Strange behaviour

Due to the frequency of human-bear encounters, the B.C. Fish and Wildlife Branch is advising hikers, hunters, fishermen and any persons that use the out of doors in a recreational or work related function to take extra precautions while in the field

We advise the outdoorsman to wear little noisy bells on clothing so as to give advanced warning to any bears that might be close by so you don’t take them by surprise

We also advise anyone using the out-f-doors to carry “Pepper Spray” with him is case of an encounter with a bear

Outdoorsmen should also be on the watch for fresh bear activity, and be able to tell the difference between black bear feces and grizzly bear feces. Black bear feces is smaller and contains lots of berries and squirrel fur. Grizzly bear shit has bells in it and smells like pepper

No! Not in Australia, fortunately. Has to be Canada.
OoRoo

Perhaps you could find a better link and repost?
Willa45; Sorry about that! The link in my original post is correct so far as I can tell.
Try this; it's just worked for me after some trial and error, mainly error, so fingers crossed;
1.Highlight the link as is, in my post.
2.Right click and in the drop-down panel select the
Google offer.
3.This takes you to a list of 7 website URLs with the first one being what you want. Open that! Bingo!
Hopefully!
Good Luck. Please let me know if it crashes again and we'll go to Plan C(?), or whatever!
Cheers

Maybe it was heat stroke .

Rufus2, Yes, I saw your post, but alas the link didn't work! I'm not familiar with the article you're referring to, but would have liked to read it. Perhaps you could find a better link and repost?

BTW....Grizzlies (Brown bear family) are not the same as Black bears because a they are way bigger and much more dangerous. They are found in places like the extreme North or Pacific NorthWestern US.

A (Kodiak) grizzly bear is the largest, most aggressive and formidable of all bears. Compared to the average adult, 250 lb. Black bear, an adult, male Grizzly can weigh up to 1500 lbs., and measure over 5 feet to shoulder on all fours. Grizzlies can also stand up and walk upright (10 ft tall) for short intervals, particularly when they are in 'attack' mode!

Reputedly, they're not aggressive either, but they have been known to attack when threatened
Good Evening Willa 45; from OZ; Don't know if you've spotted my posting of yesterday re: Grizzlies/ pepper spray, but your post dragged it out of the depths of my memory.
I've tried to download a URL on the topic, but something's not worked. I assume you know this article and I'd be grateful if you check it out for me please.?

We don't get bears here, only very poisonous snakes, bu there again, they usually only attack if you inadvertently sit on one. Then it's probably too late to say "once bitten, twice shy"
Thank you!
OoRoo

I agree with the 'haunting' theory. They say animals can see what the human eye can't. And I truly believe there are ghosts all around us. They are not malevolent. They are sometimes our loved ones who pop in now and then to check on us. That's my theory anyway....it has given me comfort in very difficult times

As a student I once worked in a big hotel in Southport. One part, just outside the lift on the first floor was supposed to be haunted. Oddly enough many guests’ dogs would refuse to exit the lift on that floor and had to be carried (if small) or manhandled out if large. It was uncanny ?

Those who believe in ghosts do say that cats and dogs can see them when people can't.

it might be that the scared themselves - I came home from shopping one day and must have walked differently, or sounded different - I had a sore knee at the time. Point is, our one cat flew out of his hidey-hole and ran hell for leather up the garden, and was so scared that even when I called him he didn't stop to listen. Kittens and puppies, like small children can scare themselves over a shadow or something similar, sometimes I think adult cats and dogs do so too.

Love the thought of a cat and fox team!

While we were sailing the same cat, when out on the lead with me, turned abruptly and ran back to the boat. Turned out later that we were near a badger's sett.

https://uriupina.com/funny-cute/warning-bear-bells-pepper-spray

Have a laugh at this! It's years old but worth a look!

OoRoo

Yes total agreement,some dog breeds have quite high gear factors,worst I some breeds than others,we have have two gorgeous staffs,brother and sister,Tilly the little girl is scared of so much and acts just like your dog does,Tilly is frightened of ,plastic packaging,people wearing animal hats,especially panda hats,wheels on a wheely bin, guitars,stuffed toys of dogs,any power tool, red balls ,pigeons,shoes and much more! Max the older brother hates
noises, he will pant and walk about,and not settle,but Tilly will do all these and wet herself!
Our dogs respond to calm voices,letting them go to where they feel safe,if you over fuss them ,it's giving them the message it goodmto be scared.let them sit near you and talking soothingly.

Often chewing something is the answer as it produces a feel good hormone,in time your dog will calm down somewhat,and some fears can get better,a lot of dog are very scared the first time they see something new,and once it's been seen ,the next time it's better,and gets better each time they experience the fear.

