Why Did He Do This?
 

I'm hoping someone can offer some advice or perhaps have had this happen to them.

Last evening, my 4 year old male yorkie went to bed with me as usual - along with my 6 year old female biewer (she's been with us for 2 months now). All was well, then I was awakened by a scratching sound on my pillow, I thought at first it was my female, but no, it was my male - then he starts a reversed sneezing attack. I finally get him settled from that and then he lays next to me and he is trembling/shaking for what seems like 1/2 an hour - we both went to sleep but I don't know if he was frightened or what. A little while later, he wanted off the bed, so I put him off the bed, when I woke up, he was sitting in the bathroom, next to the toilet, just sitting there, like scared.

I will also say, he's done this before, but not during the evening or night but sometimes during the day (BEFORE I even got my female), he will follow me in to the bathroom and just sit by the toilet as if he's scared. And even when I leave the bathroom - he will stay there just sitting by the toilet.

I might add, though my female has been with us 2 months - he's never seemed to really care for her. I've had my male since he was 13 weeks so he was resident dog for a long long time. She is pretty bossy with him and she does demand a lot of attention. She will bark at him if he walks in front of her, or if he's barking at another dog, she barks at him, or if I'm playing with him, she will jump right in the middle as she wants all the attention - when this happens, my male just walks away as if he's sad.

What could have caused the trembling in the middle of the night? Why does he go sit by a toilet as if he's hiding?

I dont know what could have caused it maybe a bad dream or something. My Jewels has some odd moments that have no explanation for it also

I really don't have any advice because not knowing your baby, I'm not really sure what may have caused this behavior. He could be experiencing some kind of pain and maybe a visit to the vet is best. Once we go to bed at night, my dogs are not allowed off the bed. If they get up, I get up with them and stay with them because it's out of the ordinary for them to be up at night unless something is wrong and at that point I am worried about them and wouldn't be able to sleep anyway. I hope your vet can tell you what's going on with your baby. Poor fella.

This is definitely an odd behavior. My two are also not allowed off the bed at night... They only leave it when they ask to be let out to go potty. I wonder if he had a bad dream or if he is in pain?

He is due for his annual booster and I will be certain to mention this to the vet. Thanks everyone!

Sounds like panic or pain. Tibbe has the occas. pain attack which can last up to 2 hours if I can't get him outside for vigorous exercise or some other distraction so I usually use boiled chicken or some other high value treat and get him to doing tricks or chasing his treats to distract him. But I've seen dogs in pain or ill shaking badly and isolating, too. I'd have him checked over by a vet to be sure it's not pain/illness but otherwise, it sounds like he hears some odd sound such as an electronic car opener or something like that that takes place to trigger his panic. Whatever causes panic, distraction to another activity is the best way to treat it since we can't talk over the fear causes with them and soothing can just exacerbate it.

Try not to empathize or pitty him during these times if it turns out to be panic & not pain or illness as this can reinforce the fear-based behavior and make him worse. It could be he's developed a tendency to panic and your new dog is somehow triggering his tendency to have some of the panic attacks but sometimes more than one thing can trigger them. Some people and dogs just tend to flood with adrenaline when scared/worried by something and it can trigger panic attacks & the shaking, won't subside until the adrenaline and the fear-cause is abated or distracted by something very exciting or intensely interesting or something really fun starts happening. Hope you can get to the bottom of it - I know it is worrisome to see them so uncomfortable!

Thank you!! Yes, it's very worrisome, I've thought about it all day. He doesn't seem to be in pain, but he also doesn't seem to be "himself" lately. I was thinking it was the new baby we added but now, not so sure. It's been 2 months, like I said, since she joined us. Thanks again to all for the wonderful advice.

