Spinny dogs.

[pinkspore]

Foster puppy Xena spins in circles when she's excited, but that's not terribly unusual. A whole lot of her general movement is also circular though, and that has me wondering whether there is a neurological component as well. She tends to walk sort of aimlessly and then default to going in a circle. If she's confused about an obstacle she will also circle thoughtfully while trying to solve the problem.

Possibly unrelated, but when she is over-the-top delighted she does barrel rolls. She met a dog she really liked at a lure coursing event and rolled an 8' diameter circle on the ground. It was surreal.

Thoughts?

 

[milos_mommy]

I don't have much of answer, but this is interesting! Something I've never thought of and I'm curious what other's have to say. I don't think that in general for the spinny excitement or the circley tendencies it's neurological, more of either a breed tendency or behavioral habit.

I can think of one pug out of all the dogs I've known who was an excited spinner, and also who seemed to make big circles around new stuff or even just in the way she moved. Kind of circling closer to new people, dogs, doors, etc.

Most of the dogs I've known who have moved in that way around strange objects were herders. Although, I've also seen it in a couple of cockapoos and in a few larger guardian type mix dogs, one possibly a shar-pei mix and one an anatolian. So I don't think it's entirely a breed thing, but maybe common in herding breeds, and also in more nervous/cautious/thoughtful dogs.

As far as excited circles I haven't noticed a breed correlation, although A LOT of toy dogs seem to do it. It doesn't even seem to go with a specific personality or behavior profile....maybe higher energy dogs, but not always (the pug I knew who did it was pretty much a lump of lapdog 22 hours a day, but she'd spin for her leash or food). I've always thought of it as a similar behavior to the standing on their hind legs and waving their paws...just excited/nervous energy that's released when they do a specific behavior.

I've only known one dog to do both. So I don't think there's much of a correlation between the behaviors.

 

[amberdyan]

This is going to sound funny... but when I was a kid I lived in a rural area on like 45 acres and the neighbor had cattle that we let graze on our land. Anyway, there was a calf born on our land once that just acted super odd since birth. He walked in circles all the time, like it was his default movement. He could totally walk straight if he was following his mother, but he would pace around her or around a tree sometimes when he stopped. If went away for awhile and he couldn't find her when he was a bit older, she would come back and he would get excited and kick and run in a circle.

They ended up figuring out that he was partially blind and had too much fluid on his brain. He intended to be slaughtered for meat, but they just put him down because they didn't know what was wrong with him.

Obviously a dog is not a cow, lol, but I thought you might be interested.

 

[DJEtzel]

Is your foster dog a German shepherd?

 

[Southpaw]

I don't know if it's the same but Cajun is huge into doing circles. When it's time to eat she spins in tight circles. When she wants something she paces in a circle (ie if she needs to go outside, she circles in front of the door. If we're going for a walk, she circles in our entryway). Most of her movement is done in wide circles, if I have her out off leash somewhere she generally just runs around in big circles unless she is actually DOING something.

 

[Grab]

Julian has always been a circler. When he was excited, he'd circle the nearest object (or just a circle in general if there was no object), stressed:circles,etc. Always counter clockwise. It has only stopped/slowed down in recent times due to his arthritis

 

[Kyllobernese]

Kris, my Doberman, has an annoying habit of circling me when I am walking somewhere. She does not do it when she is actually "heeling" just when I am going somewhere when she is loose.

Remmy spins in circles when he is excited to go somewhere.

 

[pinkspore]

This is Xena, she's a mystery mutt from the litter I've been working with. Everyone else is a happy, well-adjusted, almost freakishly normal puppy.

Xena is...different. She never circles around things like a herding dog, that would make too much sense. If she's circling while investigating something it's more of a loop-de-loop on her way to check it out. I believe her path could eventually spell out something in cursive writing.

Circling only when excited would also make too much sense, Xena circles when meandering around the house. "Should I go into the kitchen or the bedroom? Better walk in a couple of circles while I think about that..." She also picks up toys and carries them around aimlessly.

I'm not sure if she always goes in the same direction, I need to pay more attention. Her movement is weird enough that some of my coworkers have commented on it without knowing anything about her. Xena also wins the prize for Most Days Spent at Daycare Without Figuring Out How Gates Work.

 

[teacuptiger]

Roxie is a spinner. She used to do it REALLY a badly when we got her from the shelter- spinning in tight circles and whatnot. Lots and lots of exercise later, and she only circles when it's food time, walk time, etc. She circles wider now than she used to. But she was the dog that they kept behind the counter instead of in the kennels because she was absolutely insane with spinning in the kennel. She would spin in tight circles and chew on her tail while doing it.

With her, it was an anxious thing. Now she just circles from excitement, for the most part. Sometimes when I've taped her in her ex-pen, she will pace in wider circles a bit (her pen is 3 combined, so quite big) but not spin.

Now that I think of it though, she loves running in circles around the couch or coffee table during play, too.

 

[meepitsmeagan]

Most times when we get dogs into the kennel that are blind, they circle around aimlessly. It definitely could be linked to vision issues.

 

[Laurelin]

Summer doesn't spin but she circles counter clockwise a lot. Just any time anything exciting happens she'll circle something or run around the room in a circle. If we were at agility and me and the trainer were talking she'd circle us the whole time. If we were doing nosework and she got confused she'd circle. She's kind of OCD in general about a lot of things and circling seemed to be another behavior she just ritualized and does mindlessly. In nosework we'd actually have to go in and interrupt the behavior to get her to move on.

 

[Brattina88]

Bailey spins a lot,mouth she's a quirky Sheltie
Weren't you also concerned about her eyesight as well? Or am I mixing you up with someone else? Could all be related. If I had an "off" feeling about it, I'd get it check out just to be safe, if it were me....

 

[lancerandrara]

OMG. This is hilarious, because Rara is also a huge spinner when she's excited. I thought she might be one of few, but apparently the whole spinning thing is pretty common based on this thread hahah. She used to spin more when she was a puppy... literally would just turn into a spinning top under the nose when meeting an adult Australian Shepherd.

Which led me to teach her this command a couple years ago... LOL

https://vine.co/v/eWZVd2uYMYe

 

[pinkspore]

Bailey spins a lot,mouth she's a quirky Sheltie
Weren't you also concerned about her eyesight as well? Or am I mixing you up with someone else? Could all be related. If I had an "off" feeling about it, I'd get it check out just to be safe, if it were me....

Yup, same pup that can see well enough to avoid novel objects in a dark room but is baffled by diffuse obstacles like screens. I'm pretty sure some of the aimless circles are from lack of vision. She also doesn't recognize people until they speak to her or put a hand down for her to smell.

I watched her at daycare today, I was at the front desk and could watch her through the window. (Unlike every other dog I have brought to work with me, Xena never spots me through the window...) She always circles to the right. If she wants to go left she does it by turning 270 degrees. Today she also walked half a block on a loose leash beside me...while twirling in circles.

I really want to get her eyes checked but can't talk the rescue into paying for a visit to a specialist.