Aging Dog Behavior

Question
I have a male border collie=collie mix we adopted in 2003. He is very sweet loving dog that used to be not trustworthy with other dogs (he was a stray and would often get defensive)--but who has come a long way in socialization since we got him.  My question is do dogs get dementia like people do as they age? my dog is ten (or so, we do not know his true age) and in great health..gets tons of walks...but lately he has been very spooky and acting weird when outside. He will be fine one minute and the next while walking, he will kind of crouch down and wheel in circles...acting scared and spooked and tugs to go home. The next minute, he calms down and seems normal. He is also nervous to go outside. He never has been like this before. Used to love going out, day or night.  I don't understand what is causing this new strange behavior. Could it be a brain tumor or do dogs sometimes display this type of behavior as they get older? he is also clingier than usual and sleeps more. Should I take him to the vet?

Answer
HI Annie:

Yes dog do suffer from dementia and many other human mental issues as well, research is finding more and more of these conditions in our pets.

I would definitely take him to the Vet though, you need to rules out things like Eye sight going and deafness.  These are the more common conditions that fall in with what you are describing.  They could also be signs of a small seizure.

One other consideration is that something has happened that spooked him very badly and when something happens to seems to indicate the same thing will happen again, he panics and when that thing does not occur, he relaxes again and is fine.

May very detailed notes on what has happened during the day and what exactly is going on around you both when these attacks happen.  Watch his Eye's, Tail and Ear's, the more information you can give your vet the better.  The sad thing is our dogs cannot tell us in words what exactly is happening, so we need to be as observant as possible.

I hope your vet is able to find the cause and provide medical treatment (if needed).

Good Luck