Dogs are living beings and they should be treated with love and respect.They need to be fit and healthy to live a long life. If you see anxiety or stress in your pet, it is your job as an owner to get to the root cause of it.If your dog is pacing frequently, it could be a reason to worry. A dog pacing once or twice is nothing to worry about. They, too, have feelings and like to express themselves. However, if you notice that it has been pacing or panting, then you must keep a check on it. See if there are symptoms of pain, separation anxiety, or any other health issue.Though dog pacing in itself is not a health issue. It is more of a mental or behavioral issue. You may notice restlessness, stress, dog pacing and scratching on the floor. In this case, you should call a canine veterinarian.You will see that your dog may be walking in circles or that your dog keeps pacing at night. Also, you may see it is restless when you leave. A pet may start to walk to and fro on the same spot. It may look as if a senior dog is lost. There may be a neurological reason behind this behavior.You may also see that your dog is pacing at mealtime or around the time that someone returns from work or school. These behaviors can be managed through exercise and training. However, if you see that a senior dog is pacing and panting, you should go to the vet. It may require a physical check-up. The medical issue may be treated with medication or surgery.Otherwise, you must try to make sure that dogs with pacing issues are comfortable. When a dog is comfortable, the chances of it feeling anxious and pacing arer much lower. If you are unable to find the symptoms and treat the cause behind its anxiety, then your dog may continue to pace around. You really need to connect and make dogs feel loved.A dog pacing with its tail down means that it is experiencing a sense of insecurity. If you have more than one dog, keep them separate for some time; the symptoms may go away. Otherwise, visit a vet. Take your dogs walking separately so that they can feel connected to you. Do not leave them alone in the house. You need to find out when and why dogs are exeperiencing restlessness.If you enjoy this article, why not also read about dog shaking head or dog biting nails here at Kidadl?What is pacing in dogs?Dogs’ pacing can be identified as the movement of a dog around the same place without a purpose. Dogs will appear to be restless.If you notice your dog pacing and panting for only a short time before stopping then you need not worry. Just as with stressful times with humans, a dog’s mood swings can come and go. However, if you feel that a dog is pacing and panting for hours, it may be related to a cognitive problem, and you should to go to a veterinarian.If you see a dog pacing with bone without eating or burying it, or you notice a dog pacing with an unusual gait; there may be a physical or neurological reason behind it. Pacing in dogs is not a normal way of walking. You may see that the quality of time spent with you is compromised. You will need to go to a dogs trainer or a veterinarian.If the problem is neurological or behavioral then it can be treated by training exercise and diversion. You will need to change the routine of your dogs. This includes changing their food, sleeping, walking and all other activities. You could even change your dog house and make it bigger and brighter if it seems to be dark. If your dog has outgrown its pet house, this too may make it insecure.Get the dog a nice bed to sleep in. Put toys in the bed to distract it from chewing on itself or walking in repetitive motions. When you show love and affection, a dog’s pacing may reduce. Ususally, the reason behind dog pacing or panting is the need for attention from an owner. You can call a behavioral trainer.However, if after all these efforts the problem is not solved, you will have to take it to the veterinarian for a medical check-up. A dog may need medicines, food, supplements, and exercise even if there is surgery suggested.Also, at times, there can be panting due to the urge to mate. If you do not want more puppies, then you must get your dog neutered by a vet. This helps to avoid this situation. Or, at times, if you have a hunting dog, it may be restless to go out and hunt or chase a squirrel. In this case, you will have to train the dog not to do so and simply avoid situations where it may just run away.You can detect pacing in senior dogs if you see the following: refusal to eat or drink, discolored urine, whining, sudden weight loss, and excessive thirst.The underlying cause could be liver disease, brain tumors, Cushing’s disease, dementia, or just anxiety.Why does dog pacing happen?Dog pacing can happen for many physical, neurological, or behavioral reasons that we may not notice.The possible reasons for pacing in dogs are as follows.Anxiety can range from separation anxiety to fear, and anything can trigger anxiety. Anxiety may be the cause when your dog seems over-stressed. Dogs are not able to emotionally deal with stressful situations like humans. It can also be triggered by past bad experiences. Severe anxiety can be treated by giving your pet medication. A professional canine behaviorist can also help you to deal with the anxiety of your dogs. Damage to the liver can be an underlying cause of abnormal neurological behavior, sudden changes in cognitive activity or behaviors. If the liver is not functioning fully, it is unable to remove toxins from the body. These toxins can reach the bloodstream and, as a result, affect the neurological system. Cushing’s disease is the excess production of the cortisol hormone. It is common among senior dogs, but it can affect dogs of any age group. Symptoms of Cushing’s disease can be pacing, restlessness, and wandering along while panting. Generally, increased thirst is also noticed. Cushing’s disease is caused due to a pituitary tumor. This tumor can create pressure against the brain stem resulting in neurological damage. To deal with this, treatment is required for a long time.Dog dementia is also known as canine cognitive dysfunction. Common symptoms are generally seen in senior dogs. The symptoms of dementia can be easily missed in the beginning. Your dog may seem to be disoriented or confused. Dog gets lost easily in their own house. It is a degenerative disease and is rarely treatable, so it will stay for the rest of your pet’s life.An older dog is prone to developing brain tumors. They develop along the brain stem, leading to abnormal behaviors. These tumors severely affect the neurological system. This can be the cause of elderly dog pacing. It affects the rest of a dog’s life.When a dog becomes an adult, it may feel the urge to mate. This, too, makes a dog restless. They seem helpless and keep pacing for hours. You can definitely not stop this, but it can be reduced by neutering a dog at a young age.If you have a hunting dog species as a pet, sometimes the dog may want to go out and chase other animals. This habit can not be removed as this is its basic innate nature. However, you can train a dog. Also, at times, do give your dog an option to go out in the wild and have some