Tilly was also very frightened of swimmers at the beach ,road signs and chinese people!! And she is fine about all these now,
And the signs your dog is showing are typical fear symptoms.

We have a dog and it loves to go for walks, but in one field near us the dog has to be nearly dragged through,or even picked up as refuses to move.Then I heard a fox snuffling around in the wheat crop and saw it moving.
I'd go with the fox theory.

About a month ago, we spotted a huge, black bear in the woods behind our house. He lingered for several minutes and then slowly made his way back into the woods. Since then there have been several bear sightings in our neighborhood.

Black bears are common in Northeastern US, but they're very shy and normally won't come near people's houses. Reputedly, they're not aggressive either, but they have been known to attack when threatened. Females with cubs are very protective and can attack without provocation.

Either way, we're being prudently cautious when we go outside behind our house. It's been too hot to go walking anyway, except early morning and dusk, precisely the times when bear encounters are more likely.

For now, any 'woodsy' excursions will be avoided altogether until it's cold enough for the bear to go into hibernation for the winter.

Thanks OldMeg yes my dog is more than happy to go outside, in fact when this first started that's all he wanted to do which is unusual for him.
As you say we will never know now what caused it, the cat still won't come near the house.

I’d go with the vet, something has scared him and the cat. Logically the most likely culprit is a fox, but it could have been a badger (can be very aggressive) or really anything. You’ll probably never know.

Does your old dog still go into the garden willingly?

Whatever the cause, lots of TLC and a few extra treats and the company of your other two dogs should gradually get him back to normal ??

I have two cats, neither are frightened of Foxes, which is just as well, as the local vixen had her 4 cubs at the the end of our garden this year, beautiful little things, I love them.

Thanks for the information re calming products. Our dog has become much more nervous as he's got older and firework night (or should I say week(s)) is a terrible ordeal for him.

It's really weird about the cat and dog suddenly behaving so strangely. I wasn't aware that the sight of a fox is liable to scare dogs and cats but perhaps that's what it is.

There are 2 products you can buy which might help, you can even use the 2 together. There is a particularly good herbal treatment called Zylkene which is used for dogs who struggle with thunderstorms, fireworks, anxiety separation, etc. The other product is Adaptil which can be bought as a collar, spray or plug in. This is a hormone which is produced by a lactating bitch to calm the puppies and works very well for older dogs.

Thanks everyone. The dog in question is 12 years old and normally the most laid back animal you could wish to meet, a real couch potato.
The vet prescribed some mild sedative tablets and he is settling down but not back to normal. He has been friends with the cat for over six years with no problems, but now the cat won't come near the house. My daughter thinks they have seen a ghost !!

I think it's most probably a chance meeting with a fox, or even just the scent of one. There are always foxes in our area but in this hot weather there's the added attraction of food scraps dropped at barbecues etc., we even see them patrolling the beaches and sand dunes.

You could try a dog calming treatment. I can recommend the Beaphar Calming Spot On drops. It's a natural herbal remedy that is applied to the skin (like a flea treatment) and it just calms the dog's responses to stressful situations. You apply it once and the effect lasts about a week. It doesn't make them dopey. We have found it a godsend with our dog!
fetch.co.uk/beaphar-calming-spot-on-dog-3-x-7ml-266179011

Had similar with my jack russell.
We accidently got in the middle of a carneval procession on holiday a few years ago, balloons, shouting, loud music etc. and after that she was terrified of everything. She wouldn’t even go in the car which she used to love. Spent most of the time in the house, under a table looking worried and panting sometimes. I was so worried, didn’t know what to do. She gradually got better but it took about a year for her to be confident to go for a walk again.

Our foxes are terrified of our cat.

We had a little rescue cat who actually went hunting nightly with a pair of foxes in the hedgerows of our country lane. They'd space themselves a few yards apart & wait for unsuspecting rabbits, Squeak the cat didn't mind foxes at all.

If you are in or near an open environment he may have been spooked by a snake. Snakes love hot weather and are more likely to be spotted basking or moving through grassland. I'm not a dog owner but have seen the behaviour you describe in other dogs being walked in areas where snakes are known to be.

My cat turned into a 'scaredy cat' last year. For a time he had to be escorted outside (I am NOT having piss trays indoors). Probably foxes. He's also scared of strange human visitors. Odd creatures, cats. No point in psychoanalysis, what are you going to do about it?

I had been worried about our two cats spending all day either inside or in our garden, instead of roaming through the neighbourhood. But then our neighbour's German Shepherd chased a fox away, and since then the cats are out and about again. So I suspect that your dog and the neighbour's cat have come face to face with a fox, or have simply smelt it.

In this heat it was wise to have the vet examine the dog.

Could the dog and neighbour's cat have had a fight with each other?

How old is the dog?

If he settles down again, I would not worry, especially as the vet says he is fit and well.