cocker spaniel strange starring

Question
QUESTION: my 30 month old cocker has recently become fixated with 2 spots in the garden. he continually stares at nothing in the 2 corners of the garden. he looks at the fence then turns around and looks towards me as if something is behind it. i have even taken the panels away to show him there is nothing there.  he will run out at every opportunity to stare at it.
can you help please?

ANSWER: When you say "continually" - how long at any one time does he do this?

I will say dogs sometimes do strange things and by the time you've analyzed it,asked for advice,tried several approaches and are thinking of calling in the Marines, they just stop doing it:)

But what did he do when you took the panels away?  And how long has this been happening? And you say "two corners" - does he go from one to another?

Another thing - dogs don't have great eyesight but they have incredible "senses" and especially an amazing sense of smell.
One person wrote about her dog doing weird "running up and down and barking at a wall".  Turned out she had mice and the dog "knew" something was there.

All in all I wouldn't get too tense about this because if you do it can actually encourage the behavior.
Delores

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: hi delores
when i took the panels down he just sniffed a lot and tail wagged. he does go from corner to corner and has been doing this for about a week. he can stay out there for several hours. just seems to be waiting for something.we do have mice around that area, can you recomend any thing to spray around the area? or just leave him be?
thanks

thanks

Answer
He knows there's "something" there and doesn't know what to do about it :)  I'm hesitant advise spraying anything if he can get at it or into it.

Personally I think I'd just let him be and he'll probably get over it.
If you approach it as a problem it kind of reinforces there's something he should be concerned about.  When you feel he's done this quite enough, call him into the house with a treat.
Delores