Why is my dog always fidgeting? What could be the underlying cause?

Hi. It would definitely be helpful to have a little more information about her age and breed and her location. But I will help as much as possible with the information we have. She is showing signs of being uncomfortable. This can be due to pain or inflammation somewhere. A lot of times with the signs that you are describing, I find pets will have an anal gland problem. This is where their anal glands, which are their scent glands, become full and irritated and cause the pets to become uncomfortable if they can't get them to express. The other common finding in these situations is pain somewhere. The only way to get down to the bottom of it is to schedule an examination with your veterinarian. They will then be able to help guide what could be causing this problem for her. I also recommend that they check her anal glands. If you have more information, or further questions, feel free to open up a consultation good luck

I'm afraid we would need quite a bit more information to be able to answer this question - circling can be normal behavior during play; a displacement behavior seen with excitement, overarousal, or frustration; a compulsive behavior; or due to a neurologic problem such as a brain tumor. Feel free to post another question with more details about his behavior (including when it tends to happen, whether Fozzie is aware of doing it or not, and whether he can be redirected to something else when he is circling), or request a one-on-one consultation with one of us if you prefer - we would be happy to try and help.

I am sorry that Tilly is acting odd. I would recommend just putting her in a calm place or have her sit with you for a while and see if she calms down. I am unable to tell you why she is acting this way. However if she is not improving over the next 24 hours I would recommend taking her to the vet to make sure she is doing okay and not painful somewhere. I hope that helps

The tuffed hair is interesting and the fact that he is restless. I would be suspicious of fleas, skin mites or perhaps allergies causing him to be itchy and that's why he won;t settle down. I recommend to have him examined by the veterinarian to get the most accurate and fastest diagnosis. They can also provide medication like Apoquel or Cytopoint to help with itching quickly. I hope this helps.

Hi there. This behavior is actually a common compulsive behavior in Miniature Schauzers, and is thought to have a genetic basis in some affected dogs. It sounds like your veterinarian has done a good job of ruling out an obvious medical issue that could be contributing, such as constipation, spinal pain, dermatitis, anal gland issues, etc. You might consider talking to your vet about a trial course of an anti-inflammatory medication such as prednisone and/or a medication for neuropathic pain such as gabapentin if these things have not been tried yet - some dogs will respond favorably to these meds, even without a specific diagnosis. If there is no response to medical therapy and no evidence of a physical problem can be found, then the problem is likely behavioral. In that case, I would recommend seeing a veterinary behaviorist for a full evaluation and treatment plan, as these issues can be challenging to treat without expert help. Most dogs with compulsive behavior issues will require a detailed training and management plan as well as medication to see significant improvement. You can search for a board-certified veterinary behaviorist in your area here: www.dacvb.org

I am sorry to hear about Alfie! Shaking and inability to sit still/get comfortable easily can be a sign of pain/discomfort so I would recommend a visit to his veterinarian for an exam. It is possible he could have some musculoskeletal pain, pain from the anal glands, or pain/irritation of the skin if his itching issue hasn't been treated. The vet can perform a good physical examination on him to help determine what is causing his discomfort and treat it appropriately.

Hello, and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Your description sounds most suspicious of generalized anxiety. There may have been something that spooked your dog recently to cause the behavior change, making him want to be near you all the time and causing him to seek reassurance. However, given his breed, it's also possible that he's just got too much pent-up energy - many high energy breeds can develop either anxiety or boredom if they aren't given an outlet for their energy and a way to tire themselves out. I recommend making sure your dog has a way to RUN his energy off daily. (with his breed and age, a walk probably won't cut it). You can take him running, or if he's ball motivated, throwing a ball is a great option to get him running. Fenced in dog parks are good options too. If tiring him out doesn't help reduce his clingy behaviors, I recommend consulting your vet and having them do a physical exam and likely some screening bloodwork. Sometimes panting, whining, and being generally clingy are the dog's way of telling us that something's not right, which can be the first sign of a disease or health problem. I hope this helps!