Dad Sets Up Hidden Camera To Find Out Why Dog Stares At Him All Night
Adopting a dog can be one of the greatest joys life has to offer. But sometimes, adopted dogs can scare and surprise you with the behaviors they learned from their last home. One couple found themselves in this situation when they noticed that their new dog had come with a catch. He had an unsettling trait that would give them many sleepless nights during the weeks that followed.
The Sweetest Pup At The Pound
Understanding how important it is to adopt dogs instead of buying them, one couple visited their local pound to find a new companion for their family. The dog they found was sweet, affectionate and happy, but he would soon show his true colors and it was more than the couple had bargained for...
He Fit Into Their Lives Effortlessly
Their pup, who they named Jake, loved his new home! As soon as he left the pound, the dog seemingly made himself at home and was comfortable as a new member of the family. But he had a habit that stunned and scared his new owners, and he only showed this flaw at night. This flaw, revealed below, was strange and quirky for any dog...
His One And Only Flaw
Every single night since he had been adopted, the dog would stand at his owners' bedroom door while they slept. They installed a childproof door to keep him out of the bedroom, but this precautionary measure didn't work. He didn't seem to understand that he was supposed to sleep in his dog bed that was placed in the other room. Sadly, this habit didn't end there...
He Wouldn't Stop Staring
Not only did he stand at his owners' bedroom door, but he didn't sleep at all and instead chose to stare directly at his owners as they slept! Every night this habit persisted and his owners were gobsmacked. Could this behavior be a sign of a more serious problem? What was this dog trying to tell his owners with his silent nighttime habit? The answers below will leave you heartbroken...
His Habit Continued...
After a few weeks of this behavior, the owners knew they needed to do something to treat and amend this habit. Surely dogs needed more sleep than this retriever was getting by spending his nightly hours staring down his new owners. He napped during the day, but he also seemed happy to spend his nights at the bedroom door. What could the owners possibly do to make sure their dog was getting enough sleep?
Despite Their Efforts, He Wouldn't Stop
Although his owners let their dog into the bedroom during the day, they continued to shut him out at night. Having had dogs before, his owners knew that it was important to teach their dog obedience by not letting the pup have free reign of their furniture. What had he been used to at his previous home? Were his old owners' habits that wildly different from their own?
The Habit Was Disturbing
The strangest part of his dog's nighttime staring habit was that it was done silently. Most dog owners are used to some begging from their dog if they want a treat or are getting hungry for dinner, but the fact that this dog didn't seem to want anything but the sight of his owners while they slept was unsettling. Find out below how his owners hoped to cure this habit...
They Set Up Hidden Cameras
His owners put hidden cameras in the bedroom to find out what the dog did during the rest of the night. After his owners went to bed, the dog continued staring at them from the bedroom door. They hit record and let the camera run, hoping to catch something... anything, that would give them a clue to the mystery. But when they played back the footage they were even more confused than before.
What Did He Want?
Unfortunately, not much new information was gleaned from these tapes. It was just as they had suspected. For hours he stood at the gate, not sleeping and not making a noise. Even when he slept for short moments, he stayed in front of the door. Now that their suspicions were confirmed, the question remained: what did he want?
Damaged Goods
The couple was now at their wits' end. They watched the footage of their dog over and over and knew something had to be done. Not only was it a disturbing sensation to feel eyes on them for the entire night, but they also began to worry about the dog's intentions. After all, they had no idea what emotional baggage they would uncover later…
Thinking Of Reasons
At first, the couple chalked their new dog’s odd behavior up to unfamiliar surroundings. It could very well be that the dog was just experiencing temporary discomfort while he adjusted to his new family. They hoped that this was the case and that he would soon settle into a routine. But most importantly, they hoped that he would cease his disturbing habit…
Growing Uneasy
The couple was now faced with a dilemma: should they let this strange dog sleep in their room at night? And would that put an end to his unsettling habit? Or, would this only worsen it? They discussed the situation at length. Apart from setting boundaries for their new dog, they weren’t sure if it was safe to let him in while they were sleeping. What if he snapped?
A Possible Solution
After another sleepless night with the dog’s eyes on them, they knew that something had to give. They admitted that they weren’t comfortable letting him sleep with them at night. So they decided to simply shut the bedroom door and try to forget about what waited on the other side. Surely, this would end their troubles?
Nothing Seemed To Work
Even shutting the bedroom door at night didn't stop the dog from watching them during the night. His owners suspected this would be the case, but they were running out of new ideas to try. Had this dog done this to his previous owners as well? If not, where did he learn this bizarre behavior? Whatever the case, they were determined to put an end to it.
Was It His Diet?
The dog's owners thought that there may be a problem with his diet, so they changed the brand of treats that they gave him. They also thought that the dog bed they bought may not have been comfortable, so they bought a new one. None of these things stopped the dog's nighttime behavior, but you'll be surprised at what ultimately brought it to an end...
Maybe He Needed More Exercise?
Perhaps the reason the dog didn't sleep at night was because he wasn't tired enough. To amend this, his owners vowed to give him more exercise throughout the day by playing with him for hours and taking him on longer walks around their neighborhood. He seemed to be tired enough when night rolled around, but his nighttime habit didn't cease. Was there a more troubling reason behind his strange routine?
