We have a six year old Westie girl who has always been a complete joy.  She is our third Westie so we are well used to their big dog characters!  However last year we moved house and ever since then from time to time in the house she gets 'spooked', tail tucked down and obviously very nervous.  She sniffs the ground incessantly at these times and cannot be induced in any way to go into the kitchen or garden.  Even if we carry her into the kitchen she struggles to get out of our arms and back to the relative safety of the lounge where she wedges herself behind the sofa, sometimes for quite a long time unless we physically remove her.

Then just as suddenly as this starts everything is fine again and she is back to normal.  We are at a loss as to what has happened to affect her in this way.  I am at home with her all day and she is only left for short periods when I need to go out without her and I haven't noticed anything that might have caused this.  We are living in a slightly more rural area so have wondered if she might be aware of other animals nearby?  She has also acted similarly whilst out once only when my husband was walking her in a field, she suddenly bolted and ran, something she would never normally do and of course potentially dangerous for her.

She is not a nervous girl otherwise, doesn't bat an eyelid during storms or fireworks and can be a very feisty little lady when she wants to be in true terrier style!  Any help or suggestions would be gratefully received.  Thank you.

How strange!

Firstly, I would suggest keeping a diary of times this happens, weather changes, farmers spraying their land, any different smells in the air, birds, foxes calling, wasing, drying machine on, if a behaviourist is needed it will be very helpful also exactly what she does, for how long etc.  So start that as of today.

She should have settled into her new home by now, we are in June and if you moved some time last year it is plenty of time for her to have made it her territory.

You could try a DAP defuser to see if that helps at all..........

Just for an example, my girl began barking and growling at a certain time on an evening, just standing in the kitchen growling into the conservatory and growling at thin air to us, I could see nothing and checked all the logical reasons why she was doing this, I even began to think I may have a spirt It went on night after night, and none of us could work it out.

Do you know what it was?????    I have a large plant in my conservatory, which was casting a shadow on the floor, my girl could see it and was growling, I just stopped it by turning off one of my lights.

It can just be the most simple of things, that we don't notice.  Perhaps the sun brings a scent to the house that is not noticed, it could be anything?  Keep the diary and see if you can spot any similarities at all, then when you put it all together hopefully you will see a pattern.

It may be worth a vet check too, to check she is in no pain anywhere.

do you have ghosts lol

sorry i know its not funny but i cant think of any reason for this to happen you have been there for a year now she should have settled in by now do you have foxes around could be that or badgers is it after dark?

Thank you, must admit I had wondered about the ghost thing too!  We have some trees at the back of the house and had thought that perhaps it might be the sound of these unsettling her, but it doesn't seem consistent.  A couple of nights ago there was no way I could keep her outside to wee before bed time, even though I stood out in the rain with her.  2.30am though it was absolutely fine to go out and wander around the garden, in fact she didn't want to come back in again lol.

Will definitely try recording times.

> Thank you, must admit I had wondered about the ghost thing too!

After we had our adult rescue dog for about a year, he started to growl & bark at things in the house, it really freaked us out. We couldn't see anything that he could be barking at, we were convinced it was ghosts.
We then discovered what it was - and realised he pays much more attention to deatails than us!!!
He was staring at the wall behind my head, really intently, then he started a low growl, walking forward like he was stalking, then he suddenly pounced past me at the wall as he tried to grab .......... the head of a nail that ws poking out of the wall!!!!!
He also would bark at the wall if he heard noises from the neighbours, it took a while for us to figure that one out as it was very faint noises he would start at. He would also not be happy if he caught sight of his relfection. New light fittings/shades, ornaments he hadn't taken notice of before etc.. were all other things he would bark at.

Dogs senses are much better than ours, it could be any number of things that is getting your dogs attention, I hope you figure it out soon, because it does get you thinking about ghosts!!!

"However last year we moved house and ever since then from time to time in the house she gets 'spooked', tail tucked down and obviously very nervous."

Mice? Could it be what she's hearing, maybe?

Mice   I'd rather have the ghost!

Maybe take her to some dog classes, not specifically for anything, obedience or ringcraft would do but just for her to build her confidence in strange places. Socialise with other dogs, no doubt she will be nervous to start with, but ignore this behaviour and reward the good, her sniffing other dogs coming out from under the chair etc. Once she builds up her confidence you may notice a  change in her behaviour at home and it may overcome this. Just a suggestion. but anything to build her confidence. maybe stop picking her up too, because attention from you will reward this negative behaviour, and you dont want to reward her nervousness.

Louise