[willycole81]

Hi everyone. My wife and I adopted a rescue dog about two months ago. He's a small terrier mix, very active, has some behavioral issues (chewing, jumping, etc). He is neutered, about 9 months old.

Anyways, starting yesterday he has been very anxious, and keeps looking out the window and barking at the street, usually when cars go by. He runs from window to window and barks at the outside. When we we walk him around the yard, he lunges on the leash and barks/cries at every car that goes by. He did it for about 4 hours last night, and it's started again today.

We have walked him around our yard probably hundreds of times, and he has only rarely/occasionally been excited by a passing car, but now it's every time.

WE don't know what set him off, but we don't want him to be anxious and barking at every car that goes by ( we live by a busy street!)

Any advice?

[Lunareclipse]

Does anything distract him from it at all?

[willycole81]

well, thankfully today he wasn't nearly as bad as yesterday.

yesterday he seemed like he was frantic for 4 hours or so. We gave him a chew bone which at first he didn't pay much attention to, and then he finally sat down and chewed the treat until it was gone, about 10-15 minutes.

After that, he continued to be anxious, running window to window, barking, whining to go outside, etc.

At bedtime, it took him a while to relax but then he was good throughout the night.

Today, I rearranged the furniture so he cant sit on top of the couch and look/bark out our main window. This seemed to help a bit. He can still look out the window, but he can't perch up there.

He went to the windows and barked here and there, but he wasn't frantic.

When we're walking outside, it's harder to distract him with something.

Even today, he barked/lunged on his leash at like 90% of the cars that drove by, but again there were some that he didn't care about. He also barks at airplanes flying overhead.

Maybe he doesn't like the noise or something, but he's been here for 2 months, so I don't get why all of a sudden he's behaving like this

[cigwyllt]

Two months isn't really that long - it can take six months for a dog to settle in a new home. Perhaps he is feeling now that he has settled a bit that it is his job to see them off!

That was a good idea to move the couch.

It's odd that he doesn't panic over every car he sees. I would think though that it will just take time and consistency for him to get over it.

[willycole81]

thanks for your reply. I also thought that 2 months is not a long time. He has moved around quite a bit. First the shelter, then a foster home, and now our home. So I expect it to take some time for him to truly settle in. It was just weird how his behavior changed so abruptly towards the cars

[willycole81]

well, the last two nights he was ok, but tonight he's at it again, after being fine for the most part all day. not sure what set him off this time, but same behavior as before. going from window to window, barking, crying, whining, etc. We took him for a walk to burn off some energy. it can't be the cars, at least not that initially set him off anyways. maybe something gets him going and the cars going by exasperate the situation. it happens around dusk. maybe an animal going by? still perplexed....