Fred has developed a fear of

[Weezer]

cell phones.

Specifically he's afraid of the vibration and the sound when one receives a text message. It doesn't matter what tone you choose.

Even when we turn the vibration off, it's as if he *feels* something just before the text tone goes off. And if we select no tone with only vibration he reacts even more strongly.

He jumps straight up from where he's laying, and if he's in our lap he leaps out of one person's lap and jumps in the lap of the other person.

He starts shaking so hard it's as if he's going to fall apart joint by joint. I'm worried about his heart, since he was given 3 days to live 4 years ago on the 4th of this month. He's a rescue dog and had end stage heart worms. LSU Vet Clinic pretty much wrote him off. Our vet here at home performed a miracle and saved him, but we know his heart was damaged, and when the phone scares him his heart is racing 90 MPH.

When this happens he's panting and inconsolable. No amount of soothing petting will settle him down.

We've tried changing text tones, we've tried comforting him, we've tried ignoring his reaction. I've even tried "swaddling" him.

This morning DH was in the shower when he got a text (his phone was laying on his dresser in the bedroom). Fred was sleeping on the foot of the bed and leaped toward me and landed practically on my face! Yeah, I was sleeping when it happened. Of course when you don't check the text the tone goes off again. Round two of terrified dog landing almost on the face of a sleeping woman.

Anyone else ever have a pet with this problem? We're clueless as to how to help him.

I told DH I was gonna get that phone implanted under this skin. Unfortunately he can't just turn it off while at home. His job requires that he be reachable pretty much 18 hours/day.

(sigh) Why don't people just *call* each other any more? I *hate* texting to begin with. I can speak 50 words in the time it takes me to type out 10, even with my slow Southern drawl.

[wrvond]

Turn off the sound and vibration, turn on the flashing LED.

[tomjsas]

Wrvond...that was going to be my suggestionas well. You have to monitor the phone alot more but about the only way around the problem. So sorry tohear about issues like this. Poor animals can't help themselves.

Tom - 2014 8289ws, 2011 Chevy 2500HD

[Weezer]

New info;

It seems Fred isn't afraid of my phone...both of us have the same iphone model.

WTH?

I text so seldom, but today I needed to give my supervisor of a heads up for next week...sent a text and received response via vibration notification. Fred was standing right there the entire time. No reaction whatsoever.

Oh well, at least I wasn't lying in bed trying to sleep, resulting in a *long* haired doxy landing on my face.

He's supposed to be half poodle/half doxy, according to the vet (we rescued him, or he rescued us...still subject to debate) so imagine a standard sized doxy with an Irish Setter coat.

Shazam! Something just occurred to me;
before we got him he was so badly abused and neglected, he spent his life in a small dog pen with 4 large dogs. When it rained it was like a pig pen, and he'd be chest deep in COLD water and mud for most of the winter.

During the first year every time it thundered he'd totally freak out (this was before thunder shirts were available) and I'll grab a blanket and swaddle him.

I'm thinking now that he's feeling something akin to thunder when the iphones go off.

AHAH!

[Weezer]

Hmmm, just called DH to tell him about my epiphany and found out, much to my surprise that he'd never tried the ring tone/text phone only without vibration. I thought he had. And I've never set my phone to vibrate.

That IS what's causing his reaction. When thunder rolls you feel vibration, right?

OK, no more vibrating phones in the house.

We felt so bad about this because he was literally terrified/tramatized by this.

AND, thanks for the LED flashing lights suggestion. If setting to NO vibrations doesn't work we'll try the lights.

Our pets aren't dogs. They are our FIDS (kids with fur) and hated that he was getting so upset. We also have a parrot (Lavender Crested Amazon)...again, FID, Kid with feathers.
The parrot can be so irritating (grin), in that everything DH says he says "yeup" "yeup" "yeup" over and over. OK, I don't need another male agreeing with every thing DH says dang it!

[wmtire]

Weezer, we got a pound dog (Basset mix) that had been surrendered by the owner. Since day one she has been afraid of thunder and fireworks. She is normally an outside dog, but if there is any distant thunder or fireworks....she'll whine (and just shiver) until you open the door, and she'll run you over coming inside.

Funny thing is, once she's inside, the gunfire sound from the television (I watch the western channel a lot) doesn't bother her at all.

She's been this way for the 12 years we've had her...........so I can't say it's something they will grow out of.

[Weezer]

Originally Posted by wmtire

Weezer, we got a pound dog (Basset mix) that had been surrendered by the owner. Since day one she has been afraid of thunder and fireworks. She is normally an outside dog, but if there is any distant thunder or fireworks....she'll whine (and just shiver) until you open the door, and she'll run you over coming inside.

Funny thing is, once she's inside, the gunfire sound from the television (I watch the western channel a lot) doesn't bother her at all.

She's been this way for the 12 years we've had her...........so I can't say it's something they will grow out of.

I agree, but Fred has become somewhat desensitized to thunder. He used to cry and shake so hard. Now he just trembles at thunder and will come over to us ever so "cool like" and ask to get in our lap. I think he's trying to pass it off as "OK I gotcha, I'll protect ya" kinda like a cat nonchalantly swaggers off after going to sleep and falling off a window sill like "I meant to do that, what're you laughin' at?"

I think part of his fear is that the vibration of the phone, which he equates to thunder, is INSIDE the safety of his home and feels more threatening.

[Weezer]

Originally Posted by wmtire

Weezer, we got a pound dog (Basset mix) that had been surrendered by the owner. Since day one she has been afraid of thunder and fireworks. She is normally an outside dog, but if there is any distant thunder or fireworks....she'll whine (and just shiver) until you open the door, and she'll run you over coming inside.

Funny thing is, once she's inside, the gunfire sound from the television (I watch the western channel a lot) doesn't bother her at all.

She's been this way for the 12 years we've had her...........so I can't say it's something they will grow out of.

BTW, you'll meet Fred if you come over this weekend to see the new 5er.

[OL Creeker]

Maybe that's why some dogs can detect when a person is about to have a seizure. There's something special about our four footed friends that we'll never understand.

[Weezer]

Originally Posted by Weezer

BTW, you'll meet Fred if you come over this weekend to see the new 5er.

Hmmm, strangely there's no option to edit...so...


well DUH, you've met Fred, wmtire, when we camped together for Halloween.