It could be he's more unsure with the new dog around and if he's had some fear episodes before, this new unsettled attitude has left him a bit vulnerable to a fear reaction. Just be prepared for his next episode and toss his some lovely boiled chicken about, get him distracted doing some tricks, take him out for a fast walk/run or play his favorite games (even if it's the middle of the night - maybe the walk/run not at practical!) while the adrenaline abates in his system. It could take an hour or so sometimes so be persistent and keep him distracted until he's his extra adrenaline abates. In time, as he fully adjusts to the dog, so should his tendency to have this reaction this way. You could start treatdropping every time he's around the new dog as it comes near him or barks or things like that that tend to cause him to notice what the new dog is doing. Just give him a treat for no reason other than the new dog being near him or asserting itself when he's around. It could help him associate the new dog with good things happening. Occasionally slip in a small piece of boiled chicken or something like a turkey hot dog bit to make the treating extra special, otherwise you can just use kibble.) Read up on canine panic attacks on the internet by some of the more noted dog behaviorists to better understand ways to help him through these times once you are sure he's not ill or hurting.

Fantastic Advice - thank you! I will try all you mentioned. I think this evening, some extra love too :2hearts2:

P. S. I missed it before, but the reverse sneezing sometimes can trigger a panic attack in some dogs - and it accompanies the attack with others. The second time Tibbe ever reverse sneezed, he had a panic attack - white gums, shaking, trying to isolate. I gave him some honey, dotted a very tiny spot of it around the den floor in a little path of it & he was soon very interested in finding all the honey spots and was fine in just a bit. The white gums turned pink and he was happy again. He's not diabetic so all was fine but later found that tossing kibble treats and getting him barking and running helped distract him and helped his get his mind off what worried him, helped him work out the adrenaline and worked just as well as a path of honey and I didn't have to mop the den floor afterward!!!

I didn't even associate the reversed sneezing attack with a possible panic attack. Now that I think of it, when he started having the reversed sneezing event and I quieted him down he was standing right next to me when he was doing it. It woke my boyfriend up and he took Canyon over to his side of the bed and that's when my boyfriend said, he's shaking, I said is he cold (feel his ears) he said no, so he held him for a bit, then Canyon came back over to me and wanted off the bed. That's when he went in the bathroom and sat by the toilet in the dark. I will definitely discuss with his vet and will remember the distraction with chicken or even honey. So glad to hear you didn't have to mop the floor after and the honey - they are such little helpers - lol.

Oh my gosh - I just found this on the internet - I think that's what happened. He had a panic attack, i remember now my boyfriend saying he was shaking AND he was panting. I had forgotten the panting part. So maybe he heard a noise that none of us heard and my other dog heard and wasn't even affected by?

Panic attack in dogs comes on suddenly and can be triggered by loud noises such as thunder, fireworks or gun shots. The fight or flight instinct kicks in big-time, but since they can't fight something they can't see, some dogs will usually try to run away from the noise. For dogs who are fenced in or contained within a house, there is nowhere for them to go. So they turn all of that "flight" energy into outward destructive behavior or they internalize it, causing severe shaking, whining, panting, and raised heart rate.

It is not really understood why some dogs suffer from these panic attacks and others don't. One dog in a household may sleep through a violent thunderstorm, while another dog goes absolutely berserk and seems to be totally inconsolable.

Is it possible it wasn't reversed sneezing but maybe collapsing trachea and that scared him? I thought Callie was having occasional reverse sneezing but turns out she has CT and that its not what she was doing. Another member thought the same thing too with her dog.

well, I'm pretty sure it's reversed sneezing - he seems to do it more when he's nervous or stressed than any other time and he doesn't do it that often. When he's making the sound, he's kind of posturing and stiff all over and doesn't move and he's standing and it sounds like the sound is coming from his nose, like a snorting thru his nose.

I agree, I too think it was a Panic Attack, and...
it won't be the last one he has.

Yumi gets kind of like that if we forget to turn the fan on over the stove and it gets a little bit smokey too, so it could also be something he smells that is freaking him out rather than a noise.

If your dog is sneezing reverse or otherwise are you sure allergies aren't an issue.

Honey is consentrated pollen and can sicken or even kill (sorry to soubd scary and dramatic) people or pets with allergies.

