Like us, dogs have anxieties and fears. A dog’s anxieties, may not be the same as our own anxieties, but they cause stress and physical reactions just the same.
Some common dog anxiety problems include –
- Separation anxiety – A dog gets anxious when left alone.
- Noise anxiety – A dog becomes fearful when exposed to loud or unusual noises. Some examples include fireworks, thunderstorms, garbage trucks, and more.
- Travel anxiety – The car is like a den, but dogs are unaccustomed to moving dens. Therefore, they may become unsure and stressed over something so new and unexpected.
- Confinement anxiety – A dog gets anxious when he feels trapped or confined. If a threat should arise, a confined dog may be unable to escape or flee.
Symptoms of Dog Anxiety
When dogs are anxious, they may engage in repetitive or displacement behaviors to relieve their stress. For example, when we are anxious, we may pace, bite our nails, or play with our hair.
Dogs may also pace, groom, and more. Some dog anxiety behaviors may lead to property destruction, may cause us harm, or may simply be undesirable to our human sensibilities. This may include –
- Non-stop barking.
- Chewing up furniture, walls, shoes, garbage, and anything else in sight.
- Pooping and peeing in the house, crate, or other confinement area.
- Eating his own poop.
- Aggression toward people, dogs, or other animals.
Punishment or aversive techniques will do little to stop these anxious dog behaviors in the long-run, because punishment does not address the source of the problem, which is the dog’s anxiety. In fact, suppression of these displacement behaviors, through pain and dominance methods, will make the problem worse, because pain increases stress and uncertainty.
Below are some common ways on how to deal with dog anxiety.
1. Desensitization Exercises
One of the best ways to help a dog deal with his anxiety issues, is by slowly desensitizing him to the problem stimulus.
In the desensitization process, we start with a weak version of the stimulus that is triggering the anxiety attack.
The stimulus must be weak enough, so that my dog is able to stay calm in its presence. Then, I get him to focus on me, by doing eye-contact commands or simple obedience exercises.
If my dog is able to focus and stay in-control, I reward him with a very high priority treat. For desensitization purposes, I usually bust out the really good stuff. I try to pick a highly aromatic or smelly treat that my dog loves, but does not usually get to eat. The smell will help to engage his nose, and further distract him from the source of his anxiety.
When he is comfortable with this exercise, is calm, and able to follow simple commands, I very slowly raise the strength of the problem stimulus. I make each session short, fun, and very rewarding.
In this way, my dog learns alternative behaviors for dealing with stressful situations. He also learns to associate something that was previously a source of fear and stress, with something positive (nice smells, yummy treats), and with being calm.
2. Calm Environment
Another important aspect of helping an anxious dog, is to create a calm and predictable environment for him, in his daily life.
- Fixed routine – I set a fixed schedule for feeding, walking, play-time, leaving the house, coming home, and more. I also establish a fixed set of rules, and a consistent way of enforcing them. A very fixed routine and rule-set, helps our dog understand what to expect from us, and also what we expect from him in return. Greater certainty reduces anxiety and stress.
- Staying calm – Most dogs are very good at picking up the energy of the people around them. My Shiba Inu, for example, is very sensitive to what I am feeling. If I get stressed and anxious, he picks up on that immediately and becomes anxious himself; but with a hundred times more gusto! Therefore, it is important for us to stay calm and in-control.
- Relaxing massage – Some trainers suggest giving our dog a massage to help him relax. There is also the special TTouch massage method, which uses circular finger motions to help relax our dog’s body.
I tried the TTouch method briefly on my Shiba Inu, but it did not seem to have much of an effect on him. Desensitization exercises, together with a fixed routine and consistent rules, helped us most.
3. Calming Equipment
There are a variety of products designed to help calm our dogs. The attraction of such products, is that they require little to no work from us. However, it is also unclear how effective they truly are.
a) Dog Appeasing Pheromone (DAP)
DAP is a synthetic chemical that was developed based on a hormone produced by nursing mother dogs. Mother dogs produce this hormone to help their puppies feel calm and secure. It also helps the mother dog establish a positive bond with her puppies.
Scientific studies *do* show that DAP has a positive effect on puppies. However, it is unclear whether DAP helps with anxiety problems in adult dogs.
There are also a variety of natural calming scents, including lavender, and other herbal remedies.
b) Dