Identifying stress in dogs can be difficult on many occasions, especially if we do not have previous experience with it. It is always advisable to go to a specialist if this problem generates serious situations and if we are not sure how we can solve it ourselves.
In this article on our site we will review with you the symptoms or signs that indicate that a dog is suffering from stress, we will identify some of the most common causes and we will explain how the treatment should be to help him overcome this difficult period.
Read on to discover what to do if my dog is stressed with quality tips that will clearly improve his well-being. Do not forget that stress can have serious consequences in your day to day life. It will be essential to remedy this situation as soon as possible.
What is stress? What are the most common causes?
When we talk about stress, we refer to an automatic response generated by the dog's body before a specificstimulus. The stimulus can be of any kind: a person, a dog, a car, an environment… Sometimes stress can be positive, for example, when our dog gets excited when he meets another companion dog. But it can also be negative, especially when we talk about dogs that have not been properly socialized and are afraid of the environment, other pets or people.
Stress triggers a reaction in the dog's body. This can lead to an escape attempt or reactivity (a negative response such as barking, growling and attack attempts). It will depend on each dog and each specific situation.
Stress combines various factors, including adaptation to the environment, the dog's needs and the succession of positive factors that make your life happy. In this way, if we do not meet these basic requirements our dog will become stressed.
The well-being of a pet comes from fulfilling the five freedoms of animal welfare that include in summary form:
- Free from thirst, hunger and malnutrition
- Free from discomfort
- Free from pain, sickness and injury
- Free expression
- Free from fear and stress
By fulfilling all these needs and observing a he althy dog, we can affirm that it is a dog that enjoys a feeling of well-being. However, if this is not the case, our dog may be suffering from stress. Here are the most common symptoms of stress in dogs.
Most common causes of stress in dogs:
As we have mentioned before, one of the most common causes is poor socialization If we have not taught our dog (or we have not had the opportunity) to interact with people, pets and elements of the environment from puppyhood, the dog can develop serious fears. Sometimes that translates into skittish and timid dogs but in others we find dogs that have very bad reactions.
Even so, there may be fears and phobias that may have been generated after a bad experience that the dog has suffered: it has been bitten, he has lost himself, he has lost a family member… This type of situation causes him stress and confusion.
On the other hand, factors related to animal welfare also cause stress: the lack of walks, being chained to a specific place, suffering from an illness, not being able to relate as you wish, being locked up… All of this affects your mental he alth and causes stress.
Symptoms and behavior of a stressed dog
We can think that we fulfill all the freedoms of the dog and that it enjoys a happy life, but sometimes we find behaviors that show that this dog is not happy at all, moreover, that it suffers from a situation of major stress.
If we do not remedy this problem that, influenced by the environment, social needs and others cause a mental problem, we can cause our pet to begin to suffer changes in behavior, which leads to behavioral problems.
Some clues that indicate stress in our pet:
- Stereotypes: These are repetitive behaviors or movements that have no function. In kennels we can talk about cases of dogs that turn on themselves for hours, that is effectively a stereotype.
- Aggressiveness: If until then our pet had been a pet with normal behavior and begins to develop aggressiveness in certain situations, these obviously they affect the he alth of our pet who will increase their stress levels.
- Apathy: Although some dogs show their stress through aggressiveness or somewhat extreme behavior, there are also cases of dogs that will not show any behavior. Seeing an extremely apathetic dog is just as serious as one that performs stereotypies.
- Excess activity: This is not the same as talking about a tireless dog. These are pets that, even when extremely tired, are unable to stop their movements and behavior.
- Use negative reinforcement or aggressiveness: In addition to being dangerous not only for us, but also for those around us, these behaviors generate a high level of stress in our dog. We will avoid all kinds of negative behavior.
- Fear: It can be fear of people, other dogs or we can talk about generalized fear. Dogs that have had very negative experiences in their lives may suffer from fear that generates stress.
Other signs that can be a symptom of stress in the dog can be excessive panting when we observe excess activity (or hyperactivity), an excessive reaction to some stimuli, excessive licking, hair loss, muscle stiffness … This kind of pervasive behavior translates directly into stress. Here we will explain what to do if your dog is stressed.
If we also use punishment tools (choke collar, anti-bark collar and semi-choke collar) or physical or verbal punishment itself, we will be worsening and increasing stress in our dog. Do not punish a stressed dog under any circumstances
Treatment of stress in dogs and animal welfare
If your dog is suffering from serious stress and it is also related to behavioral problems, it will be essential Go to a professional such as an ethologist or a canine educator That is because, sometimes, and due to ignorance, we may not act correctly. Unlike us, a professional will be able to analyze the dog and tell us the specific causes that are causing stress in it.
However, there are some tips that can help us improve your well-beingwhile we wait for the specialist's visit:
In addition to fulfilling the basic needs of our pet, it is very important that we communicate with it properlyWe will use positive reinforcement to encourage those behaviors that we like through treats, caresses and even a kind word. It is not necessary to be excessive in the prize, it will be enough to show affection to the dog and generate confidence in him. It is very important that you find in us a figure of support and comfort.
It is important, as we have mentioned before, to avoid aggressiveness in any way. Nagging him and putting him in an awkward situation will certainly create more stress. We will try to avoid fights and redirect behaviors that we do not like in a positive way. For example, if he is chewing on the sofa we will not scold him, we will simply offer him an appropriate toy for him.
Another very important measure will be Provide peace of mind and security. We will never force him to relate or interact with other dogs or people, depending on his fear. They themselves when they are prepared will seek to relate. This point also links us to another very important one: we must avoid exposure to stress as much as possible. If, for example, we know that our dog is afraid of dogs larger than him, we will try to walk him at quiet times when we know that there will not be too many dogs. If possible, we should completely eliminate all the stimuli that cause stress.
We will try to do quiet activities: massages, the use of the kong, the sowing… Do not excite him or encourage him to run or chase objects. It is important that the animal has a relaxed attitude as much as possible until the stress passes.
Finally we will add that loving our pet a lot, spending time with it and walking at least 60 to 90 minutes a day are techniques which will greatly improve your stress levels. During the walk we must encourage him to sniff, walk on the long leash and to be able to enjoy the walk without any tension.
In principle, stress should be eliminated from the body after 21 days, but depending on the case it can be much more. In dogs that suffer from chronic stress or serious fears, the supervision and help of a professional will be very important, as we have previously mentioned. Do not hesitate to comment and ask us your questions.
