# My Dogs Are Insane!!!



## MaeJae (May 12, 2005)

Why are my dogs sooooooooooooooooooooooooo
stupified(is that a word?) by the laser pointer?

We kept it in a little drawer by the phone and 
if anyone goes in there they freeze and start
looking at the walls and the floor and the ceiling!!!
Like where is it, where is it, where is it?????????






















Is that it, is that it, is that it??????????























What is it about the pointer that gets them so insane???









MaeJae


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## wolfwood (Sep 19, 2005)

I don't have any idea, Maejae! But I do know that we, too, must keep them hidden (and we alternate hiding places so we can open drawers without having 5 animals EXPLODE!)

We have a Sheltie (Tadger) who absolutely loses his mind when the light comes out! He is apparently incapable of even thinking - about anything - even food (THIS is how we knew how serious this is!!) and loses all consciousness of anything else around him - including that solid wood, immovable cabinets which have always been solidly afixed to the walls, Those cabinets STILL doesn't budge when he crashes into it and he never seems to notice







. For some time now, playing with The Light has had to be a PLANNED activity. All other dogs must be separated as Tadger works into his frenzie, another dog gets between him and The Light and all he** breaks out. That is the ONLY time that lips will curl at Wolfwood and trouble could ensue. And, now, even the Bengals get into the game!!! 1 Sheltie and 2 cats SCRAMMBLING to get that little red spot. Turn The Light out - and they keep frantically hunting it for a good 10 minutes!!







Poor guys - when they finally stop they can hardly breath!

The Laser Light does serve a purpose, however. It's a _GREAT_ way to exercise EVERYBODY when it's either too rainy or snowy for them to go outside and run!!


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

Same with Zul...he jumps around and into the air as if the light is going to penetrate his body if it gets too close.....

...then he gets brave and chases it.....then when I decide I want to chase him, I start moving it toward him and he tucks his butt and runs for the hills. Way too much fun.


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## rdvholtwood (Sep 18, 2008)

Both of dogs Chloe-joy (passed on May 2007) and our current dog Bruno both got crazy with the laser pointer, not sure what it is. I know with Bruno - he will push his mouth into the wall to try to get it!!


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## MaeJae (May 12, 2005)

wolfwood said:


> I don't have any idea, Maejae! But I do know that we, too, must keep them hidden (and we alternate hiding places so we can open drawers without having 5 animals EXPLODE!)
> 
> We have a Sheltie (Tadger) who absolutely loses his mind when the light comes out! He is apparently *incapable of even thinking - about anything - even food* (THIS is how we knew how serious this is!!) and *loses all consciousness of anything else around him* - including that solid wood, immovable cabinets which have always been solidly afixed to the walls, Those cabinets STILL doesn't budge when he crashes into it and he never seems to notice
> 
> ...


Yep... Diesel will jump like 4' in the air to try and get the dot on the ceiling!!!








Jazzmin will get so worked up her tongue will hang out the side of 
her mouth and just flap there.









It has been pretty crappy here so we were giving them some indoor exercise.

They can hear the "click" of the on/off button from the other side of the house
and they come running...sliding...crashing into the room LOOKING everywhere for "it"







LOL

MaeJae


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## NDJollyMon (Aug 22, 2003)

Got a new flashlight with the laser...and our dogs go nutso too! I wish I had that kind of energy!


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## mmblantz (Jul 1, 2007)

My dog and my 9yr old son are the same way. ---Mike


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## Doxie-Doglover-Too (Jan 25, 2007)

last year when my daughters dog, Utley, has his first light skidding across the kitchen floor slamming into cupboard doors experience, my grandaughter, then 3, could hardly breath she was laughing so hard.








Here at my house, my dog Cricket, says "light?"







She has no clue. Haven't tried it on Penny yet. We had a dog in the past, Sniff, who also would go insane for the light and try to bite the walls. Too funny! We'd run the light up someone leg and laugh so hard at her trying to bite the light on someones leg. That dog would go nuts when the sun would reflect off someones watch onto the walls, she'd come flying across the room and you wouldn't know why until she was trying to get IT!


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## Scoutr2 (Aug 21, 2006)

I keep my laser pointer in a drawer of my computer desk, in the den. Whenever I walk down the hallway, be it to the bedroom, the bathroom, or the den, our male Siamese, Leo, assumes I am going for the laser and he beats me down the hall to the den - anxiously awaiting me opening the drawer and retrieving his favorite plaything. Even as I write this, he is pawing at the drawer and quite vocally insisting I get it out for a game of "chase the red dot."

