Pacing Dog

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natastrophe
Posts: 36
Joined: Tue Oct 09, 2007 7:15 pm

Pacing Dog

Post by natastrophe »

Hi Guys,

I've only posted questions here a couple of times but have found the advice given infinitely valuable, so I'm here again.

I have two dogs and one of them, Brian (the staffy), has started pacing at night. A lot... And I can't figure out why.

I can't sleep when he paces and I worry about him, so I often get up and ask if he needs to go outside for a "wee wee". I open the back door and he stands still for a moment, then turns and walks away. He hasn't had any accidents in the house, so I don't think that's the problem.

Sometimes if I get up to go to the bathroom, I find him sleeping on the couch - but he doesn't stay there either. He goes up and down the hallway. If I close the doors, he will pace in our room or sit upright at the end of the bed. He's really restless.

Now - I live on a 20 acre property in Australia. He gets a lot of exercise and has stopped chewing things since we moved here (I think the extra space has helped keep him stimulated which is a huge relief). I know there's kangaroos out at night that sometimes bother the dogs, but their reaction is normally to bark or let out a low growl when they're close to the house so I'm not sure that this is why he's pacing.

Any ideas/suggestions are welcome!
natastrophe
Posts: 36
Joined: Tue Oct 09, 2007 7:15 pm

Re: Pacing Dog

Post by natastrophe »

Oh! A couple of things I forgot to mention.

On the few occassions I've managed to coax him out the back door (just in case he wanted to go "wee wee" or scare a kangaroo away), he's just sat politely on the other side of the screen door looking back at me, like he's kinda confused about why he's outside.

And... He doesn't have any new or different bedding to what he has always had.
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Nettle
Posts: 10753
Joined: Sun Apr 13, 2008 1:40 pm

Re: Pacing Dog

Post by Nettle »

How old is he? Sometimes pacing is an early sign of the gentle deterioration of old age.

If he is a youngish dog then the chances are that something outside, that he can hear and you can't, is bothering him. Unless you have some domestic machinery going eg washing machine, or even a generator, and he is hearing/feeling the vibrations.
A dog is never bad or naughty - it is simply being a dog

SET YOURSELF UP FOR SUCCESS
natastrophe
Posts: 36
Joined: Tue Oct 09, 2007 7:15 pm

Re: Pacing Dog

Post by natastrophe »

Thanks Nettle. He's only 2.5 years old, but we do have a water pump that makes noise at regular intervals. You're probably right - I was just worried it was something other than noises bothering him.

:)
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