Please Help! Antsy And Anxious For No Reason?

[Guest Houston1219]

I came home around 9:30, fed Houston and gave him water (this is normal dinner time for him). All was well and normal. Now it's after 11 and he is freaking us out a bit. We're upstairs settled in watching TV in bed. Normally, Houston would lay in his bed in the bedroom and chill out with us. He's running back downstairs the moment he gets up, standing at the bottom, looking up with ears perked. He laid on the rug inthe kitchen for a short time, but keeps pacing around the kitchen and then staring up the stairs. What gives? I have never seen him act like this.

 

My observations:

 

- He's not hungry. Ate his normal dinner, had is usual "Dad's home!" treats

- He has water, and has been drinking it.

- He's not hot or cold (it's a perfectly temperate night and windows are open and fans on)

- He doesn't appear to be in pain.

- Doesn't likely have to potty (see below)

- Doesn't seem to be something in the yard. He went out four times (at our insistance, thinking he just had to go) and perused the small yard for a bit, then stood at the door wanting in.

 

I went downstairs and quietly sat with him to observe, but he stared at me for a while and then barked until i stood up, then went back to just standing there staring. He is still in the kitchen, staring, then pacing, then standing. Almost like he thinks we are going somewhere? It's after 11 pm and we never go out this late!

 

What does this poor dog want???? What have I missed? He has never acted like this. He is 7.5 and we have had him 2.5 years. He is otherwise happy and healthy but is freaking me out he's so restless. Has anyone else had this experience with their hound?

Edited May 8, 2015 by Houston1219

[Guest Houston1219]

Update: It's 12:30 and he spent some time laying on the rug in the kitchen. I went outside with him and he seemed fine. tail wagging a little, even, I got him to follow me upstairs, and stay for a while, as long as i was sitting next to his bed petting him. As soon as i snuck a few feet over to check GT for responses, he ran right back downstairs, and he is now laying in his living room bed. he has NEVER done this, or spent the night apart from us. I have been watching for signs of distress (panting, drooling, swollen belly (*gulp*) but nothing!) Other than wanting nothing to do with being upstairs for a moment longer than necessary ***and this dog LOVES upstairs. the bedroom is his lair*** he's just being strange! It's almost like the stories I have read on here of older hounds who are confused and restless at night. But for one, he has NEVER done this - seems quite sudden- and two, he is 7.5 years old!

 

I keep wanting to throw on some shoes and rush to the e-vet, but he is literally fine. Not panting, hurting, navigated the stairs just fine, interested in food/water, and has even settled down a bit. He's just acting like he was super confused, Happy, but confused. During my first post, he had moments where he looked like he thought we were going somewhere. Jumping around when i spoke to him in a happy tone, ears perked, hovering by the door, etc. then back to staring up the stairs. Now, he's laying down (first on that rug -weird-, and now in the living room) where he only lays in the evening when we are in there. It's like he forgot what time of day it is? He follows our routine no matter what (even if it changes, he goes with our flow), and never hangs out alone when we are here. What is happening to my dog???

Edited May 8, 2015 by Houston1219

[TheFullHouse]

Could something have startled him upstairs when no one was home? He sounds anxious, as if something has scared him. Give it a couple of days and see if he settles down.

[Busderpuddle]

I have no ideas at all, just sending good wishes for all of you that he goes back to his usual self soon. It is so hard when they act wackadoodle

[greysmom]

Hope he has settled down by now. Sometimes mine get upset when storms are in the area. Very high or low pressure systems moving in, or thunderstorms can cause a sort of freak out. Otherwise, I might think he hears something uostairs in the wall, or something falling on the roof.

 

Some stategies if it happens again are to distract him with a chew object or toy, take him out of the house for a quick walk or car ride, engage him in play or training exercises.

[macoduck]

Gas leak, approaching storm's electricity in the air, ghosts? Would a Kong with peanut butter distract him enough to keep him upstairs?

[Mercsmom]

Dogs can very often sense things of which we are not aware. When my Liberty would pace at night, the vet mentioned that there might be construction going on somewhere that's producing a sound unpleasant to her but unheard by us.

Add to that: build up of static electricity, mice in the walls, a strange sound on TV, tripping over a rug and being convinced it's out to get you and.... ghosts.

It's a wonder they don't freak out more often.

[Roo]

Gas leak, approaching storm's electricity in the air, ghosts? Would a Kong with peanut butter distract him enough to keep him upstairs?

 

My first thought was a gas leak of some sort. We fostered a border collie for a while (goodness, were we nuts for this!) and one day she just wouldn't calm down. She kept going out to the yard and pacing up and down the back of the house. Mom went out to see what she was doing and got near the gas meter and - yep - gas leak. They came and fixed it and said it was a good thing the dog alerted us to it because it could have been bad.

 

It sounds like something upstairs is bothering him and he's trying to get you away from it ("Come downstairs! See, isn't this better? Why are you going back up. Follow me back down!" is what it sounds like from your post). If I were you, I'd poke around for anything suspicious - check the attic and listen to the walls for critters, sniff around anywhere that might have a gas leak, make sure everything is in order and keep a close eye out for anything (no matter how small) out of the ordinary. Do you have a carbon monoxide detector?

[GeorgeofNE]

Animal in the attic or on the roof? Flying insect that scared him? Could be anything. Dogs do weird stuff sometimes!

 

I just found out Buck thinks it's fun to chase and try to catch those huge bumblebees that right now are everywhere!

[Guest Houston1219]

Update: Finally got him to come upstairs and this time laid down in his bed with him until he was fast asleep. He settled down fine and I was able to sneak into my own bed after a few hours. I have no idea what he was so anxious about. The gas leak think made me panic until I remembered that we don't have gas in our condo! Duh. (Electric everything and water based beat. The boiler is at the other end of the complex). We have cement walls and no attic. I'm going to investigate further when I get home from work. I hope I get to sleep tonight!!

 

Thank everyone who answered. I was a wreck all night!

[Feisty49]

My first thought was maybe a bee or some other insect jabbed him enough to hurt but not enough to do the GSD.

 

Hope he is back to himself this evening so you can settle in.