I would talk to the vet about her, it could possibly be her eyesight is not as it once was. One never knows.

Sue

She was at the vet 3 weeks ago for her allergies. This doorway is the only problem, so I think it's something in her mind. Ghost of Christmas past in the duct?

When our dog got older, the hard floor was too slippery for him. Rugs might help. Our old dog used to walk across the floor with his side pressing up against the cupboards. It gave him stability. Pretty girl.

Zoey has a beautiful smile. Something similar happened with a friend's dog. Everyday for years we would go for a walk with her dog, always the same route. One day the dog refused to walk across a section of the sidewalk. We thought it odd and this continued on all future walks. When we came to that section, the dog would leave the sidewalk and go around that area. The dog was fine and healthy and had no other issues other than this one odd behavior. We never determined the cause.

So far the rugs have not made a difference. We have hardwood, laminate and tile, this doorway is the only problem. I hope it is a temporary one. I am feeling so sorry for her. She is just standing there looking and whining a bit until I either talk her into walking through or her turning around going somewhere else. Wish I could see/ hear a cause.

Is this the only doorway that is a problem? If it is, I might suspect a scent of some kind from a cleaner or something spilled there. Their noses are so keen and I am grasping at straws. It is puzzling.

Terry, it is only this one doorway. My other dog doesn't have a problem. I suppose I could change the air filter in case it has something to do with it.

Maybe something frightened her once as she was crossing the threshold? Could have been a slip or fall that you didn't see. If she's acting normally about everything else and this is the only thing that she's reacting to, I'd think she had some sort of trauma there that has her spooked. Does the light make any odd shadows that might be making her nervous? Could it be that the transition from hardwood floor to carpet is what she doesn't like?

If she was acting strangely all of the time or in different places besides the doorway I'd be thinking her eyes or possibly a stroke or some other brain disorder, but if that's the only time it seems that it's more related to something about the doorway.

He slipped on "that" spot and now thinks the floor is gonna get him. Typical behavior.

My GF put in wood flooring thinking she wouldn't have to shampoo the carpets weekly...and....her four big dogs(3 Boxers & a Bernese Mtn. dog)....they wouldn't walk on the floors. They would cry and whimper....until she went to an auction and purchased huge oriental rugs and put them EVERYWHERE. lol

I have marble flooring in my master bath. My cat will NOT walk on it. I purchased this runner, 4 years ago, just for him. He also thought the bed was gonna get him. The lofty down comforter was too deep & soft...THAT he got used to, just walks funny, like his feet are being sucked in.

I see an air vent beside the door. Might the blower or other HVAC noise have startled her? All our dogs went deaf before they went blind, but they could sense a sudden gust of air, and they could feel the vibration in the floor when the sump pump closed its valve.

Iris, our dog is almost 14 years old and also has arthritis and eye issues (he sees an eye specialist!). He gets Cartrophen shots monthly and a fish oil pill every day - plus his eye drops.

We also have the floor mats everywhere. Mostly of the $15 to $25 variety (we live in Canada).

He has had a few slips and becomes very wary of certain areas. He is also a major food hoover - but it takes awhile even when I am offering him his 2nd special cookies (numerous pieces) to get him to move. Might be worth a shot - put a few pieces of cookie across the doorway and leave for a few minutes - your pup is more likely to move when you are not watching.

Plus he might need a stronger dose of his arthritis meds - especially as the years pass. Our guy had a shot on Thurs. and the difference is incredible - I watch carefully to see when he starts to slow down.

Your pup is adorable. Ours is a major white shedder - but he is very much worth it.

I do not think that Zoey has a mental issue as legally defined, but more of a fear issue.

I believe Cesar Milan had an episode involving this problem, but I'm sorry that I can't direct you to it. Have you tried googling the problem yet?

The rugs have just been here for the past couple of days since I thought it's the floor that is suddenly bothering her. I guess something must have happened that I didn't see. You would think that she would remember that she walked through there with me coaxing her and nothing is happening. I am glad she is not the only dog/ cat that has a quirk like this. Hope it resolves soon. My younger daughter is already home for her break, my older will be home next week. Maybe it will help her seeing everybody walking in and out without a problem. Her hearing seems to be fine, so is her vision. It's just this 6 foot stretch of floor. 3 feet to either side of the door frame.

Well I don't know what happened to my post, but here goes again. Does it work to carry her through that doorway? Does she resist or seem distressed? Maybe a few times through in nice safe arms would show her that nothing is wrong.

