Old Dogs Barking At Nothing

Dogs using barking as a way to alert us to intruders or to alert to prey when hunting.

Old dogs barking at nothing. Doggie dementia and neurologic symptoms as dogs age they can develop symptoms of dementia just like people. Older dogs who are suffering from dementia will often bark at night when you go to bed. If your dog barks at nothing on a regular basis it may be worth getting them checked out by your vet. Sometimes he may simply bark at nothing at all.

Even dogs who are not showing signs of true canine cognitive dysfunction may experience changes in the way their brain processes information and the way he copes in his environment causing more barking a lot of times what happens with our senior patients is that they have had an underlying behavior concern almost their whole lives explains rebecca ruch gallie dvm ms assistant. Unusual night time barking is a classic symptom of canine dysfunction syndrome aka old dog syndrome. A dog may have spotted a stranger coming up the walkway for instance or may be responding to a knock at the door or an unfamiliar presence. A dog that is overly sensitive to stimuli may bark and howl more frequently and at high volume to their environment especially if they are stressed or anxious.

This is a condition that s pretty similar to alzheimer s disease in humans. The excitable bark dogs bark with excitement just as people like to. If you suspect arthritis is an issue that is a very painful condition and some dogs just bark a lot when they re hurting. Age related degeneration can also lead to a range of neurological changes in your dog as their brains begin the gradual slowdown in old age.

If your older dog has cds he might seem lost confused dazed or out of it for periods of time. Barking is a normal canine behavior but if your dog seems to bark all the time at nothing he could be hypersensitive. Dogs that are developing dementia may be confused change routines without reason get lost in familiar places and sometimes bark at nothing. Are so much less sensitive than our dog s it can seem like our dog is barking at nothing.

They will be able to prescribe medicines or advise on certain solutions to help. Finally some dogs bark to call alert to something. The dog is a small older dog and this a great living space for her. They may bark at nothing or be barking for help but it is not a worrisome sign.

If you think that your senior dog s barking is becoming an issue it may be time to talk to your veterinarian. Older dogs can suffer from fears and phobias of noise and thunderstorms and less commonly of going outdoors entering certain rooms or walking on certain types of surfaces. Barking is par for the course.