Afraid of the Dark? - Page 1

Hi all, my 18 month old female seems to be afraid of the dark at times. If we throw her ball into the bathroom when its dark, she sometimes wont go in and get it. She will come and get me. She will pace back and forth for a while until I get up and go with her, then she will go in the bathroom and get the ball. I dont even really have to be in there with her, just by the hallway, maybe 5 feet away. If I dont go with her she will give up after a short time and just leave her ball in the bathroom. She has not had any bad experiences in the bathroom or in the dark, atleast not when she has been with me. She also will not go into my bedroom at night when the light is out unless my other dog is in there or I am in there. She does whine also when she is pacing for the ball but I think its just because she wants the ball but it could be a stress sign, maybe. I dont know. Any thoughts? Has anyone ever had a gsd or any dog that has appeared to be afraid of the dark? She is fine outside in the dark. I just see this when she is inside. I dont coddle her or console her in any way when she does this. The only thing I do is go over in the kitchen/hallway area. I dont tell her its allright or anything so as not to make her think it is ok for her to not want to go into the dark area. I have, on a few occasions, gone into the bathroom and got the ball for her. I know I probably should not have done that and I dont anymore.
Also, during the night when there are no lights on in the house at all, she will go out of my bedroom and get a drink of water and go in the livning room to see my other dog and then come back to my bedroom or lay down out in one of the other rooms. I dont know what to think about it. If she hears a loud car go by or any other noise in the middle of the night, she will run out to the kitchen barking and sometimes growling but once in a while she will just stand in my bedroom doorway barking and growling. Maybe its just some strange quirk that she has?
Donna

I have seen a dog afraid of the dark, but its not fear of the unknown, its not being able to see anything and being cautious about it.   Let the dog go and in time she will know whats there and not seeing it wont bother her.  Let them investigate these places on their own.   The fear as you call it should pass.
She's still maturing.

Maybe you should have a canine opthamologist check her eyes.

Or as Two Moons points out it could be a behavior thing.

Terri

Would making a trail of treats leading into the dark room help?  She'll associate the dark with cookies and it might help alleviate her fears.  You might put a nightlight in some of the dark rooms and see what she does.  If she goes in by herself, you could give her a treat, then phase out the nightlight when she's not scared of the dark anymore.  Just a couple of suggestions.

Dogs see in the dark bewtter than humans, so perhaps it is not just about it being dark? Could there be something in the bathroom that she has ab aversion to? That would not explain the bedroom issue, though. I am stumped. Maybe it IS an opthamoligical issue that a vet can ascertain and treat.

Perhaps it could also be the less positive most unwanted answer,  Big Baby Scaredy Kat.
LOL.......  I don't believe it is but you'd have to observe the behavior to really understand whats going on.
Could be a scent the dogs doesn't like, could also be a sound.  
I little conditioning will either cure it or confirm a cause.   

The only dog I have had that was cautious in the dark was a young male with bi-lateral cataracts, maybe think of getting her eyesight checked.
Pam

Thanks all! I will get her eyes checked just to make sure there is nothing up there and to give me peace of mind. It could be just her being unsure. She does have issues related to certain noises and new places, which I am working on with her. When she is outside at night, she notices everything--bunnies,cats ect and gets all huffy and hackles up and wants to go and chase whatever it is she sees. These things are most always across the field behind my house so I dont think its a vision problem but its always good to be sure. Atleast to eliminate that possibility.
Donna