Anxiety in dogs often goes undiagnosed and the behaviour problems it causes is instead seen as a fault in the dogs character or simply bad behaviour. For instance, aggression is often regarded as a character flaw and excessive chewing as bad behavior, but both circumstances are a lot more likely to be driven by anxiousness.
Missing the signals of anxiety in dogs, means we also miss the opportunity to help our dogs relax and enjoy their life with us. We also risk letting the anxiety get to the point where we don't trust them or know the way to cope with their behavior. Dog rescues finish up with a lot of anxious dogs!
Dog Fear Aggression
Aggression in dogs can be driven by dominance issues, but again is more frequently driven by fear, so if your dog has a tendency to be aggressive toward people or other dogs, look out for other signs of anxiety and if you believe that's the cause, do something fast.
In the wild a dog has 3 techniques of defence; flight, freeze or fight and they're going to use them in that exact order. They won't risk being hurt unless it is crucial to protect themselves, their pack or their territory.
Many dog owners report that their dog is more aggressive when on the lead than when off, which seems sensible when you start to understand that the lead removes their first way of survival - flight.
Fear aggression isn't something that should be treated trivially and what starts with barking and growling can end in a dog bite or dog fight if you do not react in the correct way. Handling the anxiousness that lies behind the aggression is vital.
Shy or Timid Dogs
At the other end of the scale, anxiety in dogs can show itself as excessively timid or shy behavior, such as a dog cowering behind you when scared, or running away to take cover.
Some dog keepers report that their dog is afraid of everything and they struggle to get them out of the house for a walk. Others dogs are so afraid of people that they shake at the sound generated by a human voice.
It is maybe hard to understand that aggression and the urge to run and hide are both driven by anxiety, but points to the personality of the dog determining how they cope with the anxiousness they're feeling.
Dog Behaviour Problems
Somewhere in the middle, between aggression and acute fear there are a lot more signs of anxiety that are often viewed as dog behaviour problems.
The classic one is barking and crying when left home alone. Another is excessive gnawing of everything they can get their teeth into like furniture, carpets, window frames and doors. Maybe the least agreeable is your dog urinating or pooping in the house while you're out.
Physical symptoms in your dog can also be driven by anxiety and can show themselves as pacing the floor, panting and salivating excessively or chewing on their tail or paws until raw.
What to Do Next
If you suspect your dog is afflicted by anxiety and is showing one or several of the symptoms above, I'd like to begin by assuring you that you can sort it out. Anxiety is not a personality issue in your dog, and the symptoms you see is not your dog being badly behaved, but merely a reaction to what they are feeling.
Yes, some dogs are more scared by character and may always need a touch more reassurance, but when you sort out the anxiety you'll enable your dog to relax and they're going to become more confident.
The most effective approach is to show them that they can trust you to be the decision maker because when they trust you, they'll look to you first to discover how you react and if you are not concerned about a situation, they won't be either. The simplest way to gain that trust is for you to find out how to show them you're the pack leader.
Missing the signals of anxiety in dogs, means we also miss the opportunity to help our dogs relax and enjoy their life with us. We also risk letting the anxiety get to the point where we don't trust them or know the way to cope with their behavior. Dog rescues finish up with a lot of anxious dogs!
Dog Fear Aggression
Aggression in dogs can be driven by dominance issues, but again is more frequently driven by fear, so if your dog has a tendency to be aggressive toward people or other dogs, look out for other signs of anxiety and if you believe that's the cause, do something fast.
In the wild a dog has 3 techniques of defence; flight, freeze or fight and they're going to use them in that exact order. They won't risk being hurt unless it is crucial to protect themselves, their pack or their territory.
Many dog owners report that their dog is more aggressive when on the lead than when off, which seems sensible when you start to understand that the lead removes their first way of survival - flight.
Fear aggression isn't something that should be treated trivially and what starts with barking and growling can end in a dog bite or dog fight if you do not react in the correct way. Handling the anxiousness that lies behind the aggression is vital.
Shy or Timid Dogs
At the other end of the scale, anxiety in dogs can show itself as excessively timid or shy behavior, such as a dog cowering behind you when scared, or running away to take cover.
Some dog keepers report that their dog is afraid of everything and they struggle to get them out of the house for a walk. Others dogs are so afraid of people that they shake at the sound generated by a human voice.
It is maybe hard to understand that aggression and the urge to run and hide are both driven by anxiety, but points to the personality of the dog determining how they cope with the anxiousness they're feeling.
Dog Behaviour Problems
Somewhere in the middle, between aggression and acute fear there are a lot more signs of anxiety that are often viewed as dog behaviour problems.
The classic one is barking and crying when left home alone. Another is excessive gnawing of everything they can get their teeth into like furniture, carpets, window frames and doors. Maybe the least agreeable is your dog urinating or pooping in the house while you're out.
Physical symptoms in your dog can also be driven by anxiety and can show themselves as pacing the floor, panting and salivating excessively or chewing on their tail or paws until raw.
What to Do Next
If you suspect your dog is afflicted by anxiety and is showing one or several of the symptoms above, I'd like to begin by assuring you that you can sort it out. Anxiety is not a personality issue in your dog, and the symptoms you see is not your dog being badly behaved, but merely a reaction to what they are feeling.
Yes, some dogs are more scared by character and may always need a touch more reassurance, but when you sort out the anxiety you'll enable your dog to relax and they're going to become more confident.
The most effective approach is to show them that they can trust you to be the decision maker because when they trust you, they'll look to you first to discover how you react and if you are not concerned about a situation, they won't be either. The simplest way to gain that trust is for you to find out how to show them you're the pack leader.
About the Author:
Author Venice Marriott is a writer and dog owner and runs the website dog-anxiety.com to provide help for dog owners battling with the problems created by anxiety in dogs. Click Here to get additional information about anxiety, and access free video training created by a world renowned dog training expert.
