Why does my dog shake, tremble and shiver?When to call a vet

Why Does My Dog Shake and Tremble? 9 Causes Every Owner Must Know

It is 11pm. Your dog is trembling in the corner. They were fine an hour ago. Now you are staring at them wondering if this is nothing or if you need to find an emergency vet. If that is you right now, you are in the right place. This guide breaks down every reason a dog shakes and trembles, from completely harmless to genuinely urgent, so you know exactly what to do next.

If you’ve ever wondered why does my dog shake and tremble, you’re not alone. It is one of the most searched pet health questions online. Most shaking is benign, but a few patterns are genuine emergencies. This guide will teach you to tell the difference.

The Short Answer

Shaking and trembling in dogs can mean anything from “I’m cold” or “I’m excited” to “I’m in pain” or “I’ve been poisoned.” Context matters enormously. Most shaking is benign but a few patterns are medical emergencies. This post will teach you to tell the difference.

Quick Reference: Why Does My Dog Shake and Tremble?

Use this table for a fast first assessment. Then read the full section for your dog’s specific situation.

Cause	Severity	What To Do
Cold	Low	Warm the dog up, monitor
Excitement	Low	Nothing, completely normal
Drying off after bath or swim	Low	Nothing, completely normal
White Dog Shaker Syndrome	Low to Medium	Vet visit for diagnosis and treatment
Fear or anxiety	Low to Medium	Remove stressor, consult vet if chronic
Nausea	Medium	Monitor, vet visit if persistent
Pain	Medium to High	Vet visit urgently
Hypoglycaemia	High	Emergency vet immediately
Old Dog Tremor Syndrome	Low to Medium	Vet visit to rule out other causes
Distemper	Very High	Emergency vet immediately
Addison’s Disease	High	Vet visit urgently
Toxin exposure	Very High	Emergency vet and poison control now

Why Dogs Shake and Tremble: Normal vs Serious

Trembling is one of the least diagnostic symptoms a dog can produce because it spans such an enormous range of causes from completely normal to genuinely life threatening. The key is not the trembling itself but everything that surrounds it: when it happens, how it looks, what else the dog is doing, and how long it lasts.

Normal Reasons Your Dog Shakes and Trembles

1. Cold

Dogs can get cold. Smaller dogs, short haired dogs, lean dogs, and old dogs are particularly vulnerable to cold temperatures. A dog shivering in a cold environment is doing exactly what mammals do, generating heat through involuntary muscle contractions.

How to tell: Happens in cold conditions, stops when the dog warms up, no other symptoms.

2. Excitement or Anticipation

Many dogs shake and tremble with excitement at the prospect of a walk, when you pick up the leash, during play, or when greeting someone they love. This is usually visible as a full body quiver rather than the deeper, sustained trembling of cold or fear.

How to tell: Paired with obvious excitement signals (tail wagging, bright eyes, jumping, vocalisation). Stops once the exciting thing either starts or ends.

3. Drying Off

Post bath or post swim full body shakes are biomechanical. Dogs evolved this mechanism to shed water rapidly. Research from Georgia Tech found that a wet dog can shake off about 70% of the water in its coat in under a second, with the skin oscillating at 4 to 5 Hz. You’ve seen this. You’ve been the collateral damage.

4. White Dog Shaker Syndrome

Small white breeds including Maltese, West Highland White Terriers, and Bichons can develop a condition called White Dog Shaker Syndrome (generalised tremor syndrome), characterised by full body shaking unrelated to cold, fear, or excitement. The cause isn’t fully understood. The leading theory involves immune mediated inflammation of the central nervous system. It’s treatable with corticosteroids. If your small white dog shakes and trembles regularly without obvious cause, discuss it with your vet.

Emotional Reasons a Dog Shakes and Trembles

Fear and Anxiety

Fear is one of the most common reasons a dog shakes and trembles. Thunderstorms, fireworks, vet visits, unfamiliar people, car rides. Many dogs tremble in response to things they find threatening or unpredictable. What looks like random shaking often has a very clear emotional trigger once you start paying attention to the pattern.

