Eyesight problems?

I am a little worried tonight about Cecil and will be taking him to the vet next week. But before I take him I was hopeing some of you could maybe give me an answer.

Last week we took him to the beach and when we got out of the car he instantly started barking at a man in a chair..this was the first time I saw him react like this and thought maybe it just scared him! At the beach he did not leave our side and seemed a little bit scared but all in all had a great time.

Today I picked hubby up from work and when he walked up to the car Cecil started to bark like crazy at him! When he got in the car everything seemed fine. Then tonight my hubby sat on the couch whith a bag of chips and Cecil next to him..everything seemed fine. Cecil got up and drank some water and then sat next to me but then saw my hubby and barked again..as if he was scared!

At first I thought maybe the bag of chips but he did not react to it when he held it up and started to sniff the hubby to make sure it's ok!!

It made us wonder if he is having trouble with his eyesight? Could this be the reason he hates leaving the house and reacting scared meeting new dogs that he does not know? Hubby has been growing out his beard a little but he has always had one so I don't believe it could be that or maybe it is? Am I worrying over nothing? If it's not the kids it's the dogs

How old is he?

Hi Rachel. He is about 7 months now.

You're best ask the vet is there any redness or inflammation anywhere in his eyes. ? Id get him afull check up just to make sure there are no problems anywhere else on his body.

It's certainly worth checking. It could, though, also be just that he's hit the 2nd fear period, when all sorts of things that we previously ok can start to become a worry.

Just make sure that you wait calmly for Cecil to settle and then approach whatever it is. Pushing him to investigate something he's scared of could have the opposite effect, but letting him back off could also teach him that barking and a fear reaction gets him safe, so find that middle ground and relax, then investigate.

Let us know how it goes?

Sound abit like what I went through with Marley when he was around that age, he started to bark at men and back off from them usually someone walking alone. Anyone with a dog he was fine took a while and he still does it sometimes, but I had to tell them not to try and Stoke him (let Marley go to them if he wanted to) because that was when he would bark and hide behind me like above could be his second fear

Certainly worth getting the eyes checked but I think it fits more with what Liz and Emma are saying with the second fear phase.

They are funny sometimes but do let us know what the vet says.

I also went through it. Lexi would bark at strange men, and only if they were at the back gate. She never barked if they were just walking about. My new dog also went through a barking at people phase, but he was 9, new home after only one home before and had been in kennels.

I think you should definitely get a vet to look just to rule it out, but i'm more inclined to think that he has grown up a bit and is maturing and thinking "this is my home, im a big dog now i have to keep it mine" and dogs definitely either protect their master or their lady. If eyes are good, you will have to back off a little and train him that daddy is ok lol

Thank you everyone for your replies! Cecil is a healthy pup and nothing wrong with his eyes I believe you all are right with the second fear. This last week has been very rough since he seems to also have a second teething phase haha nothing is safe around him anymore. He chewed my favorite pair of shoes to death and even got into my pineapple plant..so no mpre pineapples

We have stocked up on lots of new chew toys and bones

That's good news!

These fear periods can be testing but just keep aware of his worries and work to settle him, and you'll be fine.

As for that pineapple tree... well I see it this way. It's winter here, and getting cold. Cecil simply didn't want all his staffy friends to be jealous of any indications of a warm climate, that's all .

I'm so glad he is fine

Thank you Lexii, me too

LizP, I would love to enjoy the cold weather again and I think Cecil would have a blast in the snow