Nesting for Dogs: What Is It?
Nesting or the nesting instinct is typically defined as the motherly drive of a pregnant dog to prepare a safe location to have her puppies. That can mean dragging blankets to a new place, rearranging pillows, or squirreling away some laundry to lie on at the back of a closet.
We also sometimes see the nesting instinct in humans, who might get a burst of energy to clean the house (or their desk) in the days leading up to delivery. Its just that when dogs nest, they may untidy your home instead.
Alicen Tracey, DVM, of Den Herder Veterinary Hospital in Waterloo, Iowa, says that nesting can take a variety of different forms for dogs. But the primary motivation is comfort—whether or not a dog is pregnant.
“Any dog can show nesting behaviors,” Tracey says. “For instance, many people have dogs that feel the need to circle, paw at the comforters, or even have a blanket to help them fall asleep.”
Pregnancy or “false pregnancy” are two common reasons that dogs may exhibit more nesting behavior than usual.
False pregnancy is simply when symptoms of pregnancy are mimicked in unspayed female dogs who have been in heat but are not pregnant. This may trigger the nesting instinct but not result in a new litter of puppies.
Other times your pup, female or male, may just be uncomfortable and need to rearrange their environment a bit. They may be feeling too hot, too cold, or too cramped in their current conditions.
“Many dogs prepare a little nest before bed—this is very normal!” Tracey says.
Here are a few things your dog might do when she (or he!) is nesting, for whatever reason.
4 Ways to Help Your Canine Friend with Old Dog Syndrome (CCD)
There are a couple of mainstream veterinary treatments for old dog syndrome, including the drug Selegiline, which has varying degrees of success.
Then there are also alternative treatments, dietary changes, and behavior modification techniques. Sometimes a combination of several different options gives the best results.
What is considered old for a dog?
Small dogs are considered senior citizens of the canine community when they reach 11 years of age. Their medium sized friends become seniors at 10 years of age. Their larger sized colleagues are seniors at 8 years of age. And, finally, their giant-breed counterparts are seniors at 7 years old.