My 12 year old dal has started a very strange nightly "routine". We have had the same routine for years - she goes to her crate at the foot of our bed nightly, gets a treat and nighty night until morning. In the past years, when she has felt sick, or needed to go out and potty/ upset stomach, etc... she does like a "sigh/groan"... and just continues to do it until we wake up. I generally get up, and she will be standing there, and when I open the crate she heads straight for the door, then downstairs, and out to yard... and will eat grass, etc... go potty, what have you. Well about a week ago she did it, so we did the normal routine... but she doesn't want to go outside... (we try - we take her down... and at the door she steps out then u-turns back in), so we take her back upstairs... and offer water, etc. She seems to want to sniff and explore the room... the closet... you name it. She is eating fine, drinking fine, urine is fine, stool is fine, nothing whatsoever is out of whack... other than this new thing at night. She will literally groan and claw her crate for 2... 3 hours if we try to "ignore" it... which we have tried the last few nights now now that we have observed her and all she does is wants to walk around and sniff. A few nights I have laid pillows next to my bedside on floor... and she sits and stares at me in bed... paws at me to be petted... I pet just briefly and she finally lays down on the pillows and settles... but after an hour or so, she's back up... wandering through the closets... sniffing, etc. It's bizarre? I am now sleeping these past couple of nights in my daughters room, just to see if it's just ME (mama) that she is wanting attention from, but both nights she has done the same thing with just my husband in there. She is wagging her tail too... there doesn't appear to be any signs whatsoever of discomfort? It's all very strange... anyone heard of this... and have any suggestions?

Is there any chance that there is something "new" in the closet or bedroom area that may be giving off an odor that is just driving her sniffer crazy? Maybe even a food type product, or anything that her little nose can't lose the scent of? It's just like if you were trying to sleep and someone was downstairs cooking all kinds of delectable things. Would you want to go check it out? Just a thought

Hi there - you know I considered that. I think today when I get home from work I am going to go up there and do a really thorough cleaning... maybe there is a bone hidden somewhere that she keeps trying to find because she smells it. There area also (brace yourself :-) ) 5 other dogs in there, so there is no lack of treats here and there that could be jammed in a corner of a crate or something? Two are also in crates in our room, and then two on the bed with us. We rescue a lot of animals... so there you go. But these are all her "brothers and sisters"... no one is new or anything. But anyway, thank you, and yes... I am going to give it a total vacuum, / scrub down... wash her bedding, etc etc tonight. Last night though, she pawed/scratched the door, so my husband took her outside... she peed... but then came back in... went back upstairs and it all started again... the just not wanting to settle. I am also going to take her to vet soon to get bloodwork run... so frustrating because of the lack of sleep issue... but we'll figure it out. I love my babies! :-) Thanks for replying.