Can dogs see spirits (ghosts)?
 

Maybe this is not a new topic, but I really have something to share... no, I think I need your help.

Here the story goes,
The crate is always in my balcony, Sugar sleeps in the crate. Every morning when I open the door (crate), she would rushed out and ran here and there, so excited.
But 3 days ago, at night. I found something weird.
I open the crate as usual (it's not I lock her in the crate everyday, but sometimes I have to put her in crate especially when I have guests or when I need to tidy up my stuff, she's too small sometimes I myself worried I might step on her), she jumped out and when I wanted to hug her, she "shouted", she really shouted out, high pitch, like someone's going to hurt her, but she wasn't looking at me, she stared at the floor instead. She peeped and growled, looked frightened. I was so nervous, I took her in my arms, she felt safe, didn't struggle to go down and walk. I talked to her, the way she looked at me made me worried, like she has something to tell but she couldn't. I sat down, stopped patting her and continued my work, but again she shouted again, she wanted me to touch and pat her.
After a while, I put her in the living hall, she ran here and there, seemed to be OK. I took a cheese stick, stood in front of her crate and called her to go back to the crate, she saw the cheesestick that she loves, wanted to run to me but she stopped half way, she looked at the balcony and looked panicked.
Cheesestick is her all time favourite, she would do everything to get it, I didn't understand why, so I grabbed her in my arms, and put her back to the crate.
I told myself things should be fine, I decided to try another time, this time, I put the treat in the living hall where she could see, she didn't rush out as I thought, she just stared at the treat, kept walking in the crate, didn't want to step out. She was anxious, apparently she was scared because she kept shivering!
I didn't give up, I called her, but she was like didn't hear a thing, she wanted to come out, but she dare not. Maybe something was in front of her crate and made her stay, that's why she didn't want to come out although she wanted to. I left the treat there for a while, she started to bark for attention, I felt creepy and didn't want to try anymore, I told myself maybe Sugar doesn't like the cheesestick now, so I took the treat and gave her. She grabbed the treat instantly, and munched it, like she was waiting too long for it, she still loves it.
That was the 1st time she acted differently.
The next morning, I opened her crate again, she stared at the balcony floor, looked so scared and she just stood inside the crate, didn't want to come out again. I'm sure she's hungry, I put the plate in the living room again, she still didn't want to come out. She shivered and she looked very scared. I tried this several times in a day. I didn't know what/where/why/who makes her stay in the crate, but after a few trials, I finally got it.
She doesn't want to come out from the crate because she doesn't want to step on the balcony.
But once I put her in the living hall, she's all fine, and she reluctant to go back to the crate by herself, because she doesn't want to step on the balcony! Let's put this simple, every time she comes out/go back to her crate, she will have to pass by the balcony.
It's very confusing I'm not sure if you get what I mean.
Until today, the 3rd day, still the same... her body language tells me there's something outside the crate in the balcony, make her scared and make her stay, she didn't want to pass by "it". Maybe something is staring at her.
I am not superstitious, but can someone tell me why this happens?
I am so worried I wanted to cry :(

Is there any difference in the flooring? Or a big step up or down? Maybe you should trying moving the crate to a different location and see if she still acts the same if so it maybe something with the crate?

No...the crate is already there since the 1st day I brought her home, which is already 8 months :'(
My mum and I even washed the balcony in case there's dead lizards or insects out there..she's fine with every places, only the balcony

Her crate is outside?

I live in a condominium, the crate at the corner of the balcony, which is just next to my working table. It's not outside..

Are there different shadows on the balcony this time of year? Any new neighbors pulling pranks on her in the night? Any new seasonal critters/insects running around on balcony? Does she bark in the night?

Do you have any paranormal type programs on TV where you live? I've watched a few that report that animals & some young children do see ghosts & children will talk to them. I would imagine animals may react differently if this is true. I've never had any personal experience with ghosts/spirits, so I really have nothing to relate to. I guess it's possible.

I think I'd change the crate location to somewhere away from the balcony. Maybe if she's away from it for awhile, she get over whatever the fear is. She's young enough that this may pass with some time. It sure seems that something is for sure frightening her. What a shame! Poor little tyke! Good luck!

She wouldn't bark once I switch off all the light, she knows it's bedtime and no one will be in the living hall. I checked all over the place, everything's as usual, that's why she really freaked me out!
I started to believe Sugar really saw something which is not "welcomed". I'm trying to find another spot to put her crate, as you know I'm living in a condo, this may not be easy...I hope she will gets back to normal as soon as possible, or I will have to sleep earlier everyday, me myself also afraid of "it" too! :(

Is the floor surface different where the crate is from other places in the house. Sometimes dogs develope a dislike for slick or shiny surfaces. Try putting a small rug down in front of her crate and see if she'll go in/come out. Also, the other suggestion of placing the crate somewhere else is good. Even if it's just to see if she'll go in/come out on her own. Good luck and let us know how it goes.

What about a snake? Is there any place it could be living in that you missed?

That was my first thought - or perhaps a big spider? Staring at the flooring suggests something scarey that was *there* ...

But to answer your first question, yes - I believe that dogs can see and/or sense ghosts. I've seen too many dogs sit on the floor, wagging their tails and giving happy barks at empty space and bare walls. I've also seen them hunker down, growling with their hair standing on end at "nothing".

I hope you figure out what's bothering your dog, but it sounds more like she saw something she was afraid of, like snake or spider. She's probably very aware that she's trapped in the crate and can't get away, whereas most snakes and spiders can get to HER!

I think that putting a rug in front of the crate might be a good idea. I know you washed the balcony but could there be a smell that might scare her?

