Little Willow has gotten me wondering a few times lately. On the whole, she seems sound, lively, healthy. But in the dark she is so, so spooky at times - to be expected a little I think, as she is naturally a reactive wee thing and quick to bark but it seems to be elevated more than I'd expect given that she is generally pretty sensible.

But a few weeks back she watched two of my others hare down the garden in the dark and knock a big pot over, and she then got totally freaked about the pot once it was on its side on the ground and it took me a lot of persuasion to get her to follow me and check it out - and she wasn't happy until she'd gone right up to it to check it. She then spooked at three of my dogs who were all behind my back garage (so out of the reach of the security light - the pot isn't btw), and as with the pot, she had to be right up to them to check before she was happy with them again.

Now I can put all that down to darkness and natural nerviness. But this morning, I was waiting for Jolly's mum to give her a lift, and I had my big hat and snood on (both of which Will has seen and is perfectly happy with). I was waiting right by the car and Will was watching me. I walked a few feet away, turned round and walked back and she just completely spooked - full on alert barking and she didn't stop until I leaned into the car for her to sniff me. My back windows are tinted but not heavily, and they are newly cleaned too :P

It's just gotten me wondering about her eyesight. I'm used to spooky/reactive dogs, and me and Will have worked through a few spooky hiccups along the way since she's been here. But this wasn't a startle reaction (which is usually what sets her off) as she was looking at me as I walked away, and I never went out of her line of sight. I actually thought J's mum had appeared behind me to start with! I don't know much about Will's background beyond her being from an accidental mating between two working line sheepdogs, I *think* one B&W and one tri.  My friend knows what one parent was for certain so I can check, but the sire wasn't there when she was bought by friend's friend (against specific advice from both of us not to get a pup or a bitch, so it all went predictably wrong which is why she's with me).

Have you had her eye tested for PRA?  Night blindness is the first sign.

How old is Willow ?

Nikita, it sounds as though she needs a work up on her eyesight doesn't it. Can she hear your voice at distance? Perhaps a fuller neurological examination would be an idea? The reaction to the turned over pot might be a red herring in that is her just being reactive, or for some reason her sensory tools are awry and stop her figuring out sudden changes in the environment so she gets in a tizzy.

It 'll be interesting to hear more about this. Sorry not to offer anything more constructive.

That's actually very helpful, thank you :-)  Gives me another angle to think about.

She can hear me yes - doesn't respond so much to my voice at distance but that's training, if she recalls it's mainly to a kissy noise (but on a walk she's focused on the other dogs so there's selective deafness there).

Jan - she's 8 months old today :-)

> I was waiting right by the car and Will was watching me. I walked a few feet away, turned round and walked back and she just completely spooked - full on alert barking and she didn't stop until I leaned into the car for her to sniff me. My back windows are tinted but not heavily, and they are newly cleaned too :

Would she react the same if you didn't have your hat & snood on?

I remember a dog I had when I was a teenager, I can't rememebr how old he was at the time but he was young, perhaps a year old at the most. Dad & I were getting ready to walk both the dogs (siblings ), he was waiting at the foot of the stairs with both dogs whilst I raced upstairs and shoved an extra oufit on (trousers & another jumper - it was COLD out!). As I appeared at the top of the stairs, the male dog (MY dog) went MENTAL at me, barking & lunging like a crazed demon. I called downstairs to him, he recognised my voice and whent back to normal.
We never did get his eyes checked, but we never had any worries about his eyesight.

It's tricky isn't it, all the things you mention could just be over-reactions from a very young dog. As you're worried, it would put your mind at rest to get her checked out.

> As I appeared at the top of the stairs, the male dog (MY dog) went MENTAL at me, barking & lunging like a crazed demon. I called downstairs to him, he recognised my voice and whent back to normal.

I have just had a similar experience with my 10 month old pup. I was upstairs having a shower when I remembered the new bottle of shampoo was down stairs so I wrapped a large towel around me including over my head and came down stairs to get the shampoo. My pup went wild barking and having hysterics. Even when I spoke she couldn't think. It wasn't until I came down  fully and the others came up to speak to me she calmed enough to realise it was me.

