Thanks Jenny. We have ruled-out odors, but as you know, there could be an odor in the walls that we can not detect. She still avoids with another light source. Our best guess has been that anxiety from the shadows is causing the diarrhea. But, why now? She has seen shadows in our bedroom since the day she moved in 22 months ago.

So the issue is not limited to shadows, she is reactive to other seemingly innocent distractions in and around the home? If you were to make a list what would be on it - other than air conditioner kicking in and shadows in the bedroom?

 Quote: Patrick Wilson

The vet prescribed a powder we sprinkle on her food once a day, but it does not help.

What kind of powder? How long has she been on it?

eta: Sorry, Patrick. I should have said welcome to the board!

Thank you. Fortiflora.

Well, Jenny, as I am sitting in the living room right now with my dog relaxed on the sofa, I realize I have the ceiling fan on and the fan blades are displaying moving shadows on the ceiling caused by the fan light. My dog looks at the shadows and puts her head back down. Duh. It's not shadows.

A mouse in the attic? But why would she avoid?

Hey Patrick, dog phobias are a funny thing.

When we first got Vince, probably had him about 3 months, it was winter, it was dry and for some reason he’s a dog that totally conducts static electricity. As hubby was fixing their dinner, Vince was right there and piece of raw steak fell on the floor. Hubby picked it up and went to give it to him. When he finally told me what happened, days later, he even described a little blue arc between the meat and his nose.

Prior to him telling me this, I had no idea why Vince was “all of a sudden” a complete wreck in the kitchen let alone the fact he wouldn’t go anywhere near this one corner. Try and fix that one with treats… not. A lot of hiding his favorite ball in the general vicinity and I got er whooped, but I digress.

My long winded story to suggest that unless he’s going through some kind of late-onset fear period (and I think he’s a little old for that) something has happened in the bedroom that spooked him and the shadows were probably flickering at the time.

Were you guys watching a horror movie and got really scared? Fell off the bed with laughter? A sudden, loud noise on a show that startled you?

If he was all calm and relaxed, any one of these could have caused a jolt of fear in him, for whatever reason. He may have been staring at the shadows at that precise moment and in a way, that only dogs know how, could be relating that fear to them.

Just a thought.

Sorry Patrick, must have been typing at the same time you were, I see you're thinking that it probably isn't the shadows after all.

Disregard my long winded thoughts... lol.

Thanks C. J. I am familiar with operant and classical conditioning, and we are now doing exactly what you recommend.

I need to clarify. We are trying to figure out if she has learned the fear through associating one thing with another. Thanks again.