fun chasing squirrels or cats.When your dog feels fear or that it is under attack, your dog may pace around. If there has been an incidence recently where it was lost, or someone scolded the dog badly it may have repeated episodes of restless behavior. You can comfort the dog and make it feel better.If you have recently moved to a new place, then your dogs may find it difficult to cope. Or if you have new neighbors with kids, they may be loud and make a dog may feel uneasy. When its surroundings change, a dog feels insecure and can not express it. All it can do is pace around you all the time for a sense of security. You must acknowledge your dog’s feelings. Reassure it that you are with it and that nothing can harm the dog.You can also take them to meet the new neighbors and get the dog acquainted with the sounds of the people or their kids. This helps a dog become relaxed and comfortable. However, if this behavior is continuous, you may have to call the vet or behaviorist for counseling. Allow your dog to explore the new neighborhood or play with the neighbors. This allows them to experience a feeling of belonging to the new place or people.Is pacing in dogs normal?Pacing in a canine is normal. However, if it lasts for a long time, then that could be a cause for concern. It can be related to physical, stress, or behavioral problems.The most common reason is stress or anxiety. Though the cause for this anxiety can be different every time. It can be separation anxiety when you go to work, leave it behind for many days or just during a visit to the vet. Sometimes thunderstorms or fireworks make dogs restless. Their anxious behavior will go away shortly.You just need to comfort your dog and show your love towards your pet. It does not really need any special canine medication. Good food that makes a dog happy will be the best idea to divert its attention. Sometimes it is the urge to urinate at night that will make your senior dog restless, s do not worry every time it happens. However, yes, if it is a repeated behavior then call a vet.There are times when a dog paces due to external causes. They stay upset for hours at a time, but you must try and resolve the problem. If you see that some special thing is irritating your dog, you must try and remove it from it. While, in older dogs, you must not take a dog’s panting lightly. There can be a change in a dog’s behavior. You should try and get to the bottoms of your dog’s symptoms as they may indicate various neurological and physical issues.Medical treatment only works well if you give good food, supplements, training, walks, and exercise to your dog. Do not let a dog lie down the whole day. There must be play-time, sharing of affection, and so on. A happy dog does not often feel anxiety, so you should try to make your pet happy. Reassurance is needed, just like it is in humans, at times from an owner if a new pet or person has been introduced. Insecurity, too, makes an old dog uncomfortable. When you bring in a new pup, there can be conflicts between the two. As an old dog will see you care more for the pup, it won’t be strange if your dog paces around you.If you feel there seems to be pain associated with the pacing then you must go to a vet. You can also get dog acupuncture therapy or a dog trainer. Dog paces accompanied with pain and other symptoms like reluctance to walk or eat must not be ignored.Get your dog diagnosed with serious problems as well, like Cushing’s disease, liver disease, dementia, brain tumors, and so on. Medication or surgery from the vet can save your dog in time.How To Help Your Pacing DogPacing and panting are normal in dogs, but they should only last a few minutes and not for hours. Your dog may pace just for attention. That is OK.Do not always ignore it. A dog’s panting and restlessness could be related to stress or a health problem. You may not be able to stop a medical issue from arising, but you can definitely reduce the behavior-related issues. These can be resolved by a trainer and your coordination. A dog’s pace and panting can be reduced if you start training when your dog in a pup. Make a unique bond with love and affection. Show the pup that you care. When the pup is reassured, it will learn to deal with stress from a young age.You must keep your dog healthy and give it good food, work outs, walks, playtime, and more. If possible, take it out for swimming in the woods. There should be an outing day for your dog to be itseld. You shoud go someplace where it can run around and even pull up grass, and no one scolds it for messing with the sofa. Dogs too need some time out. Plan a picnic at such a place.You must take your dog for regular check-ups and vaccines at the vet. These visits may also make your dog anxious but do not avoid them. These check-ups are necessary when your dog reaches old age. A dog’s health must not be compromised.When you leave home for a few days and there is no one to take care of your little pet, leave it at a kennel. There will be various options. This will make sure that the dog is well cared for. Also, it will remove its fear of being left alone. This solves the stress of separation for hours.There are incidences when there are thunderstorms or fireworks that make dogs uncomfortable. You must try and keep the noise level low. A dog feels uncomfortable when there are loud noises. They may try to hide or start panting in stress. You can try to comfort them.There can be excessive panting due to the urge to mate. In case you do not want more puppies, get your dog neutered by a veterinarian. This should help to totally avoid the situation. A hunting dog may be restless to go out and hunt or simply chase a squirrel or a cat. You will have to train your dog to avoid such situations where it may just run off alone.You must provide ample activity, physically and mentally, for your dog for the whole day. Make sure to keep your dog busy. If it is tired, it will have a nice sleep at night. This will also allow you to have a good night’s sleep. You can give your dog toys to play with within the bed or in its dog house. This will be a good idea to keep it busy even if it is awake at night. At least it will not be pacing or panting around you for hours.If you have moved to a new place, your dog may be restless due to the different noises or settings of the new place. It may not like this new environment, and it may make your dog insecure. You have to reassure the dog that all is well. You can allow the dog to be friends with the people around or explore the area. When you stay there for a while, the dog will get comfortable. There will be no more pacing when it is familiar with the area.Also, there are many age-related issues like dementia that shall need your patience. There is nothing much that can be done to reverse the problem. You can only stop it from getting worse. So you have to accept that your canine friend has come of age. It will need more love and care.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for ‘Dog pacing’, then why not take a look at ‘Dog losing hair on tail’ or ‘Bulldog facts’?
Dogs are living beings and they should be treated with love and respect.
