# Dog shivering/shaking



## bamacpl (Jun 1, 2010)

My dog is 2 years old. When he is sleeping/resting he is shivering/trembling as if he is cold, but he isn't.
I took him to the vet & he said it is how "hunting dogs" are "wired"... He said that the dog has so much drive & a dogs brain doesn't have ability to shut this off like humans do.
Has anyone had any experience with this? Does this sound right?
The shivering/trembling comes in waves....he will shiver for like 5 seconds then it will pause for a few then back again. I'm positive he isn't cold!
--he was even doing it at the vet & the vet witnessed it.
He said the dog is 100% fine.....any opinions!?


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## utahgolf (Sep 8, 2007)

is he dreaming of chasing ducks?


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## bamacpl (Jun 1, 2010)

He does dream a lot & whine/bark in his sleep, but this doesn't worry me.....it's the shivering


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## HunterGeek (Sep 13, 2007)

Our ten-year-old hound shivers too - sort of a quivering, trembling thing. It's mostly the back legs and almost always when she's really focused on something. It started two or three years ago and has gotten a bit more more obvious as she's gotten older. She seems perfectly strong and healthy, though. The vet didn't seem too alarmed by it.

Do a Google search on _Generalized Tremor Syndrome_ or _Shaker Syndrome_. It's not at all uncommon in dogs.


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## Utmuddguy (Aug 25, 2013)

Normal all mine have done it to some degree


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## Kingfisher (Jul 25, 2008)

ditto.


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## Trooper (Oct 18, 2007)

Yep- he's just dreamin' of the hunt! Yours sounds more extreme than most, but I wouldn't worry. My old Troop used to have 3 dreams: hunting (birdy tail), pointing (trembling) and embarrassingly, nursing (even made the slurping sound until the day he died). I miss that weird old dog.


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## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

Seems especially prevalent in middle age dogs. Its like they have learned how awesome hunting is and still have the energy to do it, so they have crazy dreams and shake and wiggle in their sleep.

My dog does it.


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## goonsquad (Sep 15, 2010)

My dog dreams and moves in his sleep, he doesn't shiver though. He does shiver almost any time its below 50 degrees. But he radiates heat.


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## Springville Shooter (Oct 15, 2010)

My dog did this once after he ate a whole package of steel wool.-----SS


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## Spry Yellowdog (Sep 8, 2007)

Mine will be sleeping next to me and start kicking the hell out of me with her back legs as she dreams of running down a lively cripple. She may even start howling when she catches it...Dogs are great! Does it most after a day of hunting and shes tired.

Spry


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## bamacpl (Jun 1, 2010)

Thanks All!!! That makes me feel better about the situation!!


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