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My dog eats imaginary flies and gets very agitated.


Gyro
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We recently rescued a dog from the SPA. Most of the time he is a normal dog but he has this strange habit of snapping at imaginary flies. He becomes very agitated and seeks us out night or day, he will even jump up on the sofia even though he knows its not allowed. Poor fella is so stressed.

We live in an appartment but we make sure he gets plenty of excersise.

I was thinking there is something wrong with his eyes as sometimes when you call him from a distance he's looking but can't see me.

Worst case it could be mild epilepsy from my research but I'm hoping their is a more simple explaination.

Anyone come across these symptoms before I would be interested in hearing from you.

Thanks.

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If he has only recently come to you he could still be feeling insecure, in unfamiliar surroundings, with unfamiliar smells etc. He may have had disturbances in his past life.

Hopefully  he will slowly feel more secure and not be so demanding of your attention.

I might be wrong, but I think that as with young children your dog will feel better with firm rules and a regular routine. If he's being too demanding, say "that's enough, back to your bed." etc. then praise him.

But if you feel he's really agitated, ask the vet's advice.

Our neighbour's dog, who spends half his life at our house,  has a strange habit of snapping his jaws rhythmically. He was a rescue dog.

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Five months ago we rescued a little old one eyed Podenco from Levriers en Danger who had been horribly treated all her life (losing the eye to her master's stick poor little thing).  she was found wandering with her two pups on the road to Saville having escaped her prison.  She has settled well now but it has taken five months for her to begin to feel safe and accept that she is no longer going to be beaten - however - at the slightest sudden noise like a door slamming or a book falling on the floor, she springs to her feet and runs to hide and then sits there swallowing hard at speed!  It's so sad to watch I can't tell you and you can't comprehend what she must have been through for the past nine years of her life!  She is the most wonderful little dog imaginable with the sweetest temperament and we love her to bits and so do our other rescue dogs (3) she has won our hearts to such an extent that we can't imagine life without her!  When dogs have been subjected to repeated abuse of whatever kind they have odd ways of dealing with it and I think that your doggie will just need loads and loads of patience and understanding till he finally feels safe.  It's obvious that he already sees you as his protectors in seeking to follow you and come to you when whatever it is gets the better of him - I would most definitely see this habit of snapping at flies as being a reaction to a sudden feeling of being insecure and remembered fear.  Time and a constant gentle routine is working for our little treasure and whilst she may never be 100% free of anxiety, I know we'll get most of the way there as she has come so far already in five months bless her.  It's hard for them to take in sometimes and to properly understand that they are free of their previous existence that contained everyday tortures of one sort or another.  If I pick up the broom to sweep the floor the reaction from my little Podenco makes me want to cry!

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What a lovely post Merlin and how lucky your new adoptee is to have found you!  My own rescue had some funny issues, she was thrown from a car when abandoned and she hated car travel and would try and get into the foot well and get as flat as possible, she now loves the car 2 years on, she still never wants to get out and you have to coax her.  When I first had her if you sat near her she would move, now I cant get away form her, she loves to lounge with humans and pesters for strokes when previously she would shy away if you put your hand up.

On the snapping at flies front my MIL has a rescued collie, he would sit for hours just watching one fly, it is thought he was kept in a small space and all he could see were the flies, he would also snap at nothing, he is fine now but it took a year or so to realax for him, he had lots of demons.  He is now a deovted companion though and I'm sure yours will be too, he just needs time.

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Thanks for your responses guys. Ceaser Milan (Dog whisperer) says you shouldn't nurture a dog thats is in a frightened state as your nurturing that state of mind. It makes perfect sense but its hard when you hear some of the hard luck stories from the dogs past.
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