Okay I don't know whether this is normal behaviour for a Koolie. My other half downloaded solitaire games for me. Well I have been playing them and Ceejay has taken quite an interest what is happening on the computer screen. This afternoon she climbed on my lap and rested her head on the table just watching the screen, very excited and she was literally shaking. She was watching the cards go all over the screen, and the cursor.

Is this a result from the herding instinct at all? I know that she has excellent eye abilities. I just never had a dog do this before, do you think it is normal?

It's pretty cool, I haven't heard of it before.
My suspicion is that, as the merle gene makes changes to the tapetum, which involves the 'trade-off' that dogs make to increase their low-light vision (and reduce their detail vision) that maybe merles have better detail vision that most dogs (and I guess that would imply, poorer low light vision).
As long as she doesn't get obsessed with it, I reckon it's just something to enjoy.
Btw, did you see the footage yesterday of the bear in Japan 'playing' with a stick? Can't believe they were promoting the story as 'isn't this sweet, look at this endearing behaviour' when it's the bear equivalent of washing your hands until they bleed and not being able to sleep because you have to keep checking the front door is locked.

I was reading something the other day about dogs and TV's - gee I wish I could remember references - the info goes in but I never remember from where. How they used to be attracted to the sound only in the days of b&w and early colour when the screens had less clarity. The article (?) suggested at with today's plasma screens it is much easier for dogs to "see" the TV!! Computer screens usually have higher pixel nos than tv's (I'm no expert though) so maybe Ceejay could see your comp screen better! My cat sometimes watches the cursor but that's about all. Sounds like you have a computer koolie!! Just watch her on the keyboard - she'll be writing on the forum soon!! You'll have to see if you can take a pic of her doing it!!

Ellie likes to watch some T.V shows but no all she will walk in check out whats on and if it's not to her liking then she will leave but if it is she will sit right in front of it and if another dog try's to walk in front of her and the screen she will growl at it. she also likes to watch the computer screen when i play laxor and will try to tell the other dogs to bugger of if they come close but she gets into trouble for that lol

Thanks for the info guys. Thought it might be related to her merle colouring, she picks out light variations very easy. And I think this may also be related to why her eyes and why they reflect red, where Izzy reflects blue. And Royalla I am glad Ceejay is not the only one that loves images on screens.

I do have to watch that she doesn't become obsessive by it. She listens still to commands which is good. It is like having a little kid over your shoulder saying "What ya doin Mum, huh huh". lol.

I heard in the past that the US and rest of the world had something different about their TVs, that meant that US dogs could see the images on the screen and dogs everywhere else couldn't. Don't know if it's still true with the change in our TVs, though. I wonder though (when it comes to the TV, not the computer screen, which doesn't make sound) whether their interest in the sound and general movement might be enough to keep them interested, and they don't actually need to be able to make out a picture.

ellie can get very rapted in TV shows when it get exiting she gets on edge and starts to check out were the other dogs are by looking over her shoulders and if it is a scene were some one falls down she tries to lick them i think she is trying to help them up again lol. but she only watches TV once or twice a week the rest of the time she acts as if it's not there

Ceejay - do you think that Ceejay is worried about it? or just interested?

Koolie mum she seems to be excited and interested in what is happening on the screen. And her interest peaks and wanes depending on what is on screen. She loves games and when you are scrolling down a page. My OH put up sheep from you tube, she got quite excited about that too. She is not obsessed by it as such, in fact she is lying down facing away from the screen at the moment. Also noise is another attraction, don't have barking dogs on the computer lol. My two go off their tree and a howling dog they both perk their ears and do the head tilting action.

She had only discovered my computer (a laptop, yesterday she realised that OMG Jeff (OH) has one too. It is funny that she has only cottoned onto them just recently.

Dogs fairly often show interest in things like the remote and phones because, it is thought, our skin cells accumulate in the gaps around the buttons and so they smell like us. So dogs that have seperation anxiety will sometimes get the remote and keep it near them while their owners are away (sometimes chewing it). You've made me wonder whether they ever show similar interest in the computer keypad. Wouldn't be a good thing to come home and find they'd been chewing on the computer.

It's not a good thing when they chew the remote either! Although Paxy doesn't chew just seems to hold it, she likes holding things in her mouth. She climbs up onto chair, onto table and picks one of the five remotes out! Maybe it's something about what we're watching on TV!! it does seem reasonable about the scent though. Cordless phones are a problem too!! She actually got dial tone the other day!! She's not allowed in the study where computer is yet so can't test her on that and haven't tried the laptop near her yet either!

Bluedog just had a thought. It would be funny if she hit the redial button all they would get on the other end is some heavy panting. lol. It does seem plausible that our scent gets onto equipment like that, but my girls seem to prefer my clothes.

It is an interesting observation about separation issues and things that smell of the owner. It probably a comforter for the dogs, a bit like children with their blankets or a special toy. Does anyone know how to combat anxiety, just interested as my last boy had issues and this was how he eventually was killed, hit by a truck escaping from the yard to come and locate me. He never did it during work hours only when I went out after work or on weekends.

