Hey gang,

I have a 20 yr. old mixed breed, Dillon, who is incredibly healthy. Lately, though, he has started walking almost exclusively in circles. I've checked his ears, and everything seems to be clean...but he just goes round and round and round. The only way I can get him to walk in a straight line is on a leash. Any idea why this may be happening?

yelodoggie

I would have him checked just to be sure there is nothing serious going on ----AGGY

I am going through the same thing with my baby Cooper! He started a month ago with head tilting, shaking, panting and walking in circles. Blood work came out fine! He got better after a couple days, improving a little each day....then Friday past, he started all over again. This time having accidents in the house and acting kinda confused. Going back to the vet tomorrow....I have been doing some research and found a condition called: Vestibular Disorder....maybe that? Also going to look deeper into his ears...This is driving me NUTS! He is only 8, I planned on having him with me A LOT longer!!!!

I JUST saw this on the Dog Whisperer. It featured a German Shepherd who had been doing this for seven years. It was some type of obsessive compulsive thing and was improved through behavioral modification. Some of it involved giving the dog more to do. I can't remember everything about it, but it caught my attention because I had never heard of a dog doing that before. Maybe there is more information on the website.

Oh poor Cooper and Dillon...hope they get well soon and back to normal behavior...the situation is very unusual to me I didn't encounter such things before to my dogs...Update is Coopdog if you find the real reason behind that behavior...

mainly you hear of this problem when a dog isnt excersized enough.
How much are you dogs getting walked or vigorous play time during the day?

Took my baby to the vet yesterday for similar behavior! NOT BEHAVIOR ISSUE!!! He has a neurological disorder called VESTIBULAR SYNDROME! Could be EXTREMELY stressful on your dog! Liver disease can also show signs as walking in circles. I would get to vet soon to rule out something serious! Cooper is on a steroid and antibiotics and has shown amazing improvements in just 24 hours! I hope this helps!

[lil mutt]

Originally Posted by coopdog

Took my baby to the vet yesterday for similar behavior! NOT BEHAVIOR ISSUE!!! He has a neurological disorder called VESTIBULAR SYNDROME! Could be EXTREMELY stressful on your dog! Liver disease can also show signs as walking in circles. I would get to vet soon to rule out something serious! Cooper is on a steroid and antibiotics and has shown amazing improvements in just 24 hours! I hope this helps!

good to know your pet is doing good...

i suggest you follow this guy's advice... it will be easier to understand what's happening to your dog if you consult a vet...

Originally Posted by lil mutt

good to know your pet is doing good...

i suggest you follow this guy's advice... it will be easier to understand what's happening to your dog if you consult a vet...

definitely sounds like a confusion issue. I just had a cocker spaniel mix 18 years of age who did that due to poor vision believe it or not. the depth perception was off so .. eventually this is how he felt safe to move around in circles... which would explain why on a leash the dog will walk straight with you guidance but not off the leash.

Did you mean to say 20 year old? If so... wow old dog
When you say your dog is walking in circles do you mean small circles, like he is touching his nose to him butt, or larger, like he is walking around a whole room or pacing circles around the house?

[mrandrei]

Glad to know your dog is ok. Just a thought, I think he might just be chasing its tail.

With an older dog vestibular syndrome is a definite possibility. With vestibular syndrome, there's usually a head tilt, and there's a condition called nystagmus; a rhythmic eye movement from side to side or up and down. If he doesn't have that, it's probably not vestibular syndrome.

Geriatric cognitive dysfunction is also a possibility. Both vestibular syndrome and cognitive dysfunction are treatable.

His eyes should be examined. If he can't see, or can't see well, he may walk in circles, and he may not even realize he's doing it.

There's also the possibility that he's in pain, and is trying to "walk away" from it. Many dogs with arthritic pain pace or circle. Depending on what's causing the pain, it may be treatable, too.

Those are some of the more common disorders that could be causing his circling. There are other, less common problems, too. See your vet for a proper diagnosis and treatment plan.

[wishbone]

Poor Dillon, crossing fingers for his recovery.

Get well soon Dillon.

Animals in zoos who are caged up do this all the time out of boredom as they start developing behavioral issues. Judging by your dogs age though, it could be something else. You should have a vet check it out.

Originally Posted by yelodoggie

Hey gang,

I have a 20 yr. old mixed breed, Dillon, who is incredibly healthy. Lately, though, he has started walking almost exclusively in circles. I've checked his ears, and everything seems to be clean...but he just goes round and round and round. The only way I can get him to walk in a straight line is on a leash. Any idea why this may be happening?

yelodoggie

sorry yelodoggie I have no idea about your dog behavior.but i think that isn't a problem?