Could His Health Be The Cause?
Worried about the health of their new companion, his owners decided to take their dog to the vet. They hadn't been told of any out of the ordinary health conditions when they got their dog from the pound, but maybe there was a reason that he was left there in the first place. What was it that his old owners couldn't put up with?
Seeking An Expert Opinion
Sure enough, the veterinarian found the loyal dog to be perfectly healthy. For his age, he was happy, reactive and obedient. This left his owners absolutely puzzled! If his health wasn't causing his strange behavior, it didn't seem likely that they would ever get answers about their beloved dog. Their last idea was to visit the pound they had received their dog from, but they had no idea the incredible story they would hear when they arrived...
The Pound He Came From Had Answers
If the vet didn't have answers, maybe the pound he came from would. And sure enough, they did. When the dog was left there just a few weeks ago, he came with a heartbreaking story that perfectly explained his odd behavior. This story will break your heart and could make you cry for this sweet dog.
His Heartbreaking Backstory
The dog's old owners decided that they couldn't handle the responsibility of having a dog while they were also planning to have a child, so the couple felt it was the right idea to give the dog up when they found out they were expecting. To save them both from heartbreak, his old owner chose to wait until the middle of the night while his dog was sleeping to pack him up and take him to the pound, but that would prove to be the wrong decision...
He Was Left Without A Goodbye
Taking his dog to the pound while he was sleeping proved to be absolutely traumatic to the young dog. When he went to sleep that night, he was safe at home and with the owners who he loved dearly. But, when he woke up the next morning, he was caged in a dog pound surrounded by people and dogs he didn't know. That change would prove to be more than he could handle...
His New Life Started With Heartbreak
At the pound, the dog was scared and skittish because he wasn't used to not being around the people he had grown to love and trust in the past few years. The workers at the pound knew that the sweet dog would find a new home soon, but hoped that his backstory wouldn't hinder his new experiences, whatever they may be...
Something Had To Change
After finding out his tragic backstory, his new owners knew that they had to treat their new dog with more kindness than was shown to him by his previous family. Dogs not only feel some of the same emotions as people, but they might have a similar emotional intelligence level as a toddler, meaning that they understand and react to everything going on around them. Could this dog ever move on after what his previous owners put him through?
They Vowed To Fix His Behavior
By letting their dog sleep in the bedroom with them, the dog's owners hoped to show their dog that he did not have to worry about them leaving during the night. Their dog was still reluctant and stared at his owners as they fell asleep, but in the coming days, the dog fell asleep sooner and sooner into the night. Would his new sleep routine continue or had the trauma he experienced changed this dog for life?
Would It Work?
The couple hoped and prayed that the simple gesture of removing the barricade to the bedroom door would help their new dog feel more secure. But would it be enough to build the dog's trust in humans again? All they could do was wait and see. Meanwhile, the couple also wanted other pet owners to learn from their strange experiences with their new dog, so they shared the story online.
Touching Hearts
It wasn't long before the post about their dog's strange behavior went viral. The rescued dog's heartbreaking story touched many hearts, and many Facebook users shared similar experiences. To many dog owners, stories like these serve as evidence that dogs do, in fact, experience complex emotions. However, in scientific circles, this remains a contentious topic...
Chemical Makeup
While it's true that dogs have similar brain structures as humans and even share some of the hormonal make-up that is responsible for emotions in humans, dog owners have known that dogs are capable of feelings of love and affection since the beginning. Dogs even produce a hormone called oxytocin – which has been attributed to the sensation of love in humans. Many people believe that dogs experience feelings, just like humans do!
Scientific Opinion
Despite the evidence, scientists are still reluctant to overstate the range of emotions that dogs can feel. But there is one thing that they mostly agree on: most dogs have the same mental capacity as an average toddler. So it stands to reason that dogs share similar emotions with their young human counterparts.
Learning To Trust Again
As a result of this research, some researchers have concluded that dogs can feel simple emotions. So dogs experience emotions such as joy, anger, and fear. This means that it’s perfectly plausible that a rescue dog would worry about being abandoned again. But what about the dog of our story? Would he ever learn to trust humans again?
Finally Feeling Secure
After a few weeks of letting their dog sleep with his owners in their bedroom, they started to see his behavior shift permanently. It can sometimes take a few weeks for dogs to get comfortable in a new routine while they are being trained. Would this habit change prove to be permanent, despite the previous trauma this dog underwent?
They Moved His Dog Bed Into the Bedroom
His owners at first worried that sleeping in the same room as their dog would make the dog be less obedient, as they had heard dog trainers say before. But, letting the dog have his own bed on the floor while his owners slept in their bed above him proved to be the best thing for both of them. The dog would be able to tell if his owners moved in the night, but he could also get the sleep he deserved. Find out below if this habit stuck or if this pup was stuck in his ways...
Sleeping Soundly At Last
This change was exactly what the dog needed! He now sleeps soundly in the bedroom of his owners at night and no longer spends hours watching them before he falls asleep. This story really proves that dogs have incredible emotional intelligence and need love and caring as much as any person or other creature.
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