Whilst I was away I was honestly glad that the weather here was a bit crap, it kept Steve from trying to do things that involved ladders and garden tools, but I am sorry that mother nature took my request to extremes and that they got battered by wind and rain. Steve said that whilst it was windy, we've had much worse, but he had a hard time with Sammi. She was edgy and nervous all evening, but at 2am he was woken with a lot of noise, which he could hear over the wind, coming from the utility room. He went to check on Sammi, and found she was in the process of demolishing her crate, he said she was almost out of it, and it was beyond fixing. Steve sat up with her for a while, but she was panting and very upset so he decided to take her to the bedroom where in his company she did settle.
Sammi never used to be scared of anything, and this is the first time she's been afraid of the wind, I still think it's changes in her hearing, or maybe a little bit of senility? There is a definite decline in her hearing, possibly making loud noises more startling or unsettling? Maybe she's become more sensitive to changes in their environment now if she's less self-confident than she was? Though to be honest I haven't seen that show in any other way. I know dogs can experience cognitive decline as they age, sometimes called canine cognitive dysfunction. This can lead to increased anxiety and confusion, making them more sensitive to loud noises, but as I've said, nothing else has changed!
With the Winter ahead of us now I think we may have to adapt sleeping arrangements to suite her. If she needs to sleep with us and Zeus to feel safe in bed weather ... then so be it!
