Why is my dog so restless?

If your dog is restless you might be wondering why and what you can do about it.

This post will show you a number of possible reasons why it might seem to be restless and what you can do to get it to be calmer.

So, why is my dog so restless? Possible reasons why your dog is so restless are that it needs more exercise, an issue with its diet, anxiety, wanting attention, or illness or injury.

There are actually a number of possible reasons why your dog might be restless and it could be due to a combination of reasons. However, there are a number of things you can consider when trying to figure out the exact reason. There are also a number of things you can do about it.

Why your dog is so restless

Each of the different reasons why your dog is restless will likely come with some clues.

Below, I will show you a number of possible causes and what will make them more likely.

It needs more exercise

The reason why your dog is restless could be that it needs more exercise. This would be especially likely if it is a breed that is meant to get a lot of exercise daily and if it calms down more after it has gotten exercise. It would help to make sure that your dog is getting the amount of daily exercise that is recommended for its breed.

There is something wrong with its diet

The cause could be that there is an issue with its diet. It could be that it has been being fed too much, not enough or the wrong foods. This would be especially likely if it has started being restless after you changed its diet or if it becomes more restless after feeding it certain foods.

It might also be the case that someone else has been feeding it without you knowing so it would help to make sure that you are the only one feeding it.

You can look here to see what you should and should not be feeding your dog. It would also help to consult with your local vet about its diet when you see them next.

It’s anxious

It might be the case that something has been causing your dog to be anxious. Things that might be causing it to be anxious could include noises like construction works, someone being around that it does not like or being mistreated.

It wants attention

The reason why it becomes restless might be that it is looking for attention. This would be more likely if it does it more when it has not gotten much attention and if you tend to give it more attention when it becomes restless.

In this case, it would help to avoid rewarding it with attention until after it has calmed down. It would also help to give it attention throughout the day in the form of training, exercise and by playing with it so that it doesn’t feel the need to get attention from you as much.

Illness or injury

An illness or injury could be what has been causing it to be restless. This would be more likely if it has become more restless suddenly and if it has been showing signs of being ill or injured such as vomiting. If it does seem like it might be ill or injured then the best option would be to take it to a vet.

Related: Why is my dog not protective?

Things to consider

Below are some things you can consider when trying to figure out why your dog is being restless.

When your dog started to become restless

It would help to consider what else happened when it first started being restless since it could be the case that there was an event that caused it to start being restless.

If it started being restless suddenly it would be more likely to be due to things such as a change in its diet, getting less exercise or something changing in its daily routine. It would help to consider what else changed when it started being restless.

When your dog is restless

It would also help to consider the timing of when it becomes restless. If it starts being more restless at a certain time then it could be the case that the timing has something to do with it.

For example, if it becomes more restless when you are about to leave home then it might be a sign that it has some separation anxiety.

How old it is

It would also help to consider the age of your dog.

If it is still young then it would be likely that it will calm down as it gets older. But, it could still be the case that the factors mentioned above could be contributing to it and it would be helpful to start training it now so it is well behaved as an adult.

If it is an adult it would be more likely to be due to one of the factors mentioned above.

How to stop your dog from being so restless

Below are some options you have when getting your dog to be less restless.

Give it exercise

If your dog is currently getting less exercise than what is recommended for its breed then it would help to make sure that it is able to start getting the right amount. You can exercise it by walking it yourself or getting a dog walker to do it for you when you are unable to.

Give it training

Another way to keep it stimulated would be to give it lots of training. By doing so you will also be able to get it to learn to behave the way that you want it to.

Don’t reward it

If you have been giving it things that it wants such as treats, extra attention or toys when it becomes restless then it might be doing it more in order to get more rewards.

Instead, it would help to reward it when it is being well behaved and to wait for it to calm down before rewarding it when it is restless.

Give it distractions

In addition to the above, you could also give it distractions such as chews, bones or toys. Doing so should help to keep it stimulated and to be less likely to seek attention from you.

Get help from a vet

If you can’t figure out why your dog has been being restless, it has been showing signs of being ill or injured or it has started doing it suddenly and you don’t know why then the best option would be to take it to a vet. By doing so you should be able to get expert advice tailored towards your particular dog.

Why is my dog restless suddenly?

Possible reasons why your dog is restless suddenly are that it has medical issues, illness, injury, there was a change in its diet, getting less exercise, or something causing it to be anxious. It would help to consider what else happened when it first started being restless. If you are not sure why, the safest option would be to take it to a vet.