Signs your dog may be stressed and anxious
'Stress signals' as they are called, are just body language signs that show us that a puppy or dog is not feeling 100% comfortable in that moment. The ones they display before they get to growling and snapping. These two are last ditch attempts to communicate and they will be telling you they are uncomfortable well before they get to the growling, snapping and biting stage. You just need to listen and watch out for them, i.e., learn to speak dog!
It is really important to recognise the subtle gestures a dog exhibits if he feels uneasy, stressed or concerned at any time so that you can then be guided by these and respond accordingly, i.e., give the dog more space, remove them from the upsetting situation, or merely look or turn away from him (being face to face and giving eye contact between dogs is considered rude and threatening but we expect our dogs to be comfortable when we do it to them).
You may see any of the following signals:
Tension in the face or body/stillness (they can frown too)
Pushing away or avoiding you, a member of your family, or a visitor (this can include rolling over for an apparent tummy rub - it isn't always tickle me, it could be please leave me alone too)
Fidgeting and rolling about when touched or groomed/handled
Mouthing at hands during handling
Yawning
Lip licking, nose licking
Looking away or turning the head away
Leaning their body weight away from you when you are close
Walking away
Sitting or lying down (other than when you expect it)
Sniffing the ground
Walking in a curve (towards us)
Body shake – as if shaking off when wet
The list is not exhaustive, but the signals listed are ones that often go unnoticed.
A dog (or puppy) might exhibit these signals for many reasons, and it may take a keen eye at first to notice them, however, with practise and an empathic approach you will quickly start to notice the slightest of 'tells'.
It might be due to a distant or loud sound, another dog watching him, your demeanour, body posture or facial expressions. This may include him getting eye contact from someone he doesn't know (we have to be trustworthy and earn the right to do this), or you may just be a little too close, leaning over or touching him in a way your dog considers overwhelming at the moment. It takes time to earn their trust in order to touch him all over so please don't presume you have been given permission without checking each time.
You should also encourage your family and friends to notice the smaller details during interactions with your dog should you notice any signs of concern, so they know how to react if the dog is feeling under pressure.
It is important that you take your time and maintain an emotional connection with your dog. If you are in doubt at any time, or should you notice your dog struggling while with someone else, simply suggest your dog needs a break from what they are doing. Allow them the time and space they need to recover their equilibrium. We all need a bit of time and space away from what stresses us out.
Seek professional advice if you notice these stress signals regularly as a professional will be able to delve into why this is happening and help you make changes to help your dog become more comfortable in general.
The stress bucket?
Imagine that we all carry around a little bucket with us. Into the bucket each day goes all the excitement we have felt, all the shocks we have experienced, all the exercise we have taken, all the things we have been fearful of and even all the fun we have had! It may surprise you to know that the chemicals and hormones associated with each of these emotions and feelings are the same and an excess of these chemicals affect us in the same way. Well, you may when you realise that the behaviour of an over-excited and over-tired toddler having a tantrum resembles the state our dogs can get into when they are barking and lunging at other dogs and people or are nipping and biting at our heels because we aren't walking quick enough or aren't entertaining them enough. Of course, fear is fear, whether it is a human, or a dog, but did you know that they can suffer from PTSD too.
The chemicals involved are mainly Adrenaline and the stress hormone, Cortisol and these will flood our systems. Unless we provide a 'tap' to empty that stress bucket, it will overflow and the dog will be 'over-threshold', which is just a way of saying, they can no longer cope with what is happening to them. They don't have the higher brain capacity to rationalise that they need to calm down and take their mind off the thing stressing them so we must do this for them. They just don't know how to deal with these big emotions. Even adult dogs are only the equivalent in terms of brain development as a 2–3-year-old child so please don't expect your dog to cope with being over-threshold without your help.
Punishment won't help either, in fact, it just makes it worse. They are already suffering so there is no reason in the world to make them suffer even more.
It is far better to recognise that your dog is approaching the 'over-threshold' stage and take action immediately rather than allow them to become completely overwhelmed. As an approved trainer of service dogs for Veterans With Dogs, I know that we teach the dogs to interrupt the veteran who is starting to get anxious and that's what we should do for our dogs too. Interrupt and take action before it gets worse.
We need to bring our dogs out of their 'emotional brain’ and back into their 'thinking brain’ as I like to call them but it may also be moving them from 'flight and fight' to 'rest and digest' status but that isn't as easy as just throwing a switch, think of it more as a period of 'cooling down' after a run. So, think about taking them somewhere quieter and allowing them to chill out with some sniffing, chewing or licking as each of the things help counteract the effect of Adrenaline and Cortisol.
Emotional contagion
The one thing that most people forget is that dogs have over many years as our companions learned to detect our emotional states. This would have been a valuable evolutionary development for them; knowing if a human was calm and relaxed (and therefore more trustworthy) or stressed and upset (and therefore unpredictable) would have put them at an advantage. This ability, I call it their superpower, would have kept them safer 2,000 years ago just as it does, today.
A distressed guardian is almost certainly going to have a dog that is on edge too, often choosing to get as far away from us as possible when we are over-aroused ourselves although some dogs naturally know to come to you and try to help you. They don't know why we are stressed, but the fact that we are in that highly aroused 'flight and fight' mode ourselves will mean many dogs will put themselves into that state too. They don't know if we are getting ready to run away from something dangerous or to defend ourselves, so they will match our energy just in case they need to do the same. Being in this sort of state all the time, or chronically stressed as it is known, is harmful to humans and dogs alike. It can bring on or exacerbate existing serious health issues and can cause early death.
