German shepard/Labrador X

Question
HI,
We have an 12 y.o. male G.S./ Labrador x who has recently started panting, mostly at night. As he sleeps on a large dog pillow in our bedroom the panting keeps us awake.
He shares our bedroom and house with a 5 y.o. whippet/collie bitch x and they get on very well, she has been spayed and he has been castrated. He has had no real health problems except that he can not walk as far as he use to. He is excersised regularly and feed on a Pedigree dry mix.
He has also taken to pacing and follows you around quiet closly, he also opens wardrobe doors?
The only changes to his environment is that we have decorated the bedroom. Casper is a wonderful dog and has given us many years of happiness so we would like to help him if we can. We feel that it is probably a stress behaviour, is there anything that we can do to help him.
Paul and Lynette.

Answer
I recently responded to a question about panting and am providing a copy below my response to you for your info.  

Just listening to you on the surface I would agree that it could be stress.  The fact that your dog is following you and pacing is a sign of anxiety.  Or Separation Anxiety which can be brought on by a change in routine or what is considered to be a traumatic event for your dog.  To assist with stress or anxiety there are a number of things you can do.

Get a routine back around the house, renovations can really mess that up. Work first then play, here's what I mean.

WORK FIRST - Even though he gets walked.  Be sure to take him for a walk every morning, before breakfast, before his meal.  The preferred length is 45 minutes, but you know better than I how long your dog can walk for. This mimics the migration for food in the wild to work for or earn food.
He will like the time spent with you and will get tired out.

If not tired after the walk see if he'll play a little (I know he's up there in age).  The idea is to tire him out (while spending time with him) before he eats.

Give your dog love and attention, but do not coddle unwanted behavior.  ie, if panting, or over excited when you leave or come home, don't coddle him.  Distract him instead with a command or a toy if the panting or excitement stops, then use praise for the wanted behavior.  Only pay attention to and praise appropriate behaviors.

If he's following you around the house he wants your attention.  Have him earn or work for attention by asking him to sit first and praise, pet, hug or treat the sit.  

Grab a favorite toy and ask him to retrieve it.  Praise him and pet him for getting it.

Keep your comings and goings from your home low key.  Don't make a big deal out of the fact you are leaving or coming home.  Be sure that he understands your word for you'll be back.  Too much fuss over coming and going can create more anxiety.

Dogs sense anxiety and could have picked up on anxiety when  redoing your room or any stress around your home. Therefore, if you want your dog to relax.  Practice relaxing yourself, and being self assured.  Dog's live in the present.  When you are calm and self assured your dog will sense that.  Dogs are great for helping humans live in the present too.  When your dog is calm and not panting or pacing, relax together and give him attention, praise, and petting at that time.  

Try another short walk in the evenings.

At bed time, when your dog usually pants, try giving your dog something with your scent on it.  Like a blanket or a towel.  This can help him feel like you're not far away.  Be sure that you have spent good quality time together at some point before bed time, a short walk, relaxing or both.  And when going to his regular sleeping quarters, be self assured and praise your dog for going to bed (but don't praise or coddle the panting).   

Does your dog have a quiet place to sleep? or a place in the house that is all his?  My dogs sleep in their own crate and they feel safe in their own den. At night I praise my dogs for going in their crate (not in an excited tone,just calm reasurring) and I usually say goodnight, bedtime and then turn out the light (its a routine every night).  Does your dog have a similar place?  Is it cool? and not too Hot?

These are a few suggestions, You may also find additional  help at http://www.gallantshepherds.com/gsdhelp.htm  Please let me know how things go.

Sincerely,

Gallant German Shepherds
http://www.gallantshepherds.com

MY PREVIOUS RESPONSE IS AS FOLLOWS:
Dogs usually pant after exercise or when being kept in a hot area.  Panting can also be a sign of illness or stress.

PANTING A SYMPTOM OF STRESS
German Shepherds tend to pant and drool when they are stressed, like going for a car ride for the first few times.  You are saying that it is all the time and could be stress related.  Stress can be reduced in the right environment.  How long has your dog been panting?  Has your pet experienced any major changes recently? A new dog? a new family member? A new home? The answer to your dog panting problem may just be more quality time (time spent playing and keeping the dog busy, not rewarding the panting with coddling) or allowing your dog to have a "safe place" to get away on his own, like a crate with a crate cover or a dog bed placed in a closet.

COULD BE A SYMPTOM OF HEALTH ISSUES
Panting can be a symptom of lungworm or heartworm, both of which require medical treatment, but more often frequent dog panting is caused by obesity or stress. An obese dog may literally feel crushed by his weight,

German Shepherds are prone to gastrointestinal issues related to their diet and environment.  More seriously, if there are other symptoms your dog is experiencing along with the panting like pacing and/or lying down in odd places;  Salivating, panting, whining, Unable to get comfortable acting agitated, Unproductive vomiting or retching (may produce frothy foamy vomit in small quantities); Excessive drooling, usually accompanied by retching noises; Swelling in abdominal area (may or may not be noticeable).  If ANY combination of these symptoms are noticed, CALL YOUR VET immediately.

I recommend you see a vet to rule out any of the above health issues.  

Should this be stress or diet related I suggest feeding your dog good quality dog food.  We Use Royal Canin made specifically for Shepherds.  Stress related panting will cease once the Dog feels safe and confident in his environment.  I recommend purchasing some books on raising and training German Shepherds in order to reduce the stress in your dog's environment and to gain better quality life and relationship for you and your dog. I recommend Ceasar's Way; and Dog Training for Dummies.  These books provide a wealth of information for dog owners and deal directly with common issues behavior issues.  There are many good books on German Shepherd Health and Care.  I carry these books in my bookstore.

If you've ruled out stress and medical causes for your dog panting, you're dog may just be "a panter".

There are in fact some dogs who even when relaxed, healthy & Cool just panted frequently.  Apparently, some deep chested dogs may pant for no other reason than it's comfortable for them.