What just happened to my terrier?

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poiuytrewq

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Quick background, Little Al is about 9-10 years old. always 100% healthy and bouncy, typical terrier. Ive had him since a puppy.
Every morning I leave for work and he stays home, at lunch time I come back he go's beserk and we go running. We do pretty much the same route daily as its safe for me to let him off his lead and let off steam. We do 3 laps of a small set of fields. He runs flat out ala whippet style the whole way then trots home on his lead.
Today however we got three quarters of the way round for the first time and he met a cat which stood its ground (first ever!) so he had a tiny scuffle and a few swipes on the nose. I carried on,(so he was out of sight a short time) called him then a little way on realised he's not come with me to stopped and shouted again. He came running through the long grass but slowed as he approached me (usually races past)- right down to a walk, which *might* have looked a little wobbly. Then he lay down and refused to come any further.
I had to carry him, each time I put him on the floor he just lay down.
We got almost home and I tried again to put him down, this time he trotted alongside as if nothing had happened!
Up til that point obviously I was on my way to the vet asap, however then I wasn't so sure.
Problem being today I'm the only one at work, literally everyone else has gone off on a trip, leaving me to hold the fort. I don't usually do afternoons so its typical that I'm in today! Its a horse yard so I cant just leave it like I might computer work or something.
What do you think? He just hopped up on the sofa and is wagging his tail if I speak to him, but he is maybe a little quiet.
Would it/could it be something to do with the cat? bearing in mind he was totally his normal self til then?
 
I'd suggest that he imagined that he was in for the Puff Daddy of all bullockings, and decided to be calm and contrite, and when he was certain that he was in the clear, it was back to normal! That's probably how mine would react!

Alec.
 
Oh Alec I love that suggestion! That would be so him!
JillA, heart was my first thought. There is a drop in clinic at my vets tomorrow morning so I may take him along just Incase.
 
My first response is to check his eyes..he possibly has been scratched by the cat and the wobble in his step may well be pain related.
 
Agree with everyone else but I would just take him to the vets tomorrow to be sure :) I'm more shocked about the fact you can work on a yard all morning then have enough energy to go on a run!!!
 
NellRosk said:
Agree with everyone else but I would just take him to the vets tomorrow to be sure :) I'm more shocked about the fact you can work on a yard all morning then have enough energy to go on a run!!!
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Haha, Yes I have to! Firstly as my mother said would happen, I hit my early 30's and started gaining weight (damn her and her genes!)
secondly Im quite badly asthmatic and the fitter I can get myself the easier time of it I have through winter, Thirdly this dog needs exhausting!

Right, Ive just called in en-route from school run back to work and he's absolutely normal again, running,bouncing annoying! So this obviously is great news.
His eyes look fine, the only mark on him is a yellow knee- no idea what that's from.

In reality I don't think he was worried about being in trouble, He didn't really do anything id have told him off for and he really couldn't care less about getting into trouble anyway outside, its just too exciting.
There is no way he'd have either stopped running or let me carry him in public! He does like to in secret be a lap dog at home in the evening but has a very definite reputation to uphold of slightly insane mad thing by day. So I am still concerned but think im just going to keep a close eye on him and a few easy days, maybe lead walks instead and see how he does.
Thanks for all your help.
 
I think I can guess what happened!

I have two working German shepherds (as in protection dogs). The pup is now almost a year old and has until recently been dominated by the 6yo female although they are good friends and play all the time. She was the boss!

Then the other day I heard a few faint squeals from their grass run. I thought nothing about it and ignored it. Later that day I got the dogs out to bring them into the house. The bitch was very subdued and behaved exactly as you describe. The pup's breeder had predicted that there would be an adjustment of the pecking order when the pup was around a year old and told me of a similar scenario with his own dogs. I think that happened when the bitch yelped.

So, I am guessing your terrier had a face off with the cat. Most cats fear dogs. They run, the dog chases. This one clearly didn't. Could the dog have got a thrashing? Cats can be mean! So maybe you dog had a serious blow to his pride? It will be interesting to see how he reacts to the next cat he sees!:D
 
Dry Rot said:
So, I am guessing your terrier had a face off with the cat. Most cats fear dogs. They run, the dog chases. This one clearly didn't. Could the dog have got a thrashing? Cats can be mean! So maybe you dog had a serious blow to his pride? It will be interesting to see how he reacts to the next cat he sees!:D
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this! I reckon he just had a realisation that the world wasn't exactly as he thought it was. Happens to the best of us :D
 
I've got BT's. They are full of bluff & nonsense. When something actually challenges their behaviour & stands their ground, the BTs generally **** their pants & are shell shocked. They cannot believe they are not the big man as they once believed!
 
Yes so weird. He's so absolutely back to normal that I'm beginning to think it was shock.
I haven't taken him out today and let him chill, much to his disgust!
What an absolute drama queen!!!
 
blazingsaddles said:
I've got BT's. They are full of bluff & nonsense. When something actually challenges their behaviour & stands their ground, the BTs generally **** their pants & are shell shocked. They cannot believe they are not the big man as they once believed!
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I would agree with this. I've only had my JRT a month but he is a cocky little so and so, until the big dog (very tolerant Welsh Sheepdog) finally got fed up and told him off he screamed blue murder and went and sulked in his bed! He was also quite quiet for the rest of the day but back to his normal self the next day.
 
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