puppy gets agitated when going to sleep

I have a 4 month old labradoodle puppy who gets agitated when going to sleep. When she is settling to sleep she moves from one place to another, she also makes strange noises when she is just drifting off, a kind of muffled woofing noise through her nose which makes her body jerk.

Is this due to growing pains or should I be worried there is something wrong?




Hi
All pups/dogs are different and some will plunk themselves down anywhere and fall asleep (we even have an Olde English Bulldogge who can sleep sitting up!), others need to find the 'perfect spot' before they can rest peacefully.

Those with anxious or nervous personalities may be more prone to be restless too.

To be on the safe side I'd suggest discussing this with your veterinarian and having your pup checked out to make sure there's no underlying health condition that could be causing this behavior. For example if she's in pain/discomfort, has a respiratory tract infection and so on.

If she is experiencing 'growing pains' (correctly known as Panosteitis) then she could be finding it painful to settle down in a particular position, but this condition normally makes it more difficult for a pup to get up rather than to lie down. However, as I said all are different.

I doubt it's anything to be really worried about, but just have a word with your vet to make sure all is well and put your mind at rest. Best of luck with your puppy.