It is common for caregivers to associate that their dog is strange and hides with suffering from an illness. But the truth is that there are other causes that explain this canine behavior, in addition to a pathology. For this reason, in this article on our site we review the most common.
It is important that if our dog hides and does not seem to behave as usual, we identify the source of the problem, since it is possible to intervene whether it is a physical or psychological cause. Read on and find out why your dog is weird and hiding
Why do dogs hide when they are sick?
Sick dogs tend to hide simply by looking for a quiet and secluded place to take refuge. However, it is important to clarify that when our dog is weird and hides, it can be due to different causes. It doesn't just indicate a disease Watching the dog carefully to identify other symptoms or the triggering stimulus is very helpful in discovering the source of the problem. When a disease is suspected, it is always indicated to go to the vet.
The most frequent reasons that can cause a dog to be strange and hide are the following, which we will develop in the different sections:
- Illness.
- Cognitive dysfunction syndrome.
- Fear.
- Remorse.
- Disgust or discomfort.
My dog is behaving strangely
When the dog is not feeling well because it is incubating or suffering from an illness, it is normal for her daily activity to be affected. Among a large number of possible symptoms depending on the affected organs or systems, it is likely that the dog is apathetic, static and prefers not to move from certain corners. Sometimes, the dog is strange and hides when, already diagnosed, we are ready to administer the medication. Dogs are very observant and immediately discover our intentions. They identify that it is time to take the syrup, the pill or perform the cure and they hide in an attempt to avoid it.
Other times the dog hides because of fear. It is easy to recognize this situation because other signs such as tremors or hypersalivation are common. These types of cases can be treated by dog behavior specialists or ethologists.
My dog goes to another room
If our dog is weird and hides in another room, another possibility is that he is upset for some reason, that he doesn't it will always be perceptible to us. It is a sign of disagreement. An example is the case of administering a medication exposed in the previous section.
Another reason to hide, although controversial, is that the dog experiences some remorse. It is the typical situation in which in our absence the dog destroys something and, when we arrive, it hides, avoids looking at us, etc. As humans we interpret it as a sign of repentance. The dog knows that he has done wrong and hides to avoid the reprimand. The explanation of the experts is that the dog, as a great observer of humans that he is, detects our early signs of anger and responds to them by displaying submissive behavior, which, in reality, is product from fear We say that it is a controversial issue because there are dogs that are already hiding before we discover the mess. It is possible that it is due to the memory that the action carried out in the past has been sanctioned.
If this is your case and your dog is weird and hides for fear of your reaction, it is essential to emphasize that punishments, yelling, fights and, of course, physical violence are not the solution. As you can see, these situations only generate a serious state of fear and stress in the soul that can cause even worse consequences. For this reason, it is important to resort to positive reinforcement to educate your dog and visit an ethologist if you need to modify any behavior.
My dog looks for corners
Older dogs can suffer from what is known as cognitive dysfunction syndromeSimilar to Alzheimer's in humans, it can explain why the dog is weird and hides looking for corners. It is due to a deterioration of the mental faculties that affects different areas in a progressive way. It includes symptoms such as disorientation, the search for corners in which to take refuge, difficulties in finding the doors of rooms, not recognizing family members, not responding to their name, sleeping more during the day and less at night, wandering, decreased activity, go around in circles, urinate inside the home, etc. If we detect any of these signs, we should go to the vet to rule out any physical cause. Cognitive dysfunction can be medicated.
What to do if my dog is weird, hides?
After reviewing the most common causes that explain why a dog is strange and hides, it is important to highlight that we should go to the vet to examine the animal and determine what exactly is wrong with it. Although these are the main reasons, the truth is that these symptoms can appear for many other reasons. This is why visiting a specialist is so important.
On the other hand, if the cause is a behavioral or psychological problem, what we will have to do is visit a canine educator or an ethologistto analyze the situation and set an appropriate action plan for our case. For a dog to hide and behave strangely is not normal and always indicates that something is wrong with it, so we must pay it the attention it deserves and act accordingly.