Patricia McConnell, in The Other End of the Leash, is careful to distinguish “shut down” fear responses (stillness, trembling, whale eye, tucked tail) from aggression adjacent fear responses, because they require very different handling. A trembling fearful dog needs calm reassurance, not forced exposure or punishment.

Signs this is fear: visible stress signals alongside trembling including yawning, panting, pinned ears, avoidance, and seeking escape. If your dog trembles chronically from anxiety, a vet or certified behaviourist can help significantly.

Stress and Overstimulation

Some dogs tremble at the vet’s office not because they’re sick but because the environment is deeply stressful with strange smells, other animals, and handling from strangers. This is why baseline assessment of trembling at a vet visit is difficult. Always mention to your vet if your dog was trembling before you arrived or only started in the waiting room.

Medical Causes of Dog Shaking and Trembling

This is the section to take seriously. The following causes all require veterinary assessment. If you are unsure which category your dog falls into, err on the side of calling your vet.

Pain

Trembling is a common response to pain in dogs. A dog that shakes and trembles without obvious emotional or environmental cause, especially if it is also reluctant to move, protecting a limb, vocalising when touched, or showing changes in posture, may be in pain. Pain related trembling can be hard to distinguish from anxiety trembling without a physical examination. When in doubt, see a vet.

Nausea

Dogs shake and tremble when nauseated. This is well documented in motion sickness, gastrointestinal upset, and as a side effect of certain medications. The shaking is often accompanied by lip licking, excessive salivation, yawning, and reluctance to eat. If your dog trembles after car rides or after eating something unusual, nausea is likely the cause.

Hypoglycaemia (Low Blood Sugar)

Small breed puppies are especially vulnerable to hypoglycaemic episodes, as are diabetic dogs whose insulin doses aren’t well calibrated. Trembling combined with weakness, confusion, disorientation, and pale gums is a medical emergency. Do not wait to see if it passes.

Distemper

Canine distemper, a viral disease preventable by vaccination, can cause muscle twitching and tremors as part of its neurological phase. Unvaccinated dogs are at risk. According to Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, distemper is one of the most serious neurological threats to unvaccinated dogs. This is a life threatening illness that moves fast.

Addison’s Disease (Hypoadrenocorticism)

Addison’s disease involves insufficient production of adrenal hormones and presents with a wide range of symptoms including weakness, trembling, vomiting, diarrhoea, and collapse. It is difficult to diagnose because the symptoms wax and wane, earning it the nickname “the great imitator.” It is treatable once identified and most dogs go on to live normal lives with proper management.

Toxin Exposure

Many common household and garden toxins cause a dog to shake and tremble. These include xylitol (an artificial sweetener found in sugar free gum, some peanut butters, and sugar free products), certain medications, insecticides, and toxic plants. Toxin related trembling is typically sudden onset, rapidly progressive, and accompanied by other neurological signs such as dilated pupils, disorientation, and seizure activity.

If you suspect poisoning: call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at 888 426 4435 immediately. Do not wait to see if it resolves.

Old Dog Tremor Syndrome

Senior dogs commonly develop benign tremor in the hindlimbs, a gentle rhythmic shaking of the back legs that appears during rest or when standing. According to the AKC, it is typically not painful or progressive and does not require treatment beyond monitoring. That said, it should always be assessed by a vet first to rule out pain, neurological issues, or other underlying conditions.

When Dog Shaking and Trembling Is an Emergency

Go to the emergency vet immediately if:

Trembling is sudden onset, severe, and getting worse
Your dog has potentially ingested a toxin
Trembling is accompanied by seizure like activity
Dog collapses or cannot stand
Gums are pale, white, blue, or gray
Dog is unresponsive or disoriented
Trembling follows a trauma or injury
Trembling is combined with vomiting, diarrhoea, and extreme weakness together

When in doubt, call your vet. A five minute phone call is always better than waiting and regretting it.

