Unfortunately, dogs can’t speak up about how they feel. So, it might not be easy to tell whether you have a depressed or anxious pup in your home. You can only watch out for behavioral changes by assessing their body language. Understanding whether your dog is stressed in certain situations can help you prioritize their health and well-being. Here’s how to tell if your dog is stressed!
Your Dog Barks Constantly
Intense barking, howling, and whining when left alone is often a sign of dogs with separation anxiety. There are also compulsive barkers that bark just to hear themselves. This is common in hound dogs, like Beagles. You should be able to differentiate between the two. Compulsive barkers make excessive vocalizations–– even when you are around!
Your Dog Refuses to Eat
A dog who chooses to eat little or no food due to minor stomach upset or stress may begin to eat again in 24 hours. However, prolonged loss of appetite that exceeds a day could signify a medical emergency. If your dog refuses to eat, even when offered high-value treats, this could signify a veterinary emergency.
Your Dog Chews and Scratches Excessively
Scratching furniture normally happens in dogs for many reasons. Anxious people twirl their hair and bite their nails in response to a psychological upset. Nervous dogs also manifest the same habit through scratching or chewing behaviors that can cause severe damage to household items.
Your Dog Tries to Escape or Hide
Dogs hide when they are tense. They slink behind any object or move behind their owners. Some dogs even nudge their owners to prompt them to move along. Others may engage in diversion activities like circling or digging. This could be a sign of stress, especially if your dog is nervous around loud noises, like fireworks.
Your Dog Trembles or Paces
It can be amusing to watch your dog’s whole body shake, and it’s pretty normal, but there are instances when shaking, and pacing occur due to a stressful situation. For example, dogs are commonly stressed when visiting a veterinarian. Just like humans, dogs also walk the same path repeatedly while waiting for the veterinarian to attend to them.
Your Dog Pants
Dogs pant for different reasons. They pant when it’s hot and when they are overly excited. However, a dog that dog pants even when he has not exercised could be a sign he’s experiencing some stress.
Your Dog Experiences Vomiting and Diarrhea
When a dog is distressed, the nervous system conveys signals from his brain to the gut. Your dog’s gut sometimes responds to these signals with physical symptoms, including constipation, vomiting, and diarrhea. It’s essential to check with your vet before administering any treatment.
Your Dog Growls
Dogs normally growl because they are anxious about a particular situation. Many people often mistake growling for aggressive behavior. It’s not always the case since it could mean your dog is hurting or anxious in social situations. Your dog may bite if you don’t calm him.
Your Pet Drools, Yawns, and Licks
Dogs usually yawn when they are tired, bored, or stressed. A stressful yawn is more prolonged and extreme. Sometimes the yawn is even teamed up with lip licking. Nervous pets also drool excessively, but if your dog is licking and swallowing, he is most likely nauseous from anxiety.
You Notice Changes in Eyes and Ear Posture
A change in ear posture tells you more about your dog’s state of mind. Whenever they are stressed, dogs pin back their ears behind their heads. He will keep rotating the ears from back to sideways to show uncertainty.
Stressed dogs also display more sclera than usual when focusing on something. They also exhibit excessive blinking and have dilated pupils.
4 Tips for Dealing with a Stressed Dog
To soothe your dog, you must understand why your pup is stressed in the first place. Then find an efficient way that can help reduce the tension. Below are some of the best ways you can utilize to calm your dog.
1. Exercise Your Dog
Exercise plays a significant role in pets. It enhances healthy bones and lowers your dog’s blood pressure. You can play many games with your dog to reduce boredom. Try hide-and-seek or fetch games, and you won’t be disappointed. Dental chews also eliminate anxiety-related behaviors and other problems such as excessive licking, barking, and chewing.
2. Offer Your Dog Treats
Giving treats to a stressed dog may divert his attention from the trigger. However, it may not work for dogs in extreme pain. Try a variety of calming treats to take the edge off some minor nervousness.
3. Don’t Punish Your Dog
Stay nice and calm and don’t punish your dog for behaving weirdly. Dominance theory doesn’t work, and most dogs tend to be very sensitive to their owners’ emotions. Therefore, punishing him may even worsen the situation.
4. Consult Your Vet
Consult your vet or animal behaviorist if your dog does not stop showing aggressive and other unusual behaviors. Your vet will examine your furry friend to determine what’s causing the behavior and recommend a solution.