And when I do, our other two Siamese, Graycie and Chloe, will join in. They chase it in and out of the room, leap up the walls - anything to get at it. They will literally chase the dot in circles until they are so dizzy they cannot stand up! They never catch it - but never give up chasing it, either.









However, our Collie, Arthur, couldn't care less about it. He just looks at the cats, and then me, as if to say, "Those cats are going crazy again!"

Mike


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## MaeJae (May 12, 2005)

Doxie-Doglover-Too said:


> last year when my daughters dog, Utley, has his first light skidding across the kitchen floor slamming into cupboard doors experience, my grandaughter, then 3, could hardly breath she was laughing so hard.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That is my sisters dog... she will(the dog LOL) sit and just stare at a small
reflection on the floor or wall for the longest time!







... Or if my sister
gets a pan out of the cupboard and they happen to clank against
one another... the dog(and cat) come running to see if there is a "light" !!!!!!!!!!


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## CanadaCruizin (Jul 3, 2004)

Our dog doesn't seem to even notice it. But the cat...!


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## Path4ground (Sep 14, 2008)

Our Lab goes bananas over the laser pointer as well. Its great exercise for the dog and entertainment for the family. Its fun to have at the campsite for sure LOL


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## ember (Jan 17, 2008)

I think you may want to read this article. Our vet was adimant that a laser pointer and a pet were a bad mix. I think I made a link, but if not would someone please???

[post="0"]http://ezinearticles.com/?Are-Laser-Pointers-Safe-for-Your-Puppy-Dog?&id=292320[/post]

TTFN
Ember


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## rdvholtwood (Sep 18, 2008)

ember said:


> http://ezinearticles.com/?Are-Laser-Pointers-Safe-for-Your-Puppy-Dog?&id=292320[/post]
> 
> TTFN
> Ember


Ember, I think this will work....Laser Pointers Safe?


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## Path4ground (Sep 14, 2008)

Thanks for the article. I can see where "stereotypie" could be a problem, when playing with a laser often and with no obedience training, but from our experience, the concern has been injuries while at play from being so excited, but she hasn't displayed any long term abnormal behavior from playing with a laser or flashlight. *I really think obedience training when she was a puppy may have helped there.* Laser games have been kept to an occasional game play when she was younger, but now she is 8 years old, we don't do it because of her age, however, she does perk up when someone pulls out a flashlight though. With all of this said, and from my past experience with dogs, Obedience training has kept many behavior type issues at bay for the most part, especially during those critical puppy and teenage years. Just my thoughts..


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## wolfwood (Sep 19, 2005)

Path4ground said:


> Thanks for the article. I can see where "stereotypie" could be a problem, when playing with a laser often and with no obedience training, but from our experience, the concern has been injuries while at play from being so excited, but she hasn't displayed any long term abnormal behavior from playing with a laser or flashlight. *I really think obedience training when she was a puppy may have helped there.* Laser games have been kept to an occasional game play when she was younger, but now she is 8 years old, we don't do it because of her age, however, she does perk up when someone pulls out a flashlight though. With all of this said, and from my past experience with dogs, Obedience training has kept many behavior type issues at bay for the most part, especially during those critical puppy and teenage years. Just my thoughts..


I absolutely agree!!! The article is correct - there is certainly alot of different "bad" dog behavior which will be aggravated by things that humans believe to be fun. Some of these behaviors are natural (and ok) in the wild but NOT good in society. Others are "disorders" which can be made even worse by the dog's loving families - simply because the family doesn't know any better.

And Path4ground is right on the mark!! Obedience training should be a foundation given to EVERY dog. Done well (ie. positive, gentle, loving!), obed. training will prevent all (yes, ALL) unwanted behaviors as well as resolve those which may surface as a result of missed cues. Most of you know that Tadger & Seeker are both tremendous Obed dogs - they've spent years learning "life lessons" first, then moving on to burning up the competition in the US & Canada. Yeah - they're good. And, generally, it wouldn't even enter their minds to challenge anything we "say" to them....but they are still dogs (HEY! That's why we love them so!!) We start almost all play (with a laser or otherwise) with the dogs sitting and waiting, released on command to play, and then given the "Enough" command when the game is really over. Therefore, _WE_ control the chase .... and them ... and they've _learned_ how to control their instincts.