How to Describe Your Dog’s Shaking to Your Vet

The more precisely you describe it, the faster the diagnosis. Before you call or visit, note the following:

When it started and how suddenly
Whether it is constant or comes and goes
Which part of the body is affected (full body, hindlimbs only, head only)
What was happening just before it started
Whether anything makes it better or worse
Any other symptoms, however minor they seem
Any recent changes in food, medication, or environment

Video is extremely useful. Trembling that has stopped by the time you reach the vet can be documented on your phone. Most vets genuinely appreciate it.

Quick Answers: Why Does My Dog Shake and Tremble?

Why does my dog shake and tremble in their sleep?

Sleep trembling is almost always normal. Dogs experience REM sleep just like humans and will twitch, paddle, and tremble during vivid dreams. If the shaking is violent or the dog cannot be easily woken, that is worth a vet visit.

Why does my Chihuahua shake all the time?

Chihuahuas shake more than most breeds for two reasons: they have a very fast metabolism which generates body heat through trembling, and they are prone to anxiety. Unless accompanied by other symptoms, Chihuahua shaking is usually normal. Cold and excitement are the most common triggers.

Why does my dog shake after eating?

Post meal trembling can indicate nausea, low blood sugar correction in small breeds, or excitement. If it happens consistently after every meal, mention it to your vet as it can occasionally signal gastrointestinal issues.

Why does my dog shake his whole body when he is not wet?

Full body shakes when dry are usually a reset behaviour, similar to a human shaking off tension. Dogs do this after stressful interactions, after waking up, or when transitioning between activities. Completely normal unless paired with other symptoms.

My dog shakes after a bath even though it is warm. Why?

Shaking after bathing is a combination of temperature response and the mechanical water removal reflex. Even in warm conditions, wet fur creates evaporative cooling. Normal.

My dog only trembles in one leg. What does that mean?

Localised single limb trembling points more toward pain or a neurological issue than a general anxiety response. Worth a vet visit rather than monitoring at home.

My dog shakes its head constantly. Is that the same thing?

Head shaking is usually separate from body trembling. It most often indicates ear problems such as infection, ear mites, or a foreign body in the ear canal. Check for redness, odour, or discharge in the ears.

My senior dog trembles when standing but is fine when lying down. Normal?

Old Dog Tremor Syndrome fits this pattern closely. Assess with your vet to rule out pain or other causes, but it is commonly benign in older dogs.

Why does my dog shake when I pick them up?

This is almost always fear or discomfort. Some dogs find being lifted stressful or physically uncomfortable, especially if they have joint pain. If your dog consistently trembles when handled, a vet check for pain is worthwhile.

The Bottom Line

Most of the time, when your dog shakes and trembles, the cause is benign. Cold, excitement, anxiety, the post bath shake. But some trembling is a medical signal that catches serious conditions early when they are most treatable.

Watch the context. Watch the whole dog. If the trembling is new, getting worse, or paired with any other symptom that feels off, err on the side of a vet visit. The ones that are nothing will be a reassurance. The ones that are something will catch it early.

Keep Reading

Want to understand your dog better? Browse our full library of dog health and behaviour guides at the Pawsidor blog for practical, vet informed answers to the questions every dog owner asks.

Sources:
AKC: Why do dogs shiver and tremble?
Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine: Tremors and seizures.
Lifton, S.J. et al. Hypoadrenocorticism in dogs. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine.
ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center.
McConnell, P. (2002). The Other End of the Leash. Ballantine Books.

Sources & References

Horowitz, A. (2009). Inside of a Dog. Scribner.
Bradshaw, J. (2013). Cat Sense. Basic Books.
McConnell, P. (2002). The Other End of the Leash. Ballantine Books.

All factual claims on Pawsidor trace to peer-reviewed research, university studies, or books by credentialed animal scientists. Learn about our editorial standard →

Why Does My Dog Shake and Tremble?