Please, please somebody help!

Poppy (my 1 year old standard schnauzer) has been fine for ages. No problems, just a bundle of furry joy. I knew it couldn’t last…..!

Last night, from 10.30pm onwards, she cried and cried and cried. I haven’t had any sleep ALL NIGHT. I’m sitting here with matches propping up my eyelids!

We’d gone to bed. She had, as usual, leapt up on the bed with her rawhide, where we usually give her a cuddle, she licks the rawhide bone for a bit and then we all fall asleep.

Last night though, straight after we’d turned the light off, she jumped off the bed, ran around the room and then the whining and howling started. She didn’t seem to be in any pain, she’s been going to the toilet and all is well, her food hasn’t changed and her routine has stayed the same.

However, early last week, an air ambulance apparently landed very near her and our dogwalker. She’s been a bit more interested in helicopters but not frightened. However, we did notice last night, that she was hyper and extremely tense when ANY traffic went past. Cars, vans, aeroplanes, helicopters. I think this might be the link although how can I be sure. And what started her off? We live near a flight path and near a busy road. We closed curtains and windows etc but it didn’t stop her. She was anxious and wanted to go into garden, where she cried and pawed at the fence.

This morning, when I took her for her walk, she was very nervous when a van passed by but then settled down. When she got back to house she fell asleep! Dogwalker today said that nothing has happened in the last few days that she could think would upset Poppy.

I just can’t take another sleepless night and we’re going to get sacked if we miss work! Do I take her to vets? Do I see how tonight goes? Advice please guys, before I have a nervous breakdown.

Yes take her to the vet. Hope you get to the bottom of it but something must have caused the change in her behaviour.

Sounds like tigers under the bed - when young dogs suddenly show fear at familiar things. Keep calm yourself and act as if its all in a days work, and she will settle again. Hard to do in the middle of the night though. Id suggest ear plugs for yourself and maybe a crate if she used this as a pup and liked it. Firework night is coming and maybe this was part of the plan? It is awful having to be strong and not reassure a scared dog then being shattered next day. Hope you get more advice and can take it easy for a while. :)

I watched a prog about dogs scared of noises and they played crashing sounds and thunder and firework noises really low on a cd player then made it slightly louder everyday. in the end the dog wasent scared .
So if you do find that the dogs scared of the sound of the hellicopter then , take a recorder out and tape the sound or even traffic sound and play it.

Firework night yes alot of dogs are scared of them , strange thing is my dog loves fireworks i have a fab view out my front window my dog wont move from the window:D and when we let her out to the toilet she sits there looking at them .takes me hours to get her in! mind you its better then her being scared.