dog reactions to computer

Switching power supplies (used in the computer and external drive cases) and inverters the drive LCD backlights, can generate ultrasonic noise that may disturb dogs. I would suspect the LaCie drives. Try using the computer when the LaCie drives are unplugged from AC power.

Maybe an iPod for the dog would help if you can find ear phones that fit.

Something is probably emitting a high pitched squeal you are oblivious to. If you have a lot of drives that will certainly do it.

Hmmm, I also use Lacie external drives and they don't seem to bother my rabbits. In fact, I wish they would bother the rabbits . . . I have one who likes to come into the bedroom, where the main computer is located and hide under the bed, under the bed, anywhere he can find a safe place to chew on electrical cords.

Once the computer goes to sleep - or even when she hears my chair move away from the computer- she will return to being her normal self.

If simply moving away from the computer without turning it off makes her "return to being her normal self," it obviously has nothing to do with any ultra-high sounds or EM waves emanating from the computer. Your pet just wants more attention; your Mac is its nemesis.

I have to agree with orangekay. The computer, or combination of running equipment it producing frequencies that we can't here, but your dog can. Same as a dog whistle, which humans also can't hear. Blow one close enough to a dog and to them, it's like having someone blast an air horn next to your ear. The dog is trying to distance himself from the nonstop irritating noise as much as possible.

I'll turn off the external drives first and see if that makes a difference.

That was what I was going to first suggest. It may take her a while to respond even if that is the problem. She is going to associate your use of the computer with the noise regardless of whether she's hearing it or not for a while. So it may be a week or so before she even ventures close to you. When she does, you can start turning on one drive at a time to see which one sends her scurrying away. It may also be the combination of two or more particular drives.

Has she ever got into "trouble" for computer related activity? Sticking a paw on the keyboard or dribbling on the mouse pad, for instance?

She probably associates the sound of the computer turning "off", and you moving your chair with attention, too, of course.

It is probably a combination of things. A high frequency sound from an HD bearing or some such might be part of the issue, but it sounds as if even if it is, there are some behavioural elements too. I suspect that simply turning off the drives, if that is part of the cause, won't be enough to overcome the issue because of this, though perhaps offering treat and a pat while you remain at the computer might gradually do so.

My own young Border Collie, Lucy, always looks at me with disgust when I sit down at the computer, primarily, I'm sure, because she knows that I'm not going to be playing the 4 hour game of fetch that she regards as the really, really most important thing to be doing. I've tried to tell her that otherwise she'll have to fend for herself and eat pigeons instead of pet food if I don't get some work done, but she doesn't seem at all impressed with the force of this argument, I'm afraid.

But what is this luddite pooch's name? It seems like bad form to be discussing her so anonymously! 😉

Cheers

Rod

macjack wrote:
That's because your rabbits are deaf compared to Sephecles' dog.

It was hyperbole, of course. I didn't mean to dis your rabbits, just pointing out that rabbits audible range is less than dogs. On the other hand there are reasons to love rabbits 🙂



-mj

Message was edited by: macjack

Ignore macjack's words and just look at his icon, Sunny's Mummy.

Truth is, that your average saurian is struggling mightily to hear an octave or two above middle C, let alone the sort of stuff that dogs, rabbits, or even mere humans can deal with. You certainly wouldn't want to head to a Netania Davrath or Maria Fantouri concert with an old croc like macjack. He'd be grumbling (at low frequency) that he couldn't hear anything other than the double bass!

I've always felt sorry for the poor fella, of course, denied, as he is, some of the world's most sublime music, but that doesn't mean that he should get away with casting aspersions at bunnies!

See http://www.anapsid.org/reptilehearing.html if you need some heavy duty ammunition for piercing that thick and insensitive hide of theirs! 😉

Cheers

Rod

Message was edited by: Rod Hagen

And what of ducks, Rod?



Ducks have something to brag about?
And I won't even touch the way ducks speak... pitiful!




Keep on quackin' 😉



-mj

Message was edited by: macjack

Sephecles,

I'll join in wondering if your dog associates the location of your computer with something unpleasant beyond the computer itself. Does she show the same reaction if you sit in front of the computer with everything turned off? (Subject, of course, to Kurt's observation that it could take some time for the dog to stop associating the computer's location with any high-pitched sounds she finds disturbing.) I ask since that sort of incidental association of the Mac with another threatening situation describes my own dog. She displays no hesitation coming near the upstairs computers in a split level, and will curl up on the floor next to the one with the most peripherals hanging off it when I'm on that one. But if I'm on the one downstairs, she rarely comes down, and then only briefly, and mostly to whine and try to get me to go with her back upstairs. I've been reliably informed by my family that if anything the downstairs computers are far quieter than the ones upstairs, so I doubt the computer noise is directly responsible for your dog's behavior. On the other hand, downstairs in my house belongs to the cat, who will pounce on the dog if she (cat) catches her (dog) trying to sneak into the laundry room to swipe the cat's dry catfood.

You could experiment to determine if something similar is the case for your dog by turning your house around to put the computer on the other side of the house (aren't all dog and cat owners are used to turning their homes upside down for the critters?). Or follow up on the advice to outfit her with headphones and soothing music.

Good observation by JMVP. The dog (as the OP mentioned above), could just be throwing a jealous temper tantrum.

One possible way to see if the problem is the laptop itself, rather than an external drive is to take the computer into the room where you read or watch TV. Mute the sound on the Mac before bringing it into the room so the startup chime doesn't give it away. Place the computer where she can't see it, but you can easily reach from a chair. While watching a show, turn the Mac on and watch to see what her reaction is.

Hi again Sephecles,

I tried asking Lucy her opinion, but she simply brought a wet, muddy, tennis ball and dropped it in my lap.

I then asked my wife, who tells me that when I and the daughter still at home spend too long on the computer her own inclination is to act in much the same fashion that Teddi does. She says that this is not a "temper tantrum" , but rather a rational means of dealing with an unsatisfactory level of communication. She says Teddi is clearly a wise dog and that Teddi is probably very glad you are seeking independent advice on the matter (and trying to meet you half way by compromising over the couch).

She also says that if I don't go and throw the ball for Lucy in the next five minutes before she completely chews the arm off the leather couch she'll take my MBP and........

Sorry, Gotta go!

😉

Cheers

Rod