At 12+, she might be getting a touch of doggie dementia. Our girl lived to 16, but she started showing signs a couple of years ahead.

I love her smile.

What a pretty girl!! Lots of great suggestions already. We have liners all over our rooms and halls because of the wood floors. Our lab has slipped on the floors a couple of times and freaks at the cracking noises from humidity. Usually she’s fine with the runners, however when she starts to have a urinary infection, she becomes very frightful as well. She won’t jump into the car, she won’t walk on rugs dark in color, she won’t go near my DH if he’s wearing his black coat and she basically acts as if we’ve been scolding her. I have to take her to the Vet and once she’s on antibiotics, she returns back to her normal self. I’m not implying that your girl has a urine infection, however, the behaviors you describe can indicate that she may have a health issue of some sort. She could have easily had the infection when you were at the vet last time, but it was so mild it just wasn’t detected, that’s happened to us as well. I hope whatever the problem is that you’re able to remedy it fairly easily and that she’s ok.

She is 50 pounds, so even though I can pick her up it's not comfortable for either of us. Also if I approach her while she is standing there she is running the other direction. She is not peeing more often than usual, and doesn't have any other symptoms.

Surprise! No problem crossing when the FedEx lady knocked on the door and no problem going back into the bedroom to continue her nap! Yay, maybe it will just resolve itself.

I think by coaxing and coddling her, you may be reinforcing her fear. I agree with Summer.

Iris-speak with your vet about the issue. I had an older dog that developed dementia over time. His initial behaviors were very similar. I can't remember the medication, but the vet was able to prescribe something that helped. Eventually, the dog still declined to the point I had to have him euthanized, but the medication delayed it for quite some time. If you have children, be very, very careful. Dogs that have NEVER exhibited any poor behavior often begin snapping/biting for no reason as the dementia takes a hold. We had 2 children at the time, and they were instructed to never try to make him do anything. I, and I alone would "force" him to come when called, sit etc. The day I became the target of his snapping was the day his appointment was made.

I have a kinda similar story. I adopted my standard Daschsund almost seven years ago when he was thought to be three. He sleeps year round on a cozy bed under blankets even in August...lol In the winter a heater is nearby his bed. A few times in the last weeks all of a sudden, he comes to the further end of the downstairs where I am on the computer in the sunroom. The other dog is on the wing chair in there. Wally stands and stares at me. Then maybe he'll lie down and I hear his tags clatter on the floor. He's shaking like he does when he hears thunder and gunshots. When I say' crate' at night both dogs get up and run to their respective crates but in those times Wally is acting weird, I have to chase him around the whole downstairs. I thought something traumatized him but what? We're here all the time, he was never boarded, no new people..just three cats. He's normal in every other aspect...walks three miles a day, eats well, poops..and has never had an accident in the house since we've had him. The last two nights have been normal. Friends did bring up dementia but he's so normal every other minute of the day.

I have a big black lab who occasionally will have issues entering the back door. He slipped on the floor once when he entered and never forgot it. This is the main entrance to the house, so him not using it not an option. There have been times when I have had to pick up this 90 pound beast and put him in the house. Luckily for me he can be retrained to enter the door with food and reinsurance. But I can't force him to go through the door he has to make up his mind that the floor inside is not slippery which means propping the door open and waiting rewarding when he goes in this can be several trips in the house before he is ok again. If he feels unsure we start over again. Its is a good sign that yours will run out of the room when she hears a knock at the door. Could someone knock on the door and another reward her verbally and or with treats as she comes out on her own? Plus add a rug on the hard wood. If it is something that has scared her hopefully you can help decide that it is ok again. If there is something else going on meds may help but a vet is needed to determine that. Good luck

LOL about the FedEx reaction. If she hesitates again toss a very tempting treat in the room. If the other dog grabs it, so be it, next time she will be sure to get it keep us updated.

“She is 50 pounds, so even though I can pick her up it's not comfortable for either of us. Also if I approach her while she is standing there she is running the other direction. She is not peeing more often than usual, and doesn't have any other symptoms“

I hope it’s just something scared her, but felt I should at least share my dogs weirdness just in case. We actually have a Vet appt on Monday to have her urine tested. This past week or so, after we come in from out side, she’ll stand in the hallway looking at the floor and rugs with the most bewildered look on her face.

Thank you all. I am going to read about dementia in dogs tonight when I have more time. Hope that's not it, but learning never hurts. Otherwise I am going to just watch her until Monday. Since on most days she is just using the bedroom to sleep at night and the first nap of the day, there are not that many opportunities to see what she is doing. If it's still the same I am going to call the vet for an opinion.

