Stress is described in my Webster’s Dictionary as “Mental
or emotional strain.” Make no mistake about it our dog’s
lives are filled with stress. Going to work everyday and leaving
our dogs alone is one example. How can that be stressful? Dogs
are pack animals and do best in a “pack” environment;
being home alone is stressful. Some dogs are able to deal with
the stress by napping the day away while other dogs are unable
to cope with the stress and suffer from what is called separation
anxiety. A dog with separation anxiety might find relief from
the stress of being alone by excessive barking, inappropriate
elimination habits, endless pacing, or destructive chewing. You
get the idea. Most dogs however fall somewhere in between. Once
you recognize the signs of stress in your canine companion you
can help him to relax and relieve some of the strain.
It is not up to us to decide what is stressful for our dog; our
dog’s behavior will reveal that information to us. Here
is a list of behaviors that are indicators that your dog is experiencing
stress.
· Panting
· Excessive barking, whining
· Aggression
· Pacing
· Excessive licking
· Digging
· Chewing
· Biting the leash
· Shedding
· Dandruff
· Sweaty paws
· Foam drool
· Tense muscles
· Dilated pupils
· Excessive tail wagging
· Shivering (when it is not cold)
The more obvious experiences that may cause stress for some dogs
are, adding a new pet to the family, moving to a new home, rehoming
for the dog, divorce, marriage. ….sound familiar? But some
of the not so obvious reasons for stress could be you have company,
taking a training class, harsh training methods, too many trips
to the off leash park, not enough trips to the off leash park,
too many hours alone, not enough exercise, too much ball throwing,
riding in the car, pain from an injury or arthritis. Whereas one
dog may love riding in the car, it may cause trembling or excessive
barking in another dog. An observant canine caretaker will notice
the signs of stress and try to help the dog deal effectively with
stress.
One of the keys to a happy healthy dog is balance. Balance between
rest and exercise and time alone and time spent with other people
and dogs. Inconsistency is another one of the causes of stress.
Maintain a routine feeding schedule and the guidelines set through
training such as, sitting politely to have the leash put on, sitting
to greet people, and walking on the leash in partnership with
you.
Here are a couple of things for you to try if the stress is getting
to you:
1. Try rhythmic deep breathing, it is easy to forget to breathe
when stressed.
2. Find out more about TellingtonTouch, a style of massage, by
checking out a book on the subject from the library, (author,
Linda Tellington) or of course there is the World Wide Web. The
TTouch style of massage is relaxing for both your dog and for
you. Gentle stroking and circular TTouches on your dog’s
ear during times of stress may help your dog relax.
When your dog notices you getting stressed out he may send some
calming signals your way. Yawning is a calming signal from dogs,
they use it with each other and they try it on us, next time your
dog is yawning think “breathe deep and calm down.”
Another calming signal dogs use among themselves is nose licking,
where as you could yawn at your dog and send a clear calming signal
back to him, nose licking is better left for the dogs. Pay attention
next time you are with a group of dogs, another calming signal
that dogs use with each other is head turning. Head turning relates
the message ‘let’s be friends.” Try it with
the next dog you meet. To find out more about calming signals
in dogs read Turid Rugaas’s book “On Talking Terms
with Dogs.” Be aware of when your dog may need a break from
all of the fun and activities and find a quiet place for an ear
rub.
