Constant Shaking: Why Does My Dog Keep Shaking Off So Much?

Okay, so my dog, Buster, he's a golden retriever, and he's usually a pretty chill dude. But lately, I noticed he's been shaking himself off way more often than usual. Like, he'd be sitting there, perfectly dry, and then – whoosh – a full-body shake. It got me thinking, "Why does my dog keep shaking off?" so I started paying closer attention.

First, I checked the obvious. Was he wet? Nope. Had he just come in from outside? Nope. Was he near anything dusty or dirty? Nope. This was happening randomly, even when he'd been napping for hours. So, the easy answers were out.

Digging a Little Deeper

Next, I started looking for other clues. I gave him a good once-over, feeling for anything unusual. I checked his fur, making sure there weren't any bugs or anything stuck in there. Everything seemed normal.

• Ears: I gave his ears a sniff (yeah, I know, gross, but necessary!). Sometimes, ear infections can cause them to shake their heads a lot. His ears smelled fine, no weird discharge or redness.
• Skin: I parted his fur in a few places, checking for any redness, irritation, or bumps. His skin looked healthy, no signs of allergies or anything like that.
• Paws: I looked between his toes, since sometimes they can get stuff stuck in there. All clear.

Still had nothing!

Time for Experiment

Since I was running out of the things that I can do and check, I started to have a little play time with Buster and gave him a command. I observed him and found his response was not as fast as before, so I thought maybe he had some stress or felt not well.

The "Aha!" Moment (Maybe)

Finally, after all that, and watching Buster, I began to see him shake more when he was in a new enviorment or a little bit anxious.

So, yeah, that's my dog-shaking saga. It's a work in progress, and I think a check at the vet is next. Will do that soon.