Dog suddenly waking at 3am - why?

[shhhdoggo]

Any insight into what could be going on with our dog. He is approximately 8 years old (rescue, but think he was around a year when we got him) mixed breed - JRT/Springer probably.

Always been the perfect dog in every way - we really couldn't and still
can't believe our luck with him. Plenty of exercise every day, no change to diet. Not really relevant to the current issue but just a bit of
background.

He has always slept well, usually in the kitchen in his bed but has the run of the living room as well so can also be found on the sofa in there.

We normally put him to bed when we go at around 11pm/midnight and then he gets up whenever we get up - midweek around 7am, weekends sometimes a bit later - but he never fusses to wake us up if its later than that. In fact, he normally gets up with whoever gets up first and then goes back to bed for an hour or so anyway!

About 2 weeks ago he started waking up at 3am and pacing around and around and around. He would get shoes from the rack by the back door and bring them into the living room and drop them. (Something he occasionally does when we are watching TV and he wants a bit of attention - it makes us laugh)

First couple of times I got up and tried to settle him back down. I checked there was nothing in the garden, no noises or anything, and he can't see out of the windows as its pitch black where we are.

He seemed really stressed - panting and excitable, he did settle back down after I had sat with him for 15 minutes and calmed him down. he seemed to go back off to sleep until we got up in the morning - and then he was right as rain, as if nothing had happened.

Then one night he just wouldn't settle - I was up and down with him until about 5am so eventually brought him in with us - and since that night he's had his bed in with us and slept in our room. He has been settled and slept right through (well as far as I can tell - I sleep like the dead! But certainly no pacing and panting)

Last night we thought to give him a try back on his own in the
kitchen/living room - but at precisely 3am he started pacing again (we live in a town house and sleep on ground floor - he's on first floor above so can hear him) I left him 15 minutes to see if he would re-settle but he didn't, so I went and got him. Again, he seemed really excited (anxious?) - almost like he was ready to go out for a walk, panting, running around in circles

DH thinks he's now doing it on purpose because he wants to be in with us - but I don't think its that straight forward - because why doesn't he start kicking off as soon as we leave him to go to bed? Why is he settling fine for a good 3-4 hours and then waking up? He has never had a problem with separation anxiety, is regularly left for a few hours while we work etc. And I don't think he is doing this during the day when we are out - no evidence of shoes all over the place. So, what is causing this?

To be honest if he has to sleep in with us its not a major problem (apart
from the snoring) but I am just worried there is something else going on.
Has anyone else experienced this or have any advice on what it could be?

Is a neighbour or milkman making noise at that time and waking him up?
Have you tried playing white noise at nighttime?

Vet visit.

Could be a physical reason and I would want to rule that out first before assuming it were just behavioural.

As Polly says, he definitely needs to see the vet for any change in behaviour, just in case there's a physical cause.

If everything is okay health-wise, then you can start looking at environmental or behavioural issues:

• noise (boiler clicking in, car doors banging, the milkman delivering, a neighbour coming/going to work)
• temperature - try adding a blanket or two for him to snuggle into if he doesn't already have one.
• needs the toilet - try letting him out, no other reward or communication, then back in and to bed.

Or, it could just be that he's feeling unsettled as he gets older and doesn't feel happy on his own quite so much, which I think is relatively normal in older dogs. But definitely rule out any physical issues before assuming it's just behavioural.

Paws crossed he's okay! :)

My boy started behaving like this.
Was eventually diagnosed with canine cognitive dysfunction and medication. Basically dog dementia.

Definitely get a vet to check him.
We had exactly the same sort of behaviour with our dog although she was more elderly.
It did turn out to be a medical issue - she had heart failure and was struggling to get comfortable when lying down due to the problems the restricted blood flow was causing.
It was resolved as soon as she started on medication for her condition.

We had this. It drove me nuts for weeks. It was a bloody hedgehog!

Our dog was panting and unsettled recently. She's been diagnosed with heart failure (age 6). She's doing well on medication and has settled again for now.