Dog is restless and keeps changing places? (Counselor)

It’s bedtime but yours Dog is restless and constantly changes his berth?

You may have noticed that your dog suddenly sleeps somewhere else?

Restlessness and sleep disturbances in dogs are not uncommon. In most cases, these are stress factors in the dog’s everyday life, boredom or being overwhelmed.

Sometimes this constant hustle and bustle can also be caused by pain. For example, if your dog has abdominal pain or is unable to lie comfortably due to osteoarthritis, they may exhibit the same symptoms.

Here’s how to find out what’s bothering your dog, what you can do, and when you should see a vet.

Causes of restlessness in dogs

The causes of the behavior can be both mentally as well as physically be. In both cases you should pay close attention to your animal and also try to recognize possible side symptoms.

1. Psychological causes

Your Dog suddenly changes its sleeping place or runs around restlessly?

Maybe something scared him a few days ago when he was lying in his usual place. Maybe a strange noise or a plant that has just been there?

It may also be that your dog simply cannot find peace because he is not busy enough and feels bored.

Especially if your dog calls himself a pack leader sees, he will try to protect you at night and will change his location frequently.

Find out if the behavior with more employment and a clear distribution of roles disappears.

If you get stuck, you can use one dog trainer work on the mental blockages.

2. Physical causes

Your Dog lays down and keeps getting up?

An old dog can be restless and constantly changing places when his bones and joints are aching. Osteoarthritis in particular ensures that lying in one position is not possible for long.

Is your dog not that old yet?

Then he might have other pains. urinary tract infections can lead to your dog running around a lot or even urinating in the apartment.

It can too stomach pain that get worse when your dog lies down.

Watch your dog closely and watch him lie down. Is it difficult for him to lie down or does he seem reluctant to lie down?

If you notice that your dog is showing other types of pain (this can be caused by utter a whimper or squeakyou should go to the vet as soon as possible.

3. External causes

Do you know those nights when it’s either too warm or too cold and your legs are somehow uncomfortable?

Your dog knows that too!

Observe if your dog alternates between shade and sun. Maybe he hasn’t found a «sweet spot» yet.

Your dog sleeps on a blanket and keeps scratching it up?

Be so good as to see if there is anything in the blanket that could hinder your dog, or shake the blanket up a bit.

Symptoms of psychological stress

Mental stress does not usually show up in just one situation. like yours dog not left alone and starts barking and howling when you leave him alone?

Then your dog may suffer from fear of separation and losswhich lead to him wanting to keep checking at night to make sure you’re really still there.

The stresses can also show up in dealing with other pets, people and children. If your dog has had a bad experience with children, it may well be that he reacts to them immediately with stress.

In such cases, dog trainers or dog psychologists can help you.

You can find many different contact points on the internet.

When to the vet if your dog is suddenly very restless?

You should see a vet if your dog is exhibiting other symptoms, such as:

• whine or howl
• can no longer take off or only with difficulty
• can’t hold his urine anymore
• extreme tiredness

Should the Complaints came on very suddenly has been going on for several hours or even days and other symptoms are also showing, you should go to the vet.

If in doubt, we advise you to contact the veterinarian once too often.

Better safe than sorry.

You can also at Online vet association Dr. Sam call up. There you can reach a veterinarian for around 16 hours a day, who will listen to your concerns by phone or video chat and help you further.

This saves you a trip to the nearby vet if the symptoms are not that severe.

What can you do for your dog now?

Create a space for your dog that doesn’t get extremely hot or cold. There you can spread out a blanket for him to lie down on comfortably.

If you know your dog has musculoskeletal problems, you can also get him several blankets or an orthopedic dog bed with soft padding.

If your dog shows interest in going for a walk, that can also be a good first step. Keep your dog busy and then see if he can sleep deeper later.

Explainer video

Conclusion

In the case of sleep disorders and restlessness in the dog, the veterinarian does not always have to be consulted immediately.

As a rule, you can simply keep your dog busy, wash or unroll the blanket, or sit on the sofa and play with him for a while.

If you still want to speak to a vet, we’ll lay you dr Sam to the heart. This Online vet association saves you long trips to the vet and lets you know for sure in no time.