strange Chihuahua behavior

Ok... I don't want to make a big deal out of this but--hear me out...
and I really need you guys to keep an open mind.

Our little (teacup) chihuahua--Spike--likes to bark at nothing. I
mean, she's barking at something--but there is nothing there,
nothing. My wife and I have observed her closely now for about nine
months. She's not tilting her little head up as if to try and hear a
sound that we can't. She's barking at something because she barks in
one particular direction, exactly the way she barks when someone she
doesn't recognize comes to our house.

Now this is the part that almost made me take her to the vet. The
other night, she was doing her invisible barking. I looked into the
living room--where it usualy hapens and as usual, nothing there. Then
she started running around in circles, looking backwards--scared
because she started to whine. She acted the same way she did when a
large dog chased her at our local dog park--just scared! So scared
that she crashed into the side of the couch. Then I walked into the
living room and of course, nothing there. I picked her up and she was
shaking.

We have a cat--Charlie that like to tease her ocasionaly. But Charlie
was on top of the fridge looking pretty scared himself, that's where
Charlie goes when he gets scared.

Ok, I'm a rational person and I'm not crazy, nor do I like to jump to
conclusions but I've never seen a dog behave this way. Can this be
some sort of anxiety? mental illness, perhaps? she lovable and
playful, she's as bratty as she needs to be and really smart. I don't
get it?

Folks, this is a very serious question and I'm deeply concerned
because I really don't know what she's doing.

Has anyone seen their dog do anything like this?

Thanks,

Alex

"nightrider.36" <alex.cordero RemoveThis @gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1174886711.140764.96660@n59g2000hsh.googlegroups.com...
> Ok... I don't want to make a big deal out of this but--hear me out...
> and I really need you guys to keep an open mind.
>
> Our little (teacup) chihuahua--Spike--likes to bark at nothing. I
> mean, she's barking at something--but there is nothing there,
> nothing. My wife and I have observed her closely now for about nine
> months. She's not tilting her little head up as if to try and hear a
> sound that we can't. She's barking at something because she barks in
> one particular direction, exactly the way she barks when someone she
> doesn't recognize comes to our house.
>
> Now this is the part that almost made me take her to the vet. The
> other night, she was doing her invisible barking. I looked into the
> living room--where it usualy hapens and as usual, nothing there. Then
> she started running around in circles, looking backwards--scared
> because she started to whine. She acted the same way she did when a
> large dog chased her at our local dog park--just scared! So scared
> that she crashed into the side of the couch. Then I walked into the
> living room and of course, nothing there. I picked her up and she was
> shaking.
>
> We have a cat--Charlie that like to tease her ocasionaly. But Charlie
> was on top of the fridge looking pretty scared himself, that's where
> Charlie goes when he gets scared.
>
> Ok, I'm a rational person and I'm not crazy, nor do I like to jump to
> conclusions but I've never seen a dog behave this way. Can this be
> some sort of anxiety? mental illness, perhaps? she lovable and
> playful, she's as bratty as she needs to be and really smart. I don't
> get it?
>
> Folks, this is a very serious question and I'm deeply concerned
> because I really don't know what she's doing.
>
> Has anyone seen their dog do anything like this?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Alex

Well, my Shar Pei did this when she was losing her eyesight. It happened at
night; she couldn't see any more when the lighting was dim, and she was
trying to get me to come to her, to lead her to bed. She was also getting
senile.

If your Chi is mostly barking when it's dark or dim, have the vet look at
her eyes.

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