Actually that reminds me of another similar happening. I had my friends dog to stay who I knew well. I think she was only young as well. Anyway she was settling in just fine until I went  to have a shower. When I came down stairs in my dressing gown my friends dog absolutely freaked. Talking to her didn't work and or trying to get her to sniff my hand. She couldn't eat and just cowered in the back of her crate quivering and barking at me if I tried to get close. I spent about half an hour trying to get her to recognise me. but she was not playing ball. I was getting a bit panicky as my friend had gone on a two week holiday and wasn't due back for ages and I couldn't look after her dog  if she reacted like this to me.

Anyway after trying all sorts of things I eventually went back upstairs and came back down wearing the clothes I had on before my shower. The dog bounded out of her crate and threw herself at me in ecstasy and was bouncing all over me any wagging like a mad thing. She was obviously thrilled that the monster had gone and I was back to look after her.  I had several more showers while she was with me but she never reacted like that again.

Nikita,

Had not realized how young she was. Picking up on ML and NY's comments, it could be a fear stage in what may be a very under-socialised dog. ML may be right that she is simply not used to seeing hoodies etc.. Close up your smell (no offence) overrides anything she sees and she copes. Additionally, and as you know, if she has a slim face her eye set will cause her to see things differently close up. Without your smell close by she might not make the association between what you look like close up in a hoodie and how you look far away. Because you are in her line of sight does not mean she watched you the whole time- even if she glanced away and then looked back she might think- whoaah what's that spooky thing- no smell to tell her otherwise.

In the garden the pot bangs down and makes a noise and then looks different- in a highly reactive and undersocialised dog, that is also going through a fear stage, all that could be enough to put her totally on edge. Is she speyed- I'm also thinking hormones.

I'd still get her sight etc.. checked, so at least you can exclude any medical reason.

I have wondered about the fear stage and I think it is playing its part, but whether that's the whole thing or not I'm not sure.  She's not spayed, she won't be until she's fully mature so around 2yrs old.  I wouldn't call her highly reactive though - more than most, yes, but most of the time she is fine.

She's kind of down the middle socialisation-wise - I've had her from 11.5 weeks, but I nkow that prior to that, she had around 10 days zero socialisation except for one neurotic woman and a very unhappy dog, then another 10 days going out and about in a car but no more, then 3 days back with the first woman then she came to me.  So her socialisation started proper at 11.5 weeks and I had her straight out to the park, meeting people and so on.  She is quite happy in the daylight, she's met all sorts, ages, dress styles etc as the park is opposite a 6th form college so twice a day we get all sorts cutting through the park to get there and it's never phased her.  But in the dark, she has spooked at a few people.

the age she is it is quite common for young dogs to react to things out of place/unusual, the spooky flying carrier bag.

one of mine years ago got spooked by a tree lying on it's side after a storm, it just wasn't right to her.

Another time one of my adolescents when spook over what looked like a line of human heads rolling along the horizon.

In truth we were on a field that was several feet above anther, and from where we stood you could only see the heads of the people walking past on the field below.

Now tis is a breed that isn't over reactive, yet the adolescent stage can be still result in the odd reaction.

My six month old pup has started to spook occasionally at something a bit odd. She got very worried about a piece of wood in a field that was in a new position. Even though she is over the spookiness of it she always charges up to it and bounces around it whenever we go past.
I've noticed that when she is sleepy in the evenings and is coming down the stairs last thing to go out and then to her crate (our lounge is upstairs and she spends the evenings with us in there) , she is always very cautious coming down them whereas during the day she comes down quite happily. I can't quite decide if it's because she is dozy from having been woken up or she doesn't see so well at night. Sometimes when she is outside at night she gets a bit worried about some shadow or other and stares at it for ages before backing off.

She's just a youngster and could well be going through a sensitive period. I would get her checked out eye wise nevertheless.
I've got a Willow who's just over eight months.

So long as nothing medical going on it sounds like its a mix of all the things you've mentioned- hormones, fear stage, limited socialisation.With your knowledge and care and attention to detail, my guess is she'll grow out of it.

like Barbara I've had young dogs spook at stuff, almost as though they've noticed it for the first time.I find that daddies carrying children on their shoulders can is one potent example. I also think that at adolescence even things they have experienced before can take on new meanings and therefore potentially scary associations as their brains develop and change.