I will put a rug in front of her crate, will see her if she's alright. She's sleeping like a baby now.. :)

Fiona sees ghosts! I swear!
 

Fiona ALWAYS barks at this one house whenever we drive past it, its sorta crazy!

We've done in-home childcare for 25 years. In the fall of 2009 my brother dies in a motorcycle accident. There was a certain place he would always stand and talk to the babies that was at a corner near the kitchen. To this day we find the smaller babies 'talking' to someone who may be standing at the corner. They're looking right at them and having a baby conversation, smiling, laughing....

We also have found that the dogs will listen and stare at that spot as well. And sometimes will do 'tricks' as if someone were giving them commands like sit, beg, down. They aren't fearful as he was never a malevolent person so I don't believe his spirit would be that way.

I believe children and dogs have a different sense in regards to the world around them.

Of course it could be just as most everyone has said. Something logical like different shadows or a change in the season.

I agree to try to relocate the crate and see how that work;)

Supposedly they can but don't freak yourself out. I'm sure there is another explanation ;)

I think they do see spirits/ghosts. Paco one day started barking and looking up towards the stair case and no one was up there, we were all down stairs.

Try relocating the crate to another spot, if possible closer to you so she doesn't feel alone.

Keep us posted.

I think dogs can sense spirits. We're right near a graveyard. A few times one particular night BOTH my dogs were staring into thin air growling. We checked everything out and we couldn't hear anything. It was pretty creepy!

I'm sorry I was "away" for a few days, something was wrong with the broadband, I couldn't online for a few days.

I've tried several times in this duration, including placing a rug/mat in front of her crate, but she still wouldn't want to come down. A day later my dad brought a stainless steel crate home, because she loved to bite the metal steel bar and recently I saw there's a few rusted bar so we have a stainless steel crate now. It's 1 foot tall from the floor, I have to carry her out every time, and she seems to be fine with the new crate, because she's no longer afraid to come near the door of the crate, and she looks so excited about the new bigger crate.

I thought it's a good thing, but at the same night, she barked non-stop, normally she would sleep whenever I switch off the light, but this time is different, she just barked and barked, growled sometimes, I said "NO" but she wouldn't care, she only wants me to sit with her all night long.

2 days ago, she barked non-stop again, I didn't know what to do, so I place her in a carrier, and put it in the living room. She quiet for a while and started to bark again. I really have no energy to deal with her, I let her bark for a while, later she stopped and fell asleep.

The next morning she looked so fine, but still bark a little. My mum said Sugar wouldn't bark in the afternoon when I'm at work. The same night she kept barking again, 1am... I hugged her, she looked so sleepy and slept in my arms, I sat until 3am, put her in the carrier again, she barked a while and fell asleep. I felt like crying..I couldn't do this everyday, I have to go to work everyday :'(

She never love to bark, that's why it's really uncommon these few days, she barked until her throat sore, voice became coarse but she just wouldn't stop...what can I do? :'(

I saw the Dogs101 show on Yorkies and they claim that they don't like being very far from their owners. See the thread on Yorkie shadows. Reesie is like that.

I always love walking through old graveyards....sometimes I take Lucky with me and there is this one graveyard where he goes just terribly playful!! I don't get it, he is fine in the others but it seems like he has the time of his life in this one yard!! Something there seems to like him!! I always say that it's not the dead we should be worried about it's the living!! lol

I've had a very weird experience with Jax one day.. My boyfriend and I were sitting on my bed watching TV and right at the very same time the space heater in my room turned on and the TV changed to channel 3 on its own. I didn't think anything of it because I figured it was some kind of power surge or glitch. Soon after my boyfriend left for work and I grabbed Jax to come lay in bed with me. As soon as we got in my room Jax got all stiff in my arms and started growling. I put him down on my bed and knelt against the bed. He would lean as close and he could against me and act all scared for awhile. He wouldn't even move. I then took him off the bed and set him on the floor. He then began barking and growling at something and he would stretch his little body as far as he could without moving or leaving my side to bark and growl some more. I decided I was just gonna watch TV in the living room after that. lol

I believe dogs can sense spirits and unknown stuff like that. In fact, one of the ghost hunter shows I just started watching on TV was advertising for another episode they were going to show where dogs were acting strange and sensing stuff. :eek:

I believe they can see things that we can't. Could you try putting her crate on your bed with a cover of some kind over it. Maybe for some reason she's feeling insecure. Let us know how it works out.

My personal experience is yes, they can. But it does not have to be bad or scary. :)

I would love to try it, but I'm sharing bedroom with my 2 sisters, they wouldn't like it..

I brought Sugar to my office today, there's another crate in my office, it's the 1st crate I bought for her few months back when she was 2 months old. I put her in the crate and see if she would come out herself, the same thing...she didn't want to come out from the crate, just stared at my office floor. Hmmm I think something frightened her outside her crate (at home), this made her stay in the crates (no matter where and any crates). I just hope she stays healthy and happy, I hope she would forget the "incident" or whatever freaked her out as soon as possible.
Today I bought her another small crate today (OMG I'm broke! Spent too much on her stuff recently), it's to put in the living room or somewhere near my bedroom at night, I hope this will make her feels okay to sleep at night.
Thank you so much for all the caring messages, I really appreciate it :)
I will keep posting if there's any changes in her behaviour

I think they can. My apartment is right next to a graveyard. The graveyard is fenced in and the park I take her to to go potty is right next to it. On some nights she'll stare into the graveyard and get scared and race back to my apartment.

my baby would NEVER sleep out side wow is all i have to say poor lil doggie :(

aww poor baby hopes everything works out just fine.. just relocate her kennel and hope she should be fine.;)