes she has normal days, baring in mind that she is around 70 dog years!

So glad that you have found out the reason why she was acting differently. A stroke isn't the same in dogs as it is in humans. I recently lost my old girl, 10 months after she'd had a stroke. She had made a full recovery but it had obviously shortened her life a tad, though she was 13 1/2 years old when I made that awful decision.

Just keep an eye on her. I hope you have a long time left with her.