So, if you are a hyper-active fidgety person with lots of nervous energy or are feeling distressed remember that you may be flooded with adrenaline and cortisol, and that it is highly likely your dog will have the same chemicals in their system too. Think about bringing your own stress levels down with yoga, mindfulness, breathing exercises and other calming activities, and you are likely to see your dog's stress bucket empty and behavioural 'issues' reduce too.
You might also be surprised to see your dog joining you in your calming sessions and this will be because he wants to 'catch' your calmer energy and enjoy being around this calmer version of you.
De-stressing and environmental enrichment activities
There are lots of things that can effectively be a tap in a stress bucket or help slow down the build-up of stress in the first place:
Certain scents and pheromones can calm fearful or over-anxious dogs. I like the Pet Remedy Diffuser to be on in the room where your dog rests mist of the time (probably the sitting room or kitchen). Pet Remedy is available online (use my discount code JUNE25 at the checkout for a 25% discount) or at Pets at Home. Use the spray version on your trousers when out walking http://www.petremedy.co.uk/. Adaptil is the pheromone version.
Start introducing some enrichment activities to help dissipate some of the stress hormones that have built up. Have some stuffed and frozen Kong in the freezer, marrow bones and natural chews, like the Yakers chews, readily available for when visitors arrive or something stressful has occurred.
Kong dry food wobble dispensers can be used as an alternative for a bowl on occasions (I like the routine of a bowl and lots of dogs like to know when their food is coming so I donlt do this all the time). It is useful for when you are expecting visitors, especially strangers. Foraging for food like this will encourage him to use his primary sense of smell and it is fun.
There are other puzzle toys you can buy or make, the simplest is three paper cups and hide food underneath and your dog has to sniff out and indicate which one it is under.
Licki mats used with Xylitol free peanut butter, liver paste or soaked and mashed up kibble is great for dogs. Chewing and licking releases endorphins or ‘feel good’ chemicals which we all have in our brains. Anything that makes him feel good in stressful circumstances will help.
Use ‘Sprinkles’ in the garden and on a snuffle mat inside. Any environmental enrichment is wonderful for dogs left for short periods alone, when trying to keep them calm while something exciting is happening or just as a de-stressing exercise. It also tires dogs mentally rather than being just physically tired.
Do some fun trick training with your dog where he must use his brain. Training helps a dog understand what’s expected of him, and what you are communicating to him. His world will make more sense and be less stressful for him. Teach him how to sit, stay, come, sit in front of you and some of the 'heelwork' positions. The ‘finish position’ where he has to go around and sit next to your left leg. Using positive training methods with high value treats as rewards, he could learn how to shake paws, fetch, rollover and spin in quite a short amount of time. Any of these cues can then be used as distraction activities when you encounter strangers, or someone comes to the door. Touch is another useful cue for distractions and on walks.
Google ‘brain games for dogs’ and you will find the book Brain Games by Claire Arrowsmith which is full of great ideas. Anything that engages the parasympathetic nervous system (thinking brain) and stop them using their sympathetic nervous system (emotional brain) is good.
Teach the ‘Let’s Go’ command as an interrupter - let’s go into the kitchen for a treat (have a bowl of treats readily available, but out of reach, on the counter).
Learn a little more about dog body language as this helps you predict when your dog may be about to react to something or is generally uncomfortable and you need to get him out of the situation. I highly recommend Turid Rugaas’ book ‘On Talking Terms with Dogs – Calming Signals’.
You may want to investigate Bach Flower Remedies which can be added to food and water – 2 drops twice a day. The Rescue Remedy is for general distress and Mimulus, for known fears, would be a good starting point. This link will provide you with more information http://www.bachcentre.com.
Hedgerow Hounds have a Tranquil Blend of herbs that can be added to a dog’s food.
TTouch massage and ACE Freework can help promote relaxation and lower stress levels.
Develop part of the garden as a sensory garden (or a single plant pot indoors). It can be stimulating to their brains to experience different smells, surfaces and touches. It doesn’t have to be expensive, it’s just thinking ‘outside the box’ a little. My dogs love sniffing lavender, rosemary to name but a few.
There is some evidence to suggest that specially designed bio-acoustic music has a calming effect on dogs that are exposed to it. It calms fearful dogs in any situation, as well as dogs that have phobias to certain noises. Music has a positive effect when played in environments or situations that a dog might find overwhelming such as in a car, boarding facility, shelter, day-care or at the veterinarian. Music can also help promote relaxation when played at home or calm a dog that suffers from anxiety when left alone. You can purchase Through a Dogs Ear CDs but I tend to just play Classic FM or reggae if my dogs are alone.
If a dog is too overwhelmed to learn, calming supplements or medication might be needed. This will 'take the edge off' the fear or anxiety, so your dog is able to learn again. Fear causes shut down and when a dog is shut down no learning can take place. Medication can help him get to a better place but must only be used on the advice of your veterinarian.
Copyright Dog Only Knows Behaviour and Training with June Pennell
June Pennell ISCP L5 Dip.Canine.Prac, ISCP L5 Dip.Canine.Nutrition
INTODogs Certified Canine Behaviourist & Trainer, ICAN CCB & CDT), Chartered Member of the UK Dog Charter, Approved Trainer with Veterans with Dogs, Professional Member of Pet Professional Guild