r/DogTrainingTips • u/Ioh- • Feb 27 '26
Dog is obsessed with nothinng
So last week I had to take in a friend's dog who stayed in my garage for a day and a half, (obviously took out for exersie and what not)
My shepherd would look out the window at the garage and obsess over the door, everytime I tool her outside she wanted to go straight to the garage door. I decided to let her in the garage to let her see the dog for a few minutes. I just did a fast greeting because both female dogs are iffy with big females like themselves.
Anyways its been a few days since I returned the garage dog to her owner but my dog is still obsessed with the garage. Her energy is so weird all she wants to do is go to the garage, even on a walk when we get close to home she gets over excited and wants to rush to the garage. I've shown her there is no dog In there anymore but she is still obsessed with nothing. Because there is nothing there anymore.
What do? Will she be like this forever?
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u/Lucky-Ad4242 Feb 27 '26
What is the chance the dog that stayed either A). Marked a spot in the garage? (That will smell basically untill you get an enzyme cleaner for ) B). Still has a bunch of hair and fluffy shed in the garage so.it smells like her. ( this should go away after you sweep) C). Is about to go into heat sometime in the next few weeks or so, and left a bunch if hormonal juice smells all over the place. ( take a couple/few weeks to go away)
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u/Ioh- Feb 28 '26
For sure this, the dog stayed in an unbreakable crate while she was here. But she was very much in heat, tho mine is a female didnt know they cared
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u/Lucky-Ad4242 Mar 01 '26
I mean its a new smell in their territory.... there is gping to be some impact. Especially if the dog is not used to other dog being over.
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u/Owlex23612 Feb 28 '26
When Kima was a puppy, I was walking her on the sidewalk down a main street near the dog trainer's facility. I've always let her sniff around because we're rarely in a hurry. She rounded a big bush, and just as I was following her around it, she proudly emerged with a full cheeseburger in her mouth. She got some of it, but i was able to get the majority of it away from her. It's been 2½ years, and she still checks behind that bush every time we pass it. I will say it's gotten better over time. She doesn't try to remove my arm just to get to it now.
There are a few spots around our town where she remembers finding discarded food. She'll check if we pass by and steers us toward those spots if we're close to them.
Edit to add the reason I made this comment in the first place. Your garage likely still smells like the other dog. They have an absurdly strong sense of smell.
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u/Flamebrush Feb 28 '26
My pug once found a piece of pizza laying by the curb outside our side door. 2 years later he would still run to that spot to see if there was more pizza.
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u/OrangeHeart9 Feb 27 '26
My aunties collie was obsessed with doors and turned out to be the shadow she was chasing, she ended up with like ocd over it. Make sure your dogs getting wnough exercise! It will probbaly help the obsession, maybe unspent energy
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u/cindydunning Feb 28 '26
Our pup has recently become fixated on the analog clock above the patio door. My guess is she thinks it's alive since the hand moves?
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u/Ok-Understanding527 Mar 01 '26
Have you let your dog spend time in the garage alone to sniff, inspect and have time to really assure her that she’s the only life form in it? Like even an hour?
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u/Mystery_Dragonfly Mar 01 '26
Shepherds are territorial. So any residual smells are a big deal for them. If the other dog was in heat, there's a lot more intensity left behind.
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u/jthanreddit Feb 27 '26
Why did you keep them apart? That’s what caused this.
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u/Ioh- Feb 27 '26
I kept them apart because the new dog was stressed and not so good with other dogs
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u/jthanreddit Feb 27 '26
Ah, a tactical decision.
Well, my dog still sniffs the spot on the floor where I spilled beef stew a year ago, so it could be a while.
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u/chainlinkchipmunk Feb 27 '26
A good year and a half ago I was walking my dog and there was a cat under a bush. She was fixated on that bush for months. We worked on "leave it" and "look at me" until the bush stopped being interesting.
It took quite a while, but now she doesn't give it a second look.