My Dog Is Acting Crazy: Common Reasons & What to Do!

Okay, so my dog, Buster, he's usually a pretty chill dude. Loves his naps, enjoys a good belly rub, you know, the usual dog stuff. But yesterday? Complete mayhem. I'm talking zoomies on steroids, barking at nothing, and generally acting like he'd chugged a whole pot of coffee.

First thing I did was run through the checklist in my head. Had he eaten anything weird? Nope, just his regular kibble. Did he get into the trash? Negative. Was there a thunderstorm brewing that I hadn't noticed? Checked the weather app – clear skies.

So, with the obvious stuff ruled out, I started observing him more closely. He was running back and forth between the living room and the kitchen, like he was trying to herd…air, I guess? He'd stop, stare intensely at the wall, then let out this crazy, high-pitched bark. It was seriously freaking me out.

Then, the digging started. Now, Buster isn't a big digger. He might poke around in the yard a bit, but this was full-on excavation mode in the living room rug. He was throwing fluff everywhere, totally focused on…well, I had no idea.

• Checked for any new toys or objects that might be freaking him out. Nothing.
• Made sure all the doors and windows were closed, in case he was sensing something outside. Nope, all secure.
• Even considered whether he might be bored, so I tried playing fetch. He just stared at the ball like it was an alien artifact.

Finally, after about an hour of this craziness, I noticed something small and brown scurrying along the baseboard. A mouse! Turns out, little Buster wasn't crazy; he was just on high alert, trying to catch the critter.

We (meaning me, not Buster) managed to catch the mouse and release it outside. And guess what? Instant calm. Buster went straight back to his usual, mellow self, curled up on the couch, and started snoring. All that energy, all that barking and digging, it was all about the mouse.

It's crazy!