There is a disused hospital in our town, used to be the women's hospital. Now it is used by various rescue based groups for training. Last week I heard that at a recent search dog training weekend all of the dogs (maybe 5-8 of them) refused to work in one particular area of the building. Apparently some people have had some "weird experiences" there as well.
Now, I know people can be imaginative, and having 'weird experiences' in a disused and abandoned hospital building at night is probably not unlikely. But dogs? It's not like Rover and Fido make up ghost stories to keep themselves entertained.
Has anyone else heard of dogs refusing to go into specific 'haunted' areas? Has there been rational explanations? Is there absolutely anything non-supernatural that we currently know of that could explain it? (Like maybe dogs dislike the smell of rotting mice bodies and so won't go there - but of course we know dogs like rotting animal smells, so something else).
-------------------- "We don't keep a certified whale-vomit expert on staff." - Larry Penny, Director, Natural Resources Department, Town of East Hampton Posts: 377 | From: New Zealand | Registered: Nov 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
I think that animals are indeed supposed to be sensitive to ghosts, etc., and act strangely when they're (thought to be) around, get nervous, etc.
As for a non-paranormal explanation, the main thing that comes to mind right away is that animals are very good at picking up on even subtle, subconscious body language. So while dogs don't share ghost stories, they might be picking up on signals from the people that do, even when said people don't realize they're sending them.
-------------------- -,-'-,-<<0
This space for rent Posts: 275 | From: Maryland | Registered: Jan 2006
| IP: Logged |
posted
One explanation that I can think of is some sort of non-organic fumes. In my experience, dogs may happily roll in anything rotting, but there actually are smells they don't like. (If my old dog Foxy were still alive, she could tell you exactly why you don't chase a "cat" with racing stripes, particularly if you are the Fuzziest Dog in the World and hate baths with even more than the usual passion.) I wouldn't think there are still disinfectants in the building, but perhaps there's something there that dogs have an aversion to.
In fact, I suppose it's possible that people could be having an aversion to a subtle smell, as well. People may not pay attention to their sense of smell, but it goes directly to the primitive part of the brain in a way that other senses don't, IIRC.
posted
That's a good point Izunya, and a quite likely scenario. I don't know what the particular area was used for, but perhaps there is some chemical residual smell that they don't like.
-------------------- "We don't keep a certified whale-vomit expert on staff." - Larry Penny, Director, Natural Resources Department, Town of East Hampton Posts: 377 | From: New Zealand | Registered: Nov 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
Also, some feelings of worry and 'being watched' can be caused by things like positive ions and EMF fields. If people can sense these things (and therefore think the area is haunted), imagine how much more sharply Fido feels it? Of course he doesn't want to go in there!
Just food for thought.
Posts: 58 | From: Seattle, WA | Registered: Mar 2006
| IP: Logged |
posted
Now, if only we could explain why Rory the Wonder Dog sits on the couch next to me and sometimes stares off blindly into space at the knick knack shelf. Her neck is craned at an odd angle and her eyes just glaze over and she sits like that a while...it's like she's bucking for Roger Daltry's role as Tommy or something...
-------------------- I would prefer not to. My blog Posts: 4789 | From: Rhode Island | Registered: Feb 2004
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by TrishDaDish: Now, if only we could explain why Rory the Wonder Dog sits on the couch next to me and sometimes stares off blindly into space at the knick knack shelf. Her neck is craned at an odd angle and her eyes just glaze over and she sits like that a while...it's like she's bucking for Roger Daltry's role as Tommy or something...
Hey, I used to have episodes like that in elementary school. I never told anyone about it, not even a doctor or my parents, for further fear of being thought a "freak".
-------------------- "There is no constitutional right to sleep with endangered reptiles." -- Carl Hiaasen Won't somebody please think of the adults! Posts: 8254 | From: Florida | Registered: Oct 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
Dogs also are very sensitive to the moods of people around them. If the humans are jumpy and on edge, the dogs think, WTF? If the big two-legs are scared, what's gonna get me? We once had a dog that was so sensitive to my moods that when I was upset, she'd go out and buy me a Playstation 2.
-------------------- "No hard feelin's and HOPpy New Year!"--Walt Kelly Hear what you're missing: ARTC podcasts! http://artcpodcast.org/ Posts: 7581 | From: Gainesville, Georgia | Registered: Jun 2000
| IP: Logged |
posted
I dunno, Cervus. It makes me wonder, though. We did have a Lhasa once that had the small seizures. He'd go to one particular spot on the floor, sit, and do the same thing. Crane his neck up, breathe odd, drool some and shake his little body. Had to give him meds for it, poor little thing. (He didn't live much longer after he started that.)
The only other thing (besides her just being weird) is if it could be a symptom of Lyme Disease. She's had quite a few ticks sucking her dry this year.
-------------------- I would prefer not to. My blog Posts: 4789 | From: Rhode Island | Registered: Feb 2004
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by Brad from Georgia: We once had a dog that was so sensitive to my moods that when I was upset, she'd go out and buy me a Playstation 2.
Didn't have a sig line till now. Thanks.
-------------------- "We don't keep a certified whale-vomit expert on staff." - Larry Penny, Director, Natural Resources Department, Town of East Hampton Posts: 377 | From: New Zealand | Registered: Nov 2005
| IP: Logged |
UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!
Printer-friendly view of this topic
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
