This could be down to a variety of reasons:
• Fright
Something may have happened to scare your dog and this will directly affect his behavior. If you can establish the recent history of the dog's life, something may suggest itself. Traumatic events may alter your dog's behavior- if you can identify the trauma, you may be able to begin to address the issue.
• Sickness.
The dog may be ill. This will affect the dog's demeanor and behavior. Sickness can cause animals to change their behavior as they are seeking shelter or protection, or for reasons entirely their own. If the dog's health checks out, then consider the fright option above as well. If the dog is ageing, it will be more vulnerable to infections and so could be responding in the way that it is as a result of that.
• Senior Dementia.
The dog could be ageing and starting to lose his faculties. As a result, he may find the world harder to comprehend, and become more secretive. His hiding could be an effort to screen out distracting influences such as the changing environment around him. Remember that canine senses are far more acute than human senses, and doors will be far more suggestive and stronger to a dog. This could make the dog nervous.
• Change in environment.
Something as simple as changing a washing powder could potentially trigger this behavior in the dog. The smell of the sheets and your clothing could now be repugnant to him and he is simply seeking to avoid too much contact, which would, in his eyes and nose, contaminate him with an offensive smell.
• Professional Help
If the dog is still displaying strange behavior, you should consult a canine behavior specialist or a vet.
• Fright
Something may have happened to scare your dog and this will directly affect his behavior. If you can establish the recent history of the dog's life, something may suggest itself. Traumatic events may alter your dog's behavior- if you can identify the trauma, you may be able to begin to address the issue.
• Sickness.
The dog may be ill. This will affect the dog's demeanor and behavior. Sickness can cause animals to change their behavior as they are seeking shelter or protection, or for reasons entirely their own. If the dog's health checks out, then consider the fright option above as well. If the dog is ageing, it will be more vulnerable to infections and so could be responding in the way that it is as a result of that.
• Senior Dementia.
The dog could be ageing and starting to lose his faculties. As a result, he may find the world harder to comprehend, and become more secretive. His hiding could be an effort to screen out distracting influences such as the changing environment around him. Remember that canine senses are far more acute than human senses, and doors will be far more suggestive and stronger to a dog. This could make the dog nervous.
• Change in environment.
Something as simple as changing a washing powder could potentially trigger this behavior in the dog. The smell of the sheets and your clothing could now be repugnant to him and he is simply seeking to avoid too much contact, which would, in his eyes and nose, contaminate him with an offensive smell.
• Professional Help
If the dog is still displaying strange behavior, you should consult a canine behavior specialist or a vet.