I used to take honey in my tea when I had seasonal allergies comming on...the idea was to shock and awh the body onto not reacting (yeah freaking right!) after a few noneventful times of doing so I ended up in the ER having a life threatening allergy attack only made so threatening by the use of honey.
Who knew your eyes could literally ooze green goo from an allergy reaction...and that was the least unattractive part of the ordeal.


Are you absolutely sure seizures are not at hand either?
Seizures, reverse sneezing episodes, panic & allergic attacks can all result in overheating and thus dehydration.

****A cool bathroom with water avalible might be the best place.****

Wow interesting. . . . Please let us know what the vet says.

There's nothing medically wrong with that Yorkie.
I nearly cried reading of the desperate cries he's made for help.
I believe this Yorkie is one of the few who can't tolerate sharing.
He's going to continue a spiraling depressive state.
The only way you're gong to resolve this, is...
Re-home the Female Biewer.

[QUOTE=concretegurl;4031405]If your dog is sneezing reverse or otherwise are you sure allergies aren't an issue.

Honey is consentrated pollen and can sicken or even kill (sorry to soubd scary and dramatic) people or pets with allergies.

I used to take honey in my tea when I had seasonal allergies comming on...the idea was to shock and awh the body onto not reacting (yeah freaking right!) after a few noneventful times of doing so I ended up in the ER having a life threatening allergy attack only made so threatening by the use of honey.
Who knew your eyes could literally ooze green goo from an allergy reaction...and that was the least unattractive part of the ordeal.


Are you absolutely sure seizures are not at hand either?
Seizures, reverse sneezing episodes, panic & allergic attacks can all result in overheating and thus dehydration.

****A cool bathroom with water avalible might be the best place.****[/QUOTE

He does have mild allergies. He's not having seizures. The episode the night before last was probably the worst I've seen - which made it concerning. I have seen him "isolate" before this time but it's rare and probably only 2 to 3 other times in his life. I do however think the new addition stresses him out. She's not as "laid back" as he is.

I clicked on this thread cause of the name and I'm thinking, "i ask myself that question every day with my dogs" lol

But yes, Callie and my Geno were doing the reverse sneezing and we both found out it was CT. A part of me is kind of hoping it might be kennel cough but for now, I'll keep the CT mindset on and do what I can for him.

Definitely mention all this to your vet and hopefully they'll be able to give you a good answer. I'm glad I clicked on your thread cause Geno was acting weird as well and being very withdrawn. We also added a new pup to our family about 2ish months ago as well.

You really think rehoming my Biewer is the answer? I would really hate to do that. I will talk this over with my vet as it is still concerning days later. Last evening, he acted perfectly normal. It could be true he can't tolerate sharing - he's been the number 1 for 4 1/2 years and he is used to getting a lot of our attention.

Oh also, something I learned as well, is make sure you are giving your yorkie a bunch of attention. The new addition is probably hard on him and he's used to being your one and only. I had started doing this with mine as well. He always comes first even though we have a girl pup. She's a tough cookie though so I don't baby her too much, but Geno is my little baby boy and I'm always cooing and fussing with him now. Letting him know that he's still your little boy regardless of the new addition could help too with him feeling down or anxious.

AlwaysTexas,

I'm SO sorry to have to recommend the Re-Home, but, I sincerely think this is the only thing which will resolve this.
Just like humans, there are a few which are just psychologically unable of sharing the attention/place they once knew.

I'm thinking if you don't...
You're going to see a continuing separation between you/the family where he increasingly seeks out areas of solitude (like the bathroom) where he can morn his loss alone.
His appetite will start decreasing, and his health will suffer.
He may start angrily fighting back by attacking the Female and at last measures, passably you.

I know you think this is a medical issue, and yes, go ahead and get him checked out by your Vet, though I think that will be a waste of money.

PLEASE consider my resolution to this.

How proud you must be, to have him love you that much.

Maybe a little bach flower remedy on the tongue before bed until maybe he gets used to the new dog as she could be a trigger

My breeder told me the same thing about honey, she said use corn syrup instead

A behaviorists would be a better consult and evaluator. Most pounds rescues have one if you have trouble locating one in your area. Having the Biewer stay a night away could be telling.
Is that Karo?
I've used coconut oil, agave syrup and nutrical in replacement of karo which was always given to Elvis after a seizure to get his blood sugar back up quickly (seizures just drain them).

