[Tina2329]

OK, please help! My 8 month old V is absolutely obsessed with chasing spots that he finds on the walls or floors, so much so that he will stare at one spot hoping it will do something for an hour. He will not move, I don't think that he even breathes. My husband and I will try and distract him by getting him to play with us or if that doesn't work then put him in the crate so that he will forget about the spots. It nomally happens at night when the sun is setting through the windows in the house. Of course, when he was younger my husband would bring out the laser pointer which was really funny, but now it is just annoying. My husband has not used the laser pointer in a couple of months, hoping he would just either grow out of it or forget about it. But if he sees any spots, he just goes insane. Has this happened to anyone else? I know that the V can be a little neurotic at times. If so, what do you do to deter it or distract them?

 

[Cavedog]

It is not happened with any of my dogs, but just so you know you are not alone, a friend of mine has an English Setter who I often babysit and she is the same way.

 

[gunnr]

I don't know that it's neurotic behavior per se. It actually may be an indication of what your dog would do on game.
He is geneticallty pre-disposed to point, and hold still to freeze game. When he is pointing the spot, he may be trying to freeze it. He's created his own "game".
Gunnr still does it and she's two. She goes bonkers for the shadows created by falling leaves and the shadow cast by objects in the window.
Gunnr knows exactly what a pheasant is, and how to handle it. so I just chalk it up to her occupying herself.

 

[Linescreamer]

I must write a note: "Do not use laser pointer as a toy." ;D

 

[ritz]

Ritz absolutely does this. we haven't taken a laser pointer out for months because its so pathetic, but still today if we have anything that remotely resembles a pointer (even pointing with a finger), she goes nuts. She is really bad with reflections off watches, rings, etc. Every once and a while she'll catch a glimpse of the red dot from the cable box and just fixates, and then eventually pounces. But, she does snap out of it when we call her and praise her for pointing it out for us.

 

[Kobi]

Man I could not get Kobi to take an interesting in the laser pointer. He would just look up at it (in my hand). Never follow the dot. I gave it to my mom for her cat.