Why is my Dog Shaking? Cold, Scared or Something Else?

If you’re looking frantically online and searching ‘why is my dog shaking’, try not to worry. Instead, read through these simple reasons to see if they could be the cause of your pup’s quivering. It’s not always something terrible or scary, it can be something that passes within a few minutes.

One solution isn’t going to fix every situation, but it can help to work through them to understand the true cause of their trembles. To find out the reasons why your pooch is shaking, you have to look at the bigger picture – taking in everything from their environment to what happened that day to piece together the reasoning.

There are a few different behavioural reasons why dogs shake. If you have a very friendly pup, it could simply be from sheer excitement. All you have to do is examine the situation to establish if this could be the cause. If you get home from work after leaving your beloved pet for a period and they greet you and start to tremble, they could just be so excited your home, it triggers their shaking.

This kind of shaking should calm down on its own quickly. Similarly, if you get in the car to go on a walk and they love the ride and know exactly where they’re going, this can cause a similar kind of trembling because they can’t wait to get there and play with their friends. As long as it passes quickly, it’s nothing to worry about. When excited, shaking is just a way of exerting the excess energy that builds up.

Shaking is a very common physical symptom of being anxious or scared. When worried, a dog’s fight or flight response is triggered which releases adrenaline into their muscles to prepare them if they need to protect themselves or run away. This is what causes them to tremble – particularly if unsure on how to express their stress.

This response can also be common during fireworks. If your pooch is noise sensitive and doesn’t know when the next bang is coming, it can often leave them on edge throughout the night.

It can similarly be triggered by big changes such as moving house and being somewhere unfamiliar or even if you have a stranger in the home. Dogs who are prone to excessive anxiety can try a range of different treatments to help them feel more balanced or calm.

You can also try playing music, giving them a cuddle or using a Karmawrap Dog Anxiety Coat, available in multiple sizes. An anxiety coat works by effectively giving your pup a tight hug and hitting certain pressure points to help them feel more secure.

If your pooch doesn’t seem to be showing any other signs of distress besides shaking, it could be very simply because they’re a little cold. Our beloved pets may not get as chilly as us in the winter but breeds like sighthounds and Chihuahuas can become cold quite easily because of their short coats.

Longer-coated dogs can even suffer from a chill, especially if they’ve just been out for a walk in the cold. If they come home with soggy paws or wet fur, then they can catch a chill and stay cold for as long as their coats take to dry. To keep your pups warm while you’re out adventuring, making sure they’re wrapped up in a coat will save them from getting too cold. Giving their paws a quick towel dry when you come home will stop any moisture from between their toes making them shiver from the cold.

Finally, to make sure your pooch is nice and toasty, a few extra blankets in their bed will never go amiss. You can even get them a self-heating pad so if they do get chilly they can take themselves off and warm up as and when they need to!

A less common cause of shaking in our canine companions can be medical issues. Things such as stomach upsets can have our pups feeling worse for wear and shaking. If their shaking is medical, it will usually be accompanied by other symptoms like nausea, a reduced appetite or a fever.

Similarly, if they pull a muscle or hurt themselves out on a walk, pain can also be a cause of your pup shivering. Older dogs with conditions like arthritis will commonly shake on their affected legs if they’re stood too long so if undiagnosed, a trip to the vet may be called for.

If your pooch is bright in themselves beyond a slight quiver, there’s no need to rush them to the vet but keep a close eye for any other symptoms that could indicate they’re unwell.

Most causes of shaking are relatively easily treated and you can support your dog through it. If they’re cold, helping them warm up with a cosy cuddle on the couch can help them in no time but you should be warned, this can often lead to napping on both your parts once you’re warm and comfortable! There’s nothing better than a doggy hot water bottle to ease you into a nap.

If you think their shaking is caused by anxiety, there are lots of comforting things you can do to make them feel safe. If it’s noise, you can play some soothing music of your own to cover it up or if your dog is anxious about a particular trigger like strangers you can keep them away from new people while you work on building their confidence and associating the scary thing with lots of rewards and slow introductions.

There are plenty of things you can do to get your pup feeling more comfortable, check out our range of doggy products to get the pep back in their step!