I think it may have to do with the new dog and you should work with him more to give extra attention. My friend had a baby (human) and the dog (shihtzu) seemed fine with her. As time went by he started peeing (more--he always did a little) in the house and nipped at the baby. When the nips became more aggressive they got rid of the dog. Just saying it takes time for the first dog to realize the new one is staying.

Is your bathroom small? Maybe it's just a smaller area so he felt safe there. Can he leave your room to go to a "safe" place. My girl sleeps in her cage and otherwise only goes there if she is nervous or scared. That's why I'm thinking yours went by the toilet. It may have felt safe.

Usually one dog doesn't cause another to panic unless he's attacked him and aggresses often. A new dog can make the current dog uneasy, allowing his natural fears of things such as thunderstorms or shiny floors, loud noises, etc. to set him off, kind of like when you have a new boss at work you are trying to figure out, your mood at home can be a little edgy. He probably heard something outside and the reverse sneezing was done from nerves. Some dogs reverse sneeze when there is a thunderstorm outside, for instance. Some RS for get attention.

I'd just distract him with the honey, chicken, whatever you want, to get him really distracted and work on his accepting the other dog. (I've personally used honey with dogs for 30 years & never had any issues with my rescues or my own pets but some dogs may be sensitive to it, as some are to karo or Nutrical [It gave my Jilly & a rescue pup diarrhea].) Honey is in some dog treats and dog food.

Once he's accepted his new "sibling", he'll probably be a little less unsettled but probably will still have his old fears. If he is afraid of strange or loud, sudden sounds, then you can start to desensitize him to odd sounds by forming a pleasant association in your dog whenever he hears odd sounds. Have a helper bang on the wall with a spoon and treat the dog with a nice turkey hot dog bit at the same moment. Do that for no longer than a few seconds and then stop, give another treat. You want to gently expose him to the sounds but not trigger a panic attack or make him think he's trapped with people who are going to keep making scary sounds so just a few sessions of the noise/concurrent treating with special treats of high value and then stop after about 3 or 4 episodes. Later in the day, you can drop a plastic lid and instantly give him a high value treat. Repeat 3 or 4 times, treating with the chicken/hot dog instantly. Stop and let him outside to work off any anxiety he's built up. That night, might bang on the wall a time or two with treats each time, then let him outside. That's it - just a few episodes like that for a couple of weeks to slowly get him used to the face that yes, odd noises might happen but gee, he gets the nice food when they do and they barely last long enough to do much and then stop & he gets to go out and pee, run around after!

If he's doing well, after a couple of weeks, increase the training episodes and keep treating, letting him outside after the session is over. Another thing to do with a sound-sensitive dog, when an odd noise does occur, such as a neighbor turns on a buzz saw or a truck emits a loud exhaust bang, get him a nice treat. He'll think that even odd noises not associated with mommy or daddy causing them get him a fabulous treat so really maybe loud or odd noises aren't so bad.

This type desensitization works really well on some dog and other, more stubborn cases take some professional help or another desensitization, training method helps more. Just keep learning and searching for ways to deal with panic and fear through books, articles and use what works best for you and your little dog.

My Jilly reverse sneezed a good deal of her life at times but CT exams by vets were always negative & she never progressed - just reverse sneezed at times when she was ill or nervous. Scotty did it, too, under the same circumstances, as does Tibbe. But when a dog starts to behave oddly or have a symptom of any kind, always have a vet exam first to be sure the dog is not injured or ill. I always suggest vetting first. If the dog is not hurt or sick, he's having his problems for other reasons.

That's so true. Some dogs can form a fear associated with anything, particularly if they are a little on the nervous or easily-scared side. Sometimes a good companion who is well-socialized and more stable can help them through fears when they see the other dog dealing with the same stimulus matter-of-factual. I hope & pray it is just a behavioral issue causing his RS, shaking, panting & he's not sick.