Is Your Dog Anxious? 8 Proven Ways to Ease Their Stress

This month is Animal Anxiety Awareness Month, a perfect time to talk about an often-overlooked issue: anxiety in our canine companions. Anxiety isn’t just a human experience—it affects our dogs, too. When left untreated, it can significantly impact a dog's well-being, as well as the guardian’s well-being and the human-canine bond.

Anxiety vs. Fear: What’s the Difference?

The terms fear and anxiety are often used interchangeably, but they are not the same. Understanding the difference is helpful in effectively supporting our dogs who may experience anxiety.

• Fear is an emotional response to an imminent or perceived immediate threat. It is usually short-lived and is triggered by a specific situation or stimulus, such as a loud noise or a stranger approaching. Dogs experiencing fear may exhibit a strong urge to escape or defend themselves.

• Anxiety, on the other hand, is the anticipation of a future threat. It is a prolonged state of unease, often with no clear or immediate danger. Anxiety creates a persistent, unpleasant feeling that something bad might happen, leading to heightened vigilance and stress.

Anxiety can negatively affect a dog's well-being. It is often a common underlying factor in many canine behaviour problems and can be chronically stressful for dogs. Additionally, it can often increases a dog's sense of uncertainty, leading to hypervigilance and heightened arousal, which can contribute to behavioural issues.

One study suggested that 72.5% of dogs exhibited some form of anxiety-like behaviours (Sacoor et al., 2024), highlighting how widespread this problem can be among our canine companions.

Anxiety is also often a contributing factor to several behavioural and health-related issues, including:

• Noise aversion (e.g., fear of fireworks or thunderstorms)

• Separation-related disorders

• Repetitive behaviours (e.g., tail chasing or excessive licking)

• Urination and defecation issues

• Aggressive behaviour •

Gastrointestinal health issues (e.g., changes in eating habits or toileting habits)

Signs of Anxiety Anxious dogs may exhibit a range of behavioural and physiological signs, including:

• Increased vigilance and scanning their surroundings

• Excessive attention-seeking behaviour

• Restlessness, pacing, or circling

• Withdrawal, hiding, or attempts to escape

• Insomnia or disturbed sleep patterns

• Vocalisations such as whining or barking

• Physical signs like trembling, panting, or drooling

• Offensive aggression or defensive reactions

• Displacement behaviours, such as out-of-context yawning, scratching, or lip licking

• Changes in heart rate

• Gastrointestinal disturbances

• Muscle tension

How to Help a Dog with Anxiety

If your dog shows signs of anxiety, there are several steps you can take to help support them:

1. Veterinary Health Check - A visit to the vet can help rule out any medical issues contributing to anxiety and provide guidance on treatment options.

2. Create a Safe Space - Create a quiet, comfortable area where your dog can retreat when feeling anxious.

3. Opportunity to Participate in Enrichment Activities - Including opportunities to lick, forage, sniff, and chew

4. ACE-Free Work - A simple, enriching, low impact activity that can be rewarding for dogs.

5. Opportunities to Make Choices - Give your dog agency over aspects of their environment, such as choosing which direction to walk, where to sleep, or which bowl of water to drink from. You can read more about the importance of choice here.

6. Eliminate or Reduce Stressors wherever possible (e.g., loud noises, stressful situations).

7. Seek Professional Support – Get in touch to arrange a chat and see how we can help.

8. Identifying Your Dog’s Candles - Which Ones Can You Snuff Out, and Which Ones Can You Reduce the Heat Of? Check out our blog on understanding your dog's candles.

If you’re concerned about your dog’s anxiety, I’m here to help. Reach out, and we can talk about the best ways to support your dog.