Pacing & Walking in circles

Question
Hi Angela,

My Mother has a 4 1/2 yr. old female old boxer that has just recently started to pace and walk in circles. The dog woke her up very early this morning and starting walking around the house in and out of each room and would not settle down.(for approx. 15 to 20 min)  This is very uncharacteristic of the dog but it has happened 2 or 3 times in the last 3 or 4 weeks. Each time this took place it occurred for approximate. 15 to 20 min, then she would settle down.
We are at a loss as to what is causing this as she does not appear to be in any pain that we can see.
Can you help with any suggestions.
Thanks.  

Answer
Hi Gary,

I would have the vet check her out first to rule out any underlying medical conditions asap.Let me know what the vet finds, if it is not an underlying medical condition then I will do additional research and have you answer additional questions to see if we can find out what is causing this. Most of the time this behavior is the start of some kind of medical issue even possibly parasites and the dog is trying to cope with it. This could also be her way of alerting to some kind of critter maybe under the house, as I have seen this type of behavior when unwanted tenants move in under the house.I look forward to hearing from you in the future. Thank you for your question.

Angela Donald
Canine Behavior Consultant
http://www.hitowerboxers.com