Dogs are really special – but they’re also complex creatures with very unique needs. Like humans, they, too, feel nearly a full range of emotions, and some of these emotions are directly linked to certain canine behaviors. A dog who shows the whites of his eyes, for example (called being “whale-eyed”), is probably highly anxious. A dog who wags his tail with his tongue lolling out sideways is probably happy instead!
But what about dogs who pace? This is less common, but still far from rare in the domestic dog. It happens across every breed and has the potential to occur even in the calmest and most supportive of homes. We’ll explain this dog pacing behavior and some of the surprising reasons dogs showcase it in this post.
What Is Pacing?
The term “pacing” has two uses in the canine world. The first refers to their actual gait when walking or running; dogs can either walk, amble, pace, or trot. Like horses, the animal moves from slower movement when walking to faster movement when trotting. Gait is important, especially if you’re showing or involved in sports, but it isn’t what we’re here to talk about today.
When we refer to “dog pacing” in the title, we’re referring to an often-maladaptive behavior where dogs continuously pace around a small area. This may be your living room, a kennel, the backyard, or some other room of your house.
How Dog Pacing Presents
Here’s the thing: pacing doesn’t occur for the same reasons in every dog, nor does it present exactly the same, either. The truth is that individual personalities also play a big role in how and when (and even how often) it manifests.
Unlike wandering, exploring, playing, or walking, a dog who is pacing won’t just wander around his play zone or your house. They become laser-focused on following the small path they travel over and over again, looping around and around for hours.
Depending on the cause of the pacing, your dog may even resist commands or ignore you completely if you try to stop him.
Pacing is much more concerning when it presents suddenly or out of the blue; we’ll talk more about the reasons in the next few sections. For now, what you need to know most is that any sudden change in behavior (including pacing) is a sign of concern because it can indicate serious health problems. This is especially true for seniors, dogs who are infirm or otherwise ill, and newly adopted dogs that come from an unknown background.
Next, let’s dig into the individual reasons why this kind of behavior happens. We’ll talk about the role of pacing in emotional upset, physical illness, and even dementia in old age – all three are direct contributors.
Your Dog May Be Anxious
The most common reason for pacing in most dogs is anxiety. A dog who is anxious may start to repeatedly pace around the room in an attempt to discharge negative energy and calm themselves; movement reduces adrenaline levels.
Dogs who pace due to anxiety often show the behavior over and over in stressful situations. For example, they may pace when meeting someone new, when a new dog friend comes to visit, or when they’re at the vet. They will also frequently show other symptoms of anxiety, like licking their lips, whining, or holding the tail between the legs as they pace. Panting is another common symptom of this problem.
Liver or Kidney Disease
Pacing can also be a symptom of advanced or acute liver and kidney diseases. It may crop up suddenly or slowly over time.
The link between liver and kidney diseases and pacing isn’t yet fully understood, but we do have some compelling information about why it happens. In the presence of advanced damage to either organ, or even acute illness, the body struggles to filter out naturally-created toxins. These toxins build up over time, damaging the brain, which eventually leads to neurological deficits. Dogs become confused, disoriented, or even experience symptoms like hallucinations and delirium.
Liver and kidney diseases are much more common in older dogs, but it isn’t impossible for such illnesses to occur in younger dogs. That’s why it’s so important to see the vet right away if your dog’s behavior changes.
Cushing’s Disease
Cushing’s Disease occurs in both humans and dogs. The symptoms it triggers in dogs are often very similar to the symptoms CD can trigger in humans; the main difference is that dogs lack the ability to use logic when trying to interpret their experiences.
To put it plainly, a human with CD will likely recognize something is “off” and they need medical care. A dog, on the other hand, only knows something isn’t right and may act out in inappropriate or maladaptive ways because of it.
With regard to Cushing’s Disease, the common belief is that pacing behavior occurs as a result of elevated cortisol (stress hormone) levels. But Cushing’s itself can also cause pituitary tumors in the brain, which can also lead to changes in behavior over time. Restlessness, anxiety, and even mild aggression may crop up suddenly or slowly and chronically over time.
The good news is that CD is very treatable! Dogs in the early stages can be given medication which will often totally resolve elevated cortisol levels (and even stop the associated pacing).
Canine Dementia
A dog is man’s best friend. Unfortunately, we often outlive them, watching them slowly decline through old age until the time comes that we have to let them go.
If only dogs could live forever, right?
For dogs who do live to an impressive age, some senility or even outright dementia can occur. In fact, it’s almost expected in certain breeds (especially toy dogs). Just as it happens in humans, canine dementia may cause dogs to become forgetful, confused, anxious, depressed, or even slightly aggressive.
To be clear, they don’t mean to behave this way. Dementia causes real neurological changes in the brain (this is true for both humans and dogs, too). These changes influence the animal’s baseline personality, and like a human suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease or Lewy Body Dementia, they need patience, understanding, and support.
A dog with dementia may seem disoriented, especially if they find themselves alone in another room. Or they may behave as if they’ve forgotten where they are and/or are lost – even at home. It isn’t unusual to see regression in training and/or sudden “bad behavior” like destructiveness, either.
Pacing is extremely common in dogs with dementia. It’s an expression of their confusion, and sometimes, a way to tell you “I don’t understand my experience” or even “I’m sad, alone or lost.” While it should be taken seriously (see your vet to confirm, always), if your vet rules out physical illness, you may simply have to adapt to it with simple lifestyle changes.
As for what you can do to adapt? Keep a strict schedule, reassure your dog if he seems confused, and use baby gates to block off potentially dangerous areas (like steep steps). Be a little bit more forgiving when she has “bad days,” and never punish your pup if she has accidents or acts out every so often.
You can also try keeping furniture in the same position so your home is “familiar” to your dog. Some human companions find that dogs seem to worsen when their environment changes suddenly, perhaps because they cannot recognize the layout of the home anymore.
The bottom line here is that any dog who is pacing is probably trying to communicate that something is wrong. See your vet immediately to rule out serious health problems. If your vet determines the issue is emotional, training can be incredibly helpful to building your dog’s confidence. If the issue is dementia, your vet or trainer can help you find ways to improve quality of life for both of you.