Our dogs accompany us every day on most of the things we do. They are exposed to countless situations, sounds and smells, some of which are unusual for them and can cause stress. In order for you and your dog to relax through life together, it is important to detect stress signals at an early stage.
What can cause stress in dogs?
Much of what we find to be completely normal can cause a dog to panic or get scared. Be it the loud TV with funny noises, the siren of an ambulance, the New Year’s Eve fireworks or a crowd of people in the pedestrian zone: the possible causes of stress are manifold and often not immediately comprehensible for people.
How can you tell if your dog is particularly tense? After all, he can’t tell you when he’s afraid of something. But if you watch your dog closely, you will find that it tells you very clearly what situations or circumstances are worrying him – through his behavior and his body language. For this reason, it is important to know the body language of the dog and to observe your animal in everyday life. This way, you also perceive less clear stress signals.
How do dogs show stress?
Just as the triggers for stress are varied and vary from dog to dog, so are the signs. Some animals are hyperactive, others tend to stomach upsets with strong mental and physical tension and others are nervous or constantly tired.
If you go to the vet because of a health problem with your four-legged friend and you cannot diagnose the disease after a thorough examination, you should also consider psychological problems such as stress factors.
Here are some of the following signs that may indicate stress in your animal:
- Showing appeasement signals such as a retracted rod or turning the head away with a subsequent yawn
- Recurring mules
- Conspicuous barking, which occurs more frequently or barks over a longer period of time
- Muscles
- Unpleasant smell from the mouth
- Increased saliva
- Tremble
- Setting up the tail and neck hairs
- Recurring diarrhea
- Frequent shaking
These signs are the most recognizable and common signals of stress in dogs. If you notice one or more symptoms in your dog, you should watch it closely and try to find out which triggers will get it off balance.
How does a dog relieve stress?
You can visit doctors, health professionals and for wellness solutions such as stress management, sleeping better, and getting a lot of variety in the diet. Just like humans, dogs also get stressed. Stress is in itself a normal response to an unknown or threatening situation. Adrenaline is released in the body, the body is tense and on alert. It only gets worse if the dog cannot cope with such tension alone or cannot develop coping strategies.
Well socialized dogs, who were already confronted with new stimuli and situations from the age of the puppy, can usually process unfamiliar experiences well. Other animals, however, need the help of their keeper to cope with anxiety-inducing situations or noises in such a way that they can relax again.