Canine Anxiety - Do We Make Our Dog's Anxious?
In short, yes we can, but in most cases canine anxiety is pre-dispositioned. As a caregiver, an owner of an anxious dog and having recently completed a Canine Anxiety course, over the years I have been able to observe many dog's and seen patterns of anxious behaviour depending on their surroundings and who is with them. Dog's are extremely good at picking up on their caregiver's body language and this includes emotions. When I meet a dog for the first time, I go in with an open mind, even when their owners tell me the dog is anxious out on walks or when being left. I then try to find out as much as possible surrounding this - what may have lead to this behaviour, how the owner deals with it and how the dog reacts. As mentioned above, dog's are very good at picking up on our body language, reading our facial expressions and picking up on the tone of our voice. Even subtle changes we won't notice; our sweat, tears and pheromones. Being with another dog, I see a dog's behaviour change, whereas the owner won't spot this change because it is the "norm" for them. Being a dog owner is hard work, especially if you've had your dog out and experienced an incident. This puts you on edge and in turn, sets the dog on edge. Maybe you then avoid that area in fear of it happening again. Maybe you now no longer let your dog off lead, when you used to all the time. You're alert, you're rigid, you may walk faster. Your dog picks up on all of this. If you take the same route, your dog predicts what may happen and their behaviour will change. They may start to pull on the lead, they may want to cross the road, they may stop completely. You start tugging at them to come, you may raise your voice - adding to their anxiety, especially in younger dogs or already anxious dogs (rescues). When caregivers project calmness and confidence, dog's see their environment as safe.
Signs of Canine Anxiety
There are many signs of canine anxiety, but I've listed the most common signs:
Shaking, dithering, tremors
Hiding
Barking, whining, howling
Toileting in the home or car
Destruction
Pacing
Panting, drooling
Fight or Flight - Aggression or attempt to escape
Dilated pupils
Withdrawn
Chewing, licking, biting themselves
Loss of appetite
Ignoring you when called
Tail tucking
Ears pinned back
Whale Eye
Do you notice any of these signs in your dog? Do they display these behaviours on a regular basis? If you do notice these behaviour's on a regular basis, it may be that your dog has an anxiety disorder and not just a feeling of anxiety. Next time you take your dog out for a walk, take note of their behaviour, watch for changes and what lead to those changes. Where were you? What happened? If nothing is obvious, think back to something that may have happened there.
What Can You Do?
If you are anxious yourself, your dog will most definitely pick up on this, so you need to work on this to be able to help your dog. If you don't know how to deal with a situation, you are highly likely to get bitten by your dog which will only exacerbate the situation. Here's a few things you can do to help:
Keep to a routine. As mentioned, dogs are good at predicting actions. If the actions are positive, both you and your dog will be much calmer.
Don't avoid going out, especially if the anxiousness is triggered by outdoor environments. Learn the triggers, avoid the triggers or make the trigger a positive experience.
Let your dog sniff on walks - walks aren't just about physical exercise. Your dog gains much more by sniffing than they do walking.
Don't fuss. Remember your dog is good at predicting, if you start to make a fuss then leave them alone, they will learn that behaviour. Same when you come home, don't fuss.
Don't punish the behaviour caused by their anxiety.
Get a dog cam - this is particularly good if they are left alone so you can monitor their behaviour and any triggers.
Make It Positive!
Reward them, make the experience positive, give them their favourite treats. Distract them, throw treats on the floor, space them out so that they have to walk to the next treat, this works particularly well if they don't like walking passed something. Scatter treats on the floor and let them use their nose to find them - again, a great distraction technique. Hold a treat in your hand and have them work to get it out. You will end up with a soggy hand, but it's distracted them and they've been rewarded. Buy puzzle toys or snuffle mats to hide treats or food in. Stuff Kongs with cheese, peanut butter (xylitol free), food and freeze them. Hide treats around the house. Mix up their toys regularly to keep them entertained.
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