Luckiirish, hope you dog is ok. I hate any illness the pets have that involves the bladder or kidneys. Lost two cats to cystic kidney disease (they were sisters) and had a dog with bladder stones. So every time mine are squatting more often than usual I am paying attention.

Iddstar, I am so sorry to hear your story. I really hope this is not it. No kids around here, just my nephew occasionally.

What happens if you just sit on the floor in the hallway? Is she comfortable? What about taping up some blankets along the walls? Just spitballing here....Fwiw, horses will not (the ones we knew anyway and from other folks we spoke to) voluntarily go near a graveyard. And I had a dog, once, that was convinced that a puddle was a never ending pit....like falling into the sky, I guess.

Really, though, if this is as bad as it gets for your dog, she's got it made in life, right? :)

Look up cognitive dysfunction syndrome, the real name for doggy dementia. Our dog did all sorts of odd things the last year of his life and we did eventually have to put him to sleep. We tried the medicine, selegeline, but it just made him pace all day.

The graveyard story is really interesting. I could probably try to put blankets up. But over the air vent for just a try. This is really the only weird thing she is doing. As I said, happened a couple of month ago, but then it was just two days not a whole week.

I am no vet here,but it is definitely sounding like old age,the doggy dementia thing.

Poor old gal....however,she was a "watchdog" for the Fedex ppl....thats proof enough for me that she just is "drifting off" occasionally...some old folks tend to do that exact same thing sometimes too.

She is the spitting image of my first dog down to the smile. I have a photo of her smiling because she thought I couldn't set up her daily subcutaneous fluid treatment if she was laying in the middle of the floor.

Light. Did you try making that bottleneck brighter? I remember as a youngster getting dizzy coming into a dark house when it was really bright outside. Suspect that might be worse for old eyes.

If you think slipping might be part of this then keep nails trimmed so when she walks the pads can grip. My Sassy was fine so long as she could get up and moving before she reached the tile floor.

Kathy, what guess of breed was your dog? Zoey was advertised as purebred mutt by the shelter. My daughter was volunteering there at the time she was brought in and said she was trouble. We still got her two weeks later. As soon as they opened the kennel she made a run for it. Everybody scrambling trying to catch her.

Thanks Iris, I’m sorry your fur babies were so sick, it’s so scary (and expensive!). Ellie has what’s called an inverted vulva, in other words she has a fold of skin around her you know what..and it’s the cause of the infections. It’s worse in the summer but If they continue much longer, there is a small surgery she can have to correct the issue, so all is not lost!

I also love the smile on your pup’s face, she looks happy, it’s adorable.

Since she was about 45 pounds, lean with a brown nose she was called a Vizsla mix. I'm sure she was a lab mix. One time I was calling an unaccompanied dog thinking she got out but it was a neighbor's young lab.

Not a dasher although she as anxious and pushed through a window screen one time and was a stray at least twice before we got her. She definitely wanted to back off delivery and utility people and put on an impressive display a couple times in her 17 years looking a bit like a floppy eared Malinois.

Gotta love mutts.

It may be a sound/noise that is above your hearing limit, but still well within the dog's limit - think dog whistle. Do you have any ultrasonic devices such as a motion or intrusion detector? Installed any of those new motion detector light switches? Ultrasonic devices may make noise that is uncomfortable or even painful to a dog or cat.

Others source of noise that can be annoying to pets are transformers such as a doorbell and thermostat transformer, transformers in electrical/electronic equipment, and transformers and relays for low voltage lighting controls.

i'm guessing she slipped on wood floor right in doorway. she's large enough that if she fell ACROSS the doorway, might have almost felt stuck in a confined space. can understand her having tough time forgetting an unpleasant experience.

My husband says the same thing as Jemdandy whenever our dog refuses to walk over electric cords. If the vacuum is out and she has to walk over the cords or even closely by it, she will stand and stare at us until we move it.

My Wally has not recently exhibited any of the weird behavior I mentioned in an above post so hopefully whatever freaked him out is over. Hoping for the same for your dog.

I am glad for Wally. Zoey is still walking in and out very slowly and cautiously, but at least today she didn't just stand there and whine. Hope it will get better.

Iris how is Zoey doing?

She is currently in the bedroom, walked in there without coaxing. She is really careful though. Like she is testing every step before putting weight on it. If that makes sense. So maybe she did slip?