It’s A Dog’s Life—

Canine Stress

By Mary Jane Anderson

Stress is a common occurrence in our daily lives. It occurs when a person or animal is placed in a situation which is unusual or when various demands are placed upon them. At times, it may not be obvious why a dog is stressed, and we must discover the problem. When a dog’s body language is signaling that he is in an uncomfortable situation, we need to watch, listen, and try to help lessen his stress.

Dogs are sensitive creatures of habit. Like most of us, they prefer their own routines, their homes, their mealtimes, their activities, their friends — human or animal. Change of routine can affect a dog’s behavior as well as his physical well-being. Any break in a normal, learned behavior can cause stress. As Dr Wayne Lesko of the Center of Stress Management in Arlington, Va., put it, “Stress is anything that causes us to change.”

Dogs have as wide a range of emotions as people do: anger, fear, depression, anxiety, and jealousy. Sometimes, the loss of a household member or another pet can plunge a dog into grieving process. In one household, three German shepherds lived and played together for many years. The dogs died one after another. The last of the three dogs became so depressed that even when another dog came into the house, he was never the same. Conversely, a stranger staying in a house can also unnerve a dog. Even the arrival of a new baby can cause jealousy.

Individual dogs react in different ways to unfamiliar situations. It is usually easy to recognize when it is not normal behavior with our dogs. They show their feelings with all kinds of body language: cringing, moping, shaking, panting, tooth-baring, eye-darting, lip-licking, nervous tail-wagging, among other nervous actions.

All kinds of occurrences cause anxiety in dogs: a strange noise or voice, the ring of a doorbell, the sudden appearance of a stranger, a thunderstorm, an unfamiliar environment, or the disappearance of a person, place or object.

Separation anxiety often causes stress. Once, when a friend of mine had to be hospitalized a few times, she needed to find caretakers for her two dogs. The first time she went away, I cared for Cindy (a German shepherd) and Riley (a sheltie) at their own home. They had known me for some time, and both dogs were relaxed the whole time their owner was away. When my friend returned home I continued walking the dogs until she was able to pick up on their normal routines. Neither dog showed any stress and both welcomed their owner home as if she had been gone for only an hour instead of a week.

Three weeks later my friend had to go back to the hospital. This time I was not able to be there for Cindy and Riley. Another trusted neighbor took care of the dogs in her home where they played with the children and the other dogs. The home and their usual routines, however, were strange to the dogs and Cindy, usually calm and contented, started to scratch constantly. Riley fretted anxiously all the time, whimpering, going to the windows, peering out, seemingly looking for his owner or for some way to escape.

When my friend and her dogs all returned home, this time Riley would not let his owner out of his sight. He followed her, watched her every move. Cindy’s scratching had to be treated by the veterinarian to heal the open sores from the scratching. It took more than two weeks for the dogs to finally settle down to their normal daily living.

How, as a dog owner or caretaker, can you help lessen a dog’s anxiety? Partly by comforting and reassuring your dog in quiet tones. If you can be composed, you help lessen stress in both yourself and your dog. Sometimes you can distract him with a fun activity, like playing ball. You can sometimes remove the cause of his stress — changing the scene, removing what to him seems like an alarming situation.

Actually dogs can be quite tolerant of reasonable changes in their routines. But there are times when stressful situations are unexpected or unavoidable. That’s when, with patience and understanding, you can help your dog adopt a fresh outlook on unsettling circumstances.