odd behaviour on wednesdays!!

Hi all, for the past few weeks Vinnie has been acting very odd on Wednesday evenings. I have 3 stepchildren one of which lives with us. The other two come over every other weekend to stay and on Wednesdays for tea. For a few weeks now as soon as they come in Vinnie starts panting badly and shaking but it is only with my stepdaughter. He loves her and wags his tail and gives her kisses, but she goes straight to the computer (as they all do!!) and where he will usually lie underneath he wont go near her. He goes in the garden and will not come in, we take him for a walk and he even doesnt want to come back through the door. When she makes a fuss of him he is fine but if she goes to sit by him he moves away. Any advice as he really is getting in a state!!

and you don't get the same behaviour on the weekends ?? or anything similar , are all three there on weekends too ??

You may say no no nothing like thats happened, but from reading your post i'm thinking something has happened between your dog and your step daughter.

His strange behaviour is centered around her visits so suggesting something along those lines to me.

Something has happened. It could be that he senses a difference in behaviour between the weekend visits & the wednesday visits.

Because it's only one day instead of the whole weekend, the kids probably behave subtly different, but he can sense that.

inez maria wrote:Hi all, for the past few weeks Vinnie has been acting very odd on Wednesday evenings. I have 3 stepchildren one of which lives with us. The other two come over every other weekend to stay and on Wednesdays for tea. For a few weeks now as soon as they come in Vinnie starts panting badly and shaking but it is only with my stepdaughter. He loves her and wags his tail and gives her kisses, but she goes straight to the computer (as they all do!!) and where he will usually lie underneath he wont go near her. He goes in the garden and will not come in, we take him for a walk and he even doesnt want to come back through the door. When she makes a fuss of him he is fine but if she goes to sit by him he moves away. Any advice as he really is getting in a state!!

Something must have happened and maybe your stepdaughter doesn't even realise. How old is she. Maybe if she's old enough to understand you have to start thinking about building up that friendship they had again from the start , so discourasge her from the computer , get her top come walking with you and having some more playtime with the dog and slowly see how you go, as long as there is friendliness there when she makes a fuss and no signs of agreesion or anything I can't see there being too much trouble to build some bridges

https://staffy-bull-terrier.niceboard.com/t14672-dogs-body-language

Yes Dave all three are here on weekends. My stepdaughter is 15 and a half, I wondered if he has got to know that on Wednesdays she will be going home after a few hours, as obviously she brings her bags when she comes for weekends. I will say when she is here on weekends she does not go on the computer as much but even if she does he does not behave like it.

She also comes on most walks with us more so than the other 2 children,

She is probably just anxious. All dogs like routine and this wednesday visit upsets this routine. I would encourage your daughter to spend more time with the dog and treat the dog if it sits near to her at the computer.

lexi loves the computer chair. She used to sit under it as a puppy now anytime i have her in the house she runs straight up to my room and hides under the computer chair lol

inez maria wrote:Yes Dave all three are here on weekends. My stepdaughter is 15 and a half, I wondered if he has got to know that on Wednesdays she will be going home after a few hours, as obviously she brings her bags when she comes for weekends. I will say when she is here on weekends she does not go on the computer as much but even if she does he does not behave like it.

I think that's it - he's picking up different signals to the weekend visit & it upsets him.

Thanks Caryll , I definately think thats it cause he does love her and looks at her just like he is in love!! My stepson said he doesnt do that with you and I said well he doesnt want an old duck like me he wants a young bit of stuff LOL !!

inez maria wrote:Thanks Caryll , I definately think thats it cause he does love her and looks at her just like he is in love!! My stepson said he doesnt do that with you and I said well he doesnt want an old duck like me he wants a young bit of stuff LOL !!

Sisko used to behave similarly on Sunday mornings. My cats always wake me up at 6am for breakfast , only difference on Sunday is that my partner is away. On Sundays Sisko got very worried by all the cats meowing for breakfast even though he is best pals with them. I recon it was because i'm grumpy at 6am while my partner bounces out of bed and feeds the buggers.Since i started to pretend i enjoy being woken by hoards of cats everything is fine !!.