How does your doodle react when stressed?

[Discussing Labradoodles & Goldendoodles]

When Noah is scared, nervous, unsure or shy, he hides behind me and tries to jump on my back. This is something that just started happening in the past month or so. I feel like he's almost trying to make himself disappear behind me or climb up my back. Noah knows he's not supposed to jump up, but when he's nervous I guess instinct takes over. When Sherlock is stressed (usually happens when little kids are running around screaming or big dogs are circling him), he either tries to hide between my legs, paws at my legs until I pick him up, or starts shaking. Thankfully, Noah is really mellow and doesn't get nervous very easily.

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

Lucy started the hiding behind me when we would stop to talk with people when we were out. Not every time, but probably 75% of the time. She was approximately 8-10 months when it started. She has just probably in the past month or 6 weeks started to get much better with meeting people and not being so shy. She is 3 months shy of her 2nd b-day. She will actually come up and push Sophie out of the way to get petted sometimes now when we stop to talk. Other stress signs I have seen from them (that I actually read were stress signals) are Sophie has this whine (it is the same whine she uses to tell me she has to go outside), or she will lay down or the slobber mouth, slimy wet beard. Lucy has a nervous bark that I can tell she is stressed, and she will lay down as well.

[Sue, Murphy and Bella ()*o*()]

Murphy will be 1 yr next week and he's still a baby, (to me). So he cries....or whines or paces a few feet away from me and then back and forth between me and whatever monster is lurking. Like he wants to be brave, but then a few feet away he loses his courage and comes back to me.
He just started getting really nervous around strollers and if one is coming on a walk he stops, whines and hides behind me, then starts the back and forth prance......l can hear what he's thinking...."AHHH......... WHAT is THAT???.........protect me mommy....... Oh, it looks interesting tho............I'll go a little closer and check it out......(step-step-step) OH NO... I smell something..........gotta get back to mommy.......but it may be yummy?.........I'll go check it out (step-step-step), OH NO...it moved....(gotta get back to mommy)....O listen, it makes noise........gotta go check it out.......this goes on till I take charge one way or another.
He also seems stressed when he is home alone, even tho he's not alone now, he has a 2 yr old "brother" doodle with him. But when we come in he will whine...move away...come back, whine,,,move away, go get a toy, come back, drop the toy....move away....it's like a little ritual.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

That's so funny...Guinness does the exact same thing when we come home. If he's been alone, even for a short time, he'll whine a few times and play a game of coming to me and then moving away. It's like he really wants to greet me because he's happy I'm home, but he's trying to teach me a lesson because he's mad that I left him. Then he'll run and grab a toy and bring it to me. It's like he's saying, okay now that you're back it's time to play.

[Sue, Murphy and Bella ()*o*()]

Yes Jane!!! I was thinking the same thing, it's like "I'm so glad to see you!!! Nope, don't touch me, I'm mad at you!!!! I'm so glad to see you!!!! Nope, don't touch me, I'm mad at you!!!! Okay, think I taught you a lesson, now let's play ball."
I've been away from him for over 2 weeks now working in Fla. and he's back home in Az with Daddy and Marley and daughter and hubby. So probably doesn't miss me even. I "talked" to him on the phone last night and he licked DH's phone when he heard my voice! How sweet is that?

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

Sue -- Sophie was afraid of Strollers when she was around 5 months old. If one was coming towards us she would stop dead and start walking backwards, never taking her eyes off the stroller. We were in classes at the time and the trainer taught us the "touch it" command. If you aren't familiar with it, I would try it. Whenever this happens, you just walk over and touch whatever it is and very calmly tell him "look its ok, touch it!" And you just keep showing him you are touching it. He should after a few seconds start to come closer and you just continue touching it and reassuring him that it is ok until he gets close enough to touch it with his nose or paw. It has worked like a charm for us with everything from strollers to a back-hoe! Good Luck!

[Debbie and Thomas]

This discussion is good timing for me. My husband has been on a business trip since Monday-the doodle Thomas is stressed about that. Also today he could not go on his usual dog run as the weather was too bad. I had to leave him alone today and when I got home there was a small area about 11/2 inches square where he had chewed away at the area carpet in our livingroom.( right in the middle of the damn thing, not at the edge) He has never chewed anything importnt before. Maybe the odd shoe or hat or even his own leash, but never my new wool carpet!

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Ned tries to hide by me also. I wonder if it is the little dog thing, although when we go to the vet my 62 pound lab mix gets on my lap!!!!!!

[DeeDee and Sheila]

I've heard it all now. A 62 lb. dog on your lap? I hope its just a stage that Noah is going through. I remember specifically when my girls were between 2 and 3 and Halloween scared them (specifically blood on the masks) but by the next year it disappeared. Could dogs be the same way, I wonder? I don't think your lap is wide enough for ALL your dogs! :)

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

My son did NOT do "scary" even Casper the Ghost movie scared him! He now loves scary movies etc. Hopefully our doodles are the same way. My poor lab=mix is such a sweetie dog but he is afraid at the vets and only got "okay" at the groomers when Ned arrived on the scene.

[Camilla and Darwin]

Darwin is really laid back and doesn't get stressed too often. I have noticed a couple of times though, first time at the vet, and first time in the car, while in his crate. Both times (this may sound weird) he yawned a lot. I read up on it and apparently it can signal discomfort or stress. This is paired with heavy drooling, and a lot of shifting around.

[Frannie & Callie]

Callie mostly seems to get stressed if I'm not there (she has some separation anxiety, which I understand is pretty normal for rescues). A couple of times a month she will throw up when I'm at work. After taking her to the vet a billion times (I may be exaggerating slightly on the number of vet visits) the only source we could find is nerves! We did have a small incident last weekend when I took her to get her picture taken with Santa. We did the photos through Atlanta Boxer Rescue and Callie was the only non-boxer there. Since she always loves to play, I took her into the large penned area so she could scamper around. The second we walked in 10+ boxers converged on her, one in a not-so-friendly way (he probably did consider the aggressive humping "friendly", I however do not). Callie immediately ran over to me, jumped up (we haven't perfected the no-jump thing on a good day), put her paws on my shoulder and got as close to me as she could. Her sweet eyes looks so panicked! I really didn't feel like this needed to be a "man up" experience for her, so we left. The santa pics are super cute though - thankfully we took those first!!!

[Dori]

Teddy has shown stress from interaction with bigger aggressive dogs. Recently when I took him to Petsmart for grooming there was a German Shepard resuce group outside. About 20 large shepards in cages and being walked about. One of them barked at Teddy and strained/lunged on his leash towards him, and Teddy slunk away leaving a trail of poop. Scared the crap out of him! Another time at doggie day care they said a shepard chased him and he peed as he was cowering. He is also a little leary of strangers - but he'll just back away from being petted. It's really the big aggressive dogs that scare him - but they scare me too!