I have a big mutt, she is one of the most annoying dogs in the world, but she is great with the kids and my husbands best friend. Dont get me wrong, I LOVE pets and dogs. She just gets on my nerves. Must be a female jealousy thing.
I hate her licking needs. She doesnt do it to everyone, or even the kids that much, but she is constantly trying or actually licking me. I yell or growl at her. For the past 6 months she hasnt TOUCHED me with her tongue even once.
I came down with a horrible bronchial infection the last week. The last 3 days has been very bad for me, coughing and choking on mucus, I even had to get an inhaler for sometime. I have been sleeping in the TV room on the couch. Azura likes to sleep on her pillow in the hall by the kitchen to the den. She will occasionally sleep at the door to our bedroom. The last three nights, now she will randomly come to me in my sleep and lick my hands. CANT tell you how annoyed I am with this, so the first few times that it happened, I would sputter and grumble and shoosh her away from me. The next night she did it, I would get up and check her area for food and water, she would be fine, nothing amiss. The third night, shes creeping me out. I kinda think shes telling me something. Am I not breathing right? Though I wake up just fine if I have to cough, so I dont think its that.
Not sure if its related to it, but this morning I let her out, and she ran barking like a mad mess at the back fence. I thought it was just our neighbors out doing yard work, but she has never barked at them like that before. So I looked more carefully and there was an older man I never saw before, pacing the back fence on the neighbors side. He seemed agitated. Kept going to the back door to go in (they have an all glass solarium at the back of the home, which I get the pleasure of looking into all the time since they have no curtains on it). Though our neighbors have 5 small yappy dogs, and those dogs were actually attacking one another at the door, when he would approach. I never heard or saw their dogs do that before in the year we lived here. He seemed a bit frightened and left the yard quickly.
Is this something important enough to report? I did call the neighbors at work, and he said he didnt have anyone suppose to be coming, but could have been a powerline inspector, since we had someone come out recently to cut brush between fences where the line poles are. Though in that case, the can walk between fencing. So I am wondering, do I have a prowler? If so, he didnt do his homework, because every single neighbor in the entire block has dogs.
If so, what should i do to catch him? do I report it with out any back up? do I stay up and try to get a picture, or call 911? Not sure what people do in these kinds of cases.
We talked it over with our neighbors, and we are coming to a conclusion it could be someone on their block with dementia. It seems the more likely choice. Though we are not going to take it as the honest truth. I get along with 5 of the 6 neighbors, and so I did do a sort of canvas thing, and mentioned that rather than a prowler, this man COULD possibly be a adult with disabilities. I did call the non-emergency line as well. We have a great city, with more police than needed, so as promised they have been patrolling frequently. They are always by my home, because of our centralized location on the main drag. Though now they are going more on the street behind us. There have been no reports of missing, vulnerable adults so far. As for my health, there is a real possibility that something is amiss. I will have the physical, thanks you for the suggestions.
Yes, you should report it as suspicious activity. Dogs are a 6th sense that shouldn't be ignored. I know I always paid attention to my dog. If he didn't like you there was a reason and I always trusted his instincts!
call the non-emergency number for the police department. say you saw a prowler. ask for stepped up patrols.
and be sure to lock those doors - even during the day.
lastly, i'd alert everyone on the block that you know so there's lots of eyes watching.
Call to see if an inspector has been out there. If not, if you see him again, yes, take a picture and call 911. Don't let the dog out there to run him off so that the police have time to get there.
It is amazing how dogs "know" things, MM. There really are service dogs out there that can anticipate seizures, that kind of thing. There was one dog who could find cancers - now that's just plain scary, but I sure would want to lay down for that dog to be my "doctor". Maybe your dog IS trying to tell you something.
Have you considered going to the doc for a complete physical, once you beat this bug? How about some bloodwork?
That said, tell your doc what's going on. Forewarned is forearmed, even if it IS a dog!
Dawn
I would definately go talk to your immediate neighbors and tell them about the older guy. You may have someone with dementia in the area that has started wandering and thought he was in the right yard, but wasn't.
Apart from the old man incident, which you have already gotten good advice on, please go get a complete physical with your doctor once you are a bit better. Dogs can 'smell' things that humans can't. The fact that his behavior towards you has changed so radically recently would make me at least go get a physical...
Best of luck!
He was TRYING TO GET IN their door?
And they confirmed that no O. was to be there that day, save the cutting of the brush (which he was not doing)?
A power line inspector wouldn't be trying to get in their door!
I don't think you need a dog to deduce that it was a prowler.
Report it.
And call 9-1-1 if you see him again.
Even though you don't seem to be a dog person, trust your animal and your neighbor's animal's signals...they could save lives. YES, call the police and let them know what you have seen and heard. YES notify your neighbors. YES, check ALL your locks on windows, doors, gates, etc. NO do not stay up and take pictures, once you have done all of the above.
I have to say that my immediate thought from your description was that the older man might have some form of dementia. The agitation and pacing are what make me have that feeling. But, I would still report it to your local law enforcement, AND to your neighbors (even if it wasn't someone with dementia, your neighbors will appreciate knowing someone has been roaming the neighborhood, no?)
As for your dog's behavior towards you changing? It could be that she senses some change in you. Or maybe not. I know that certain medical conditions can affect the chemical properties of your sweat.... perhaps she likes the taste. Have you had a physical in the last year or 6 months? If you haven't, I would have it done. And I would mention the dog's licking you, both the constant nature of it until recently, and then also the licking you during the night when you are asleep. It might mean nothing, but it might be a "clue" that suggests something to your doctor to test. You never know.