Was that Zorro? What you've described is typical of SRD in cats - that the routine absenses can be dealt with, but the non-routine ones not so well. I hadn't heard of it in dogs before (although I couldn't say if it was common or not).

The strategies I prefer for treating SRD are based on teaching the dog to relax and self-calm on a mat (which becomes associated with their calm state) initially while you are present, and then, for extremely short absenses (next room) so that they learn to anticipate your return and can accept that absense. They are not really 'training' where the dog learns to control the environment by it's behaviour, but rather classical conditioning to anticipate your return - if the dog freaks out for eg, that's unfortunate because it's distressing for the dog, and should be avoided, but it isn't considered that freaking out and having you come back will teach it to freak out for effect, for eg, as has often been thought by trainers. Suzanne Hetts is the best person I know for promoting the 'feed the scared or aggressive dog' approach.

But I think dogs with SRD should always be seen by a vet behaviourist - it's not trainer territory - too many risks from errors in treatment. And you definately want to have the option of medicating.

Yes Kooliemum that was with Zorro. He was fine with me being home, I could exit out of a room without him follwoing or fretting about me. He was fine when I was at work, I think he knew that routine and he was okay with it. Just when I changed the norm I believe like going out after 5pm or on a weekend without him. A change in routine I guess is what upset him. And I don't know in a sense whether anything would have changed that, I wish I knew that their were drugs for it back when I had him.

Drugs that make a difference are a fairly recent thing I think - maybe he died before they were even available?

He passed away in 2005 and I still miss him. But I have been blessed by the most amazing two dogs that I have now.

I think I feel a bit the same about my dogs - I still think of myself as having 2 dogs, one of whom is dead, but my relationship with Wal has developed in a way I wouldn't have imagined it could when Dinky was alive, and I don't really want to go back. Although I miss her and am really sorry that she's not alive.

Isn't it amazing how dogs can reach in and touch our emotions in such a way? To feel so deeply about a creature that is not a human, one we have not given birth to, sometimes not even raised from puppyhood that creates an empathy, a relationship that may surpass the bonds and length of time of that of a human relationship. A relationship with a dog, one where you are so in tune to each other - more attune to moods than you are with your partner sometimes, is a magical thing. We can grieve for them as much as we would for a human.

Is is a emotional displacement? I don't know but I think humans and dogs have been together for so long know that maybe there is a psychological need for a relationship buried deep in the psyche of both dogs and humans.

I used to think that it wasn't 'healthy' for a relationship with a dog to be a person's primary bond, but reading Caroline Knapp's Pack of Two made me rethink that. Now I think of it as something that can be good for both dog and person.
I met someone a few yrs ago who was doing her PhD (psych) on such relationships. Guess she should be finished by now.

Bluedog we made me go all weepy, I think you have written what I feel. There are certain dogs out there that you did achieve strong attachments too. And you do pick up on each others moods and read their signals and cues as acutely as you do with your partner or close friends. All this without verbal communication!

It would be interesting to see whether there is any written articles about this.

Sorry Ceejay!!
For sometime I couldn't look at a photo of Bluey without going weepy, or his basket, or throw out his bowls (which were broken anyway) and I still can't throwout his wombat - he had it from when I got him till he was pts and he loved it dearly in all doggie ways!!!

I also have photos of Zorro around and a pile of them in my bedside draw which I pull out from time to time. The one thing that I cannot bring myself to throw out and this will sound silly is the blue zinc that I used to put on his nose, it still has some of his hair on it. I do understand that little thing that they leave behind is a large thing for us.

Now I'm going to cry, in January 07 my brother died he was only 42 & the dogs helped me through that just by being there, but in August Dova had to be put down because of Leukemia & in December Belle our 5 month old blue Kelpie was run over, we only had her for 3 months. I think poor JC & Izzi nearly drowned in my tears, I went out to my dressage arena one afternoon just to cry, JC came with me & stood gaurd over me, literally over my head, when I sat up she sat with her bum against my legs & watched until I got up. So yep I'm very attached to my dogs & no human could take thier place as much as I love my family. I have an album of dog photos, registration discs & other bits & pieces, trouble is I'll have to go through it all at least three more times but I couldn't be without my dogs. I'm gunna drive the nurses crazy when they put me in the nut house LOL, probably accuse them of stealing my dogs or show them my photos till they run screaming from the room . Sorry everyone I shouldn't have started this, know how carried away I get talking about dog attachments, I'll go now.

Here is the hug you asked for Dogz6. Sorry to hear what a hard year you had last year. When we lose someone special and dear to us it is the most difficult situation that you face, it does feel so raw and your nerves seem to be more exposed as though they are just under the skin. Their is a hole that is left inside and I think the tears are a way of filling up that hole, though it never does quite complete it.

I always tell the OH I hope no one founds out what is going on in my brain and the way I think because I am sure that they would lock me up. lol.