Indicators of Stress, Causes of Stress and What To Do About It.
This list is long, yes but I can’t tell you how many emails and comments we receive from guardians who didn’t realize that their dog was stressed until they went through the images on the Dog Decoder app and saw their dog in those images.
Stress can cause health issues as well as behavioral issues that when go unnoticed can be the demise of the relationship between dogs and humans. Being able to read these signs and knowing what actually causes stress can be a real eye opener for many giving way to healthier and happier relationships with our dogs.
Indicators of Stress:
Diarrhea
Vomiting
Aggression
Panting
Extreme Licking
Excessive Barking
Pacing
Digging
Destructive Chewing
Leash Biting
Drooling
Bloat
Excessive Tail Wagging
Whining
Poor Coat Condition
Excessive Short Term Shedding
Whale Eye
Sniffing
Shivering/Shaking when it’s not cold
Tongue Flicks
Hiding
Paw Lift
Shake Off
Tucked Tail
Scratching
Look Away
Hyperactivity
Causes of Stress:
Environmental changes: moving, getting married or divorced, having a baby, going away to college, losing a best friend (dog or person), Mondays. Yes, Mondays because after a weekend of fun your pal doesn’t understand why you’re up and gone again all day long and this can be the beginning of separation anxiety.
Dog Shows
Training or not training your dog
Backyard only dogs, never going for walks, playing with other dogs… being able to actually be a dog.
Confinement
Walking an unsocialized dog
Lack of exercise causing the dog to be destructive, aggressive, jump, etc.
Riding in the car
Getting a new dog, cat or other animal
Illness
Meeting new people for an unsocialized dog
Day Care Centers
Going to the vet
Boredom
Going to the groomer
Improper restraint or handling
Yelling at your dog
The dog park
Inconsistency
Ill mannered children
Lack of daily routine
Impatience
Ill mannered dogs
Lack of understanding in reading dogs body language (This is really No. 1)
How To Reduce Stress:
Training
Exercise
Learn to read dog body language
Have a routine (not rigid) yet consistent
Massage/T-Touch
Healthy diet
Socializing early with dogs, children, new places, vets office, (100 faces 100 days in the pups first 4 months of life.)
Play games
Playing with other dogs