The Laser Question is a lot like "Tug?" or "No tug?". You don't EVER want to teach a dog to "fight against you", nor that his strength can over come you. In reality, he already knows that and, if a dog happens to be dominant (let alone dominant AND aggressive), uncontrolled tugging WILL exacerbate that problem. But tugging is a very natural action for a dog and actually does serve several purposes. How do you know if "it's okay" or not? That's where obedience training comes in ..... again. You need to know how to really control your dog (and (s)he needs to know - without question, that there are rules, YOU set them, and they ARE NOT up for discussion - EVER - whether you have a leash attached or not.

I guess that's a really long way around to saying that the issue is not so much that some dogs shouldn't be allowed to play with lasers ... but, rather, that some HUMANS shouldn't







OK. I'll get off my soapbox ... for now


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## Path4ground (Sep 14, 2008)

wolfwood said:


> Thanks for the article. I can see where "stereotypie" could be a problem, when playing with a laser often and with no obedience training, but from our experience, the concern has been injuries while at play from being so excited, but she hasn't displayed any long term abnormal behavior from playing with a laser or flashlight. *I really think obedience training when she was a puppy may have helped there.* Laser games have been kept to an occasional game play when she was younger, but now she is 8 years old, we don't do it because of her age, however, she does perk up when someone pulls out a flashlight though. With all of this said, and from my past experience with dogs, Obedience training has kept many behavior type issues at bay for the most part, especially during those critical puppy and teenage years. Just my thoughts..


I absolutely agree!!! The article is correct - there is certainly alot of different "bad" dog behavior which will be aggravated by things that humans believe to be fun. Some of these behaviors are natural (and ok) in the wild but NOT good in society. Others are "disorders" which can be made even worse by the dog's loving families - simply because the family doesn't know any better.

And Path4ground is right on the mark!! Obedience training should be a foundation given to EVERY dog. Done well (ie. positive, gentle, loving!), obed. training will prevent all (yes, ALL) unwanted behaviors as well as resolve those which may surface as a result of missed cues. Most of you know that Tadger & Seeker are both tremendous Obed dogs - they've spent years learning "life lessons" first, then moving on to burning up the competition in the US & Canada. Yeah - they're good. And, generally, it wouldn't even enter their minds to challenge anything we "say" to them....but they are still dogs (HEY! That's why we love them so!!) We start almost all play (with a laser or otherwise) with the dogs sitting and waiting, released on command to play, and then given the "Enough" command when the game is really over. Therefore, _WE_ control the chase .... and them ... and they've _learned_ how to control their instincts.

The Laser Question is a lot like "Tug?" or "No tug?". You don't EVER want to teach a dog to "fight against you", nor that his strength can over come you. In reality, he already knows that and, if a dog happens to be dominant (let alone dominant AND aggressive), uncontrolled tugging WILL exacerbate that problem. But tugging is a very natural action for a dog and actually does serve several purposes. How do you know if "it's okay" or not? That's where obedience training comes in ..... again. You need to know how to really control your dog (and (s)he needs to know - without question, that there are rules, YOU set them, and they ARE NOT up for discussion - EVER - whether you have a leash attached or not.

I guess that's a really long way around to saying that the issue is not so much that some dogs shouldn't be allowed to play with lasers ... but, rather, that some HUMANS shouldn't







OK. I'll get off my soapbox ... for now








[/quote]
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","smid_21")
Wow!, Well said, especially about the part about the humans!!!


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## rdvholtwood (Sep 18, 2008)

wolfwood said:


> The Laser Question is a lot like* "Tug?" or "No tug?". You don't EVER want to teach a dog to "fight against you", nor that his strength can over come you.* In reality, he already knows that and, if a dog happens to be dominant (let alone dominant AND aggressive), uncontrolled tugging WILL exacerbate that problem. But tugging is a very natural action for a dog and actually does serve several purposes. How do you know if "it's okay" or not? That's where obedience training comes in ..... again. You need to know how to really control your dog (and (s)he needs to know - without question, that there are rules, YOU set them, and they ARE NOT up for discussion - EVER - whether you have a leash attached or not.


We (I) am always playing tug with Bruno - is this _not_ good? He has been through obedience school and I didn't think playing with him like this was a problem? Yes, he is strong, but, I don't let him over power me when I am playing with him....


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