Why Your Dog Have Anxiety
2 years ago I rescued my Dachshund mix girl. I grew up in a village and we always had a dog. So it was obvious when I’ll be on my own, I’ll definitely have one. But I was waiting almost for 10 years because I was moving from place to place way too much.
2 years ago I accidentally happened to be at a Vet with one of my friends, because her dog had an appointment. It was a Holistic Veterinary Center and they always try to rescue animals. There was a Dachshund mommy dog with only one 7 weeks old puppy. The Vet told me that they were found right next to the Freeway together. The mommy wasn’t able to walk, she was just lying there and this little puppy was suffering as well. The Vet nurse said the mommy had surgery, but they afraid she won’t make it, and the puppy has to go to a shelter. I fell in love with the puppy right away, and I adopted her. But since she is with me, she has anxiety in public.
Yes, dogs have anxiety!
Like us humans, dogs have fears and anxiety, and dog anxiety is common. They anxieties usually not the same as humans, but they cause physical and stress reactions are the same, but it can stop your dog enjoying normal doggie activities.
But how to tell if your Fido has anxiety?
Well, actually it’s pretty simple. Dogs are intelligent and are able to express what they are thinking and how they feel through body language and behavior. From there, it is your duty as their owner to figure out what your puppy is trying to say. You know your dog better than anyone else.
For example, my dog is a Dachshund mix and as brave as you could expect from a dog of that size until we go out for a walk. Yes, she has fear in public. She was only 7 weeks old when I adopted her. Since then, every time when I go out with her and a car goes close to us, she starts shaking, she flattens her ears, whimper, and try to hide.
There are many reasons your dog may become anxious. Some well-known causes of dog anxiety may include:
- Separation anxiety when their owner leaves the house.
I used to have a neighbor in my old place, and she also had a small sized dog. Every time when she left her apartment, her dog started to bark very loud. And that dog was barking for hours. I’m not kidding, some days she left her dog for hours alone, and that dog didn’t stop barking until she got home. It was kind of annoying, but I understood the situation as well.
- Certain phobias
My friend has a small size dog too. Every time when she brings something new home what is bigger than her dog, the dog starts barking and try to hide. For example, once she brought home a toaster, and the dog started to hide behind the chairs and was barking to the box.
- Noise anxiety
Some dogs become fearful when there is loud and unusual sound happen. These include garbage trucks, fireworks, or even thunderstorms.
- Fear from a terrifying experience
That’s what my dog has mostly. Since she is with me, we always have a hard time when we go out for a walk. Actually, she doesn’t even want to go out, I almost have to force her. She always comes to me, especially when a car comes close to us, on the sidewalk and keeps looking back to our apartment, like how far we are going. And when we are done and start to walk back, I have to hold strongly the leash because she runs home instead of enjoying to be outside with the other dogs. Like the Vet said when I adopted her, she and her mom were found right next to the Freeway, so probably she has a terrifying experience.
There are some body language signs that show your pup is suffering from anxiety
The signs indicating that a dog is experiencing fear or anxiety include body language, like
- tail between legs,
- tail low and only the end is wagging,
- tail between legs wagging
- cowering
- slinking
- hair raised on the back of the neck
- drooling
- panting,
- aggression toward people, or other animals,
- barking almost all the time,
- urinating in the house,
- attending to escape,
- high energy,
- chewing pieces of furniture, shoes and anything else they find,
- panic attacks,
- hiding or searching for a safe place.
But remember that, it is always a good thing that your dog shows you that he is anxious, rather than going to bite.
How to diagnose anxiety in dogs?
When you see these signs and symptoms and if you feel that your dog may be suffering from anxiety, the best thing is to bring them to seek professional help first. Always provide your vet with as much information as much changes or symptoms you may have noticed. You never know, maybe your dog can have a health problem that can cause anxiety.
Once the source has been identified, your vet will be able to devise a proper treatment plan.
My dog has a Holistic vet, and I prefer the natural way better than giving her drugs. Fortunately, there are many natural options you can use safely to calm down your pup and help to deal with the stress and anxiety.
How to help your pooch with his anxiety
#1 CBD Oil
CBD Oil has many benefits like help with seizures, pain management, even cancer, etc. And it also has shown great results to control dog anxiety.
Many people get confused because they don’t know what’s the difference between CBD and marijuana. It’s all because of they both based on a hemp plant, but actually, they are not the same at all. CBD doesn’t have the levels of THC which generally makes you “high.”
Just use the dropper to administer the CBD oil straight into your dog’s mouth, or some to their food. There are CBD products also come in treat form.
But keep that in your mind, dogs are more sensitive to cannabinoids, so give them smaller doses, and always follow the directions on the bottle.
#2 Chamomile
There are many herbs, that can help settle down your dog’s anxiousness. For us, the chamomile is the favorite.
It can help your dog relax his stomach and helps them to settle down. You can give chamomile tea to your dog, or soak a dog treat in a chamomile tea. Another option is a soft chew that contains chamomile. Not to mention that chamomile also can help with worms.
#3 Essential Oils
Lavender and Violet leaf essential oils are well known for calming anxiety.
I usually diffuse them in the room, add a few drops to the diffuser, and let it run for a few hours. But sometimes I just rub a few drops of oil on my hand and gently massage on my dog. My Holistic vet also mentioned to dab a few drops of her collar.
#4 A relaxing massage
Most of the trainers and my vet also suggested giving my dog a massage to help her relax. Usually, I use circular finger motion, and sensitive exercises, together with a daily routine helped us the most.
How to manage anxiety in your dog?
Once your dog has been diagnosed with anxiety, you can work on figuring out how to solve this issue and get back to the normal living life. But do not make the most common mistakes. Most owners are treating the dog almost the same way as they would treat a young child who was acting fearful-namely. With dogs, this is exactly the wrong to do.
Do not pet your dog when he is acting in a fearful manner, because it’s almost like you are telling your dog this is the right way to do. Such treatment makes the dog more likely to be afraid the next time.
I used to be almost the same as my dog when she was a puppy. I was petting her back, proofing her that she is saved next to me. And every time we went out, she was way more afraid like she was before. Now I started to reward her after a walk with treats, and the praise-the way when I first trained her.
Your dog may at first will look confused by the fact that you are ignoring the state of affairs that is frightening him, but eventually, he will decide is all right and his fears are unfounded.
My dog still has anxiety every time when we go out, but it became so much better like it used to be 6 months ago, and hopefully, soon she will have a normal, relaxed life.