Dogs feel anxiety just as we do. It is a natural and safe emotion though unpleasant.
Dog anxiety can strike all breeds so it can have various effects on each particular dog.
While it is something that dogs undergo from time to time, a dog may develop an anxiety disorder if excessive levels of anxiety are left uncontrolled.
Anxiety over separation
Separation anxiety is the most common type of anxiety when the dog doesn’t want to be apart from you. Dogs often attach everything about their lives that they value like company, play, and food, go for walks with people around them. When left alone, they will have none of the good stuff. And if they haven’t learned to be comfortable with their own company, then they can experience anxiety about separation. Research suggests dogs need to know how to deal with being away from their owners and when they’re young, that’s the perfect time to train your dog.
Fear for loud sounds
Events such as thunderstorms and fireworks will trigger fear in your dogs. Dogs are instinctively terrified of these things because they are noisy and scary, and they learn to link the wind or rain noise with such things. That is why dogs often get nervous even if they sense a storm may becoming.
Environmental change
Less common types of anxiety may include environmental changes, such as going to the veterinarian, in the car, or moving to another house. Even issues like changing working hours, the owners traveling, any instant change to a daily routine will cause anxiety.
Old age anxiety
Age-related anxiety tends to affect older dogs and may be associated with a disorder of cognitive dysfunction (CDS). Similar to the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease in humans, memory, learning, perception, and cognition tend to decrease in dogs with CDS. This leads to confusion and anxiety in senior dogs, unsurprisingly.
Symptoms of Anxiety for the Dog
Moreover, how do you know if your dog is feeling anxious? Look out for several significant symptoms:
- Aggressiveness.
- Depression
- Barking too much
- Pacing
- Restlessness
- Compulsive or repetitive behaviors
- Urinating or defecating in the apartment.
- Drooling
- Panting
- Damaging behavior
- Escaping
Escaping
Escape habits are not only a symptom of anxiety but also a risk to your furry friend. Clearly, you don’t want them to bolt out the door or rush down the street. So do what you can to relieve their anxiety and keep them safe as well.
Yawning
Although it might look like they’re just adorable and feeling sleepy, if the dog is continuously yawning, it may be due to stress. Yawning is a very slight and unspecific symptom of anxiety that is frequently ignored.
Shaking
Some signs are easier to recognize, as is always the case of shaking and trembling, which is a sign of mild to extreme fear. Sometimes, the dog can appear clearly concerned or nervous. If your dog looks freaked out, then they are. Other symptoms of anxiety are wide eyes, a furrowed brow, and expressive ears.
Hiding
Anxious dogs may try to escape situations, things, and individuals that scare them. It might sound like exiting the room, pulling backward on a leash, running behind the legs of their owner, and so on.
Excessive barking
If your dog barks what they see outside, or if they respond when they hear strange noise, it’s okay. But if for no reason, yours is barking, and can’t be calmed, it may very well be a symptom of anxiety. It could also be noisier than average for dogs that aren’t big talkers. Often, they can be jumpier and more sensitive to sound and sudden movement.
Chewing
Chewing on items like door frames, or windowsills, scratching at doors or doorways, or ruining household objects while left alone, are all symptoms of anxiety.
Urinating or defecating
When your dog has anxiety, they tend to leave urine tracks when they walk. Urine dribbling or defection happens during the reaction to fight or flight. The body of the animal, just like humans, creates a sympathetic reaction to the nervous system that increases adrenaline, which helps them to get out of there.
Pacing
If your dog’s pace around the apartment, they might just be bored. But that can be a sign of anxiety, too. Dogs do pacing anxiously, and so do humans also. Most pacing dogs move about in circle motions, while some run in straight lines back and forth.
Ways to help your dog with anxiety
There are several ways to get rid of anxiety in dogs, but we stated a few remedies below
Chamomile: Natural Dog Anti-Anxiety
Chamomile is among the best-known herbs today. This herb is a natural anti-anxiety. Its sedative properties are a great benefit to nervousness.
Valerian: Help an Anxious Dog to cool down.
Valerian is a potent nervine herb that has a calming influence to benefit people with insomnia, anxiety, muscle spasms, and nervous anxiety.
Grooming
Perhaps your dog’s therapy is as easy as 10 minutes of every night grooming. It’s going to be better with your dog, and it’s going to be more fun for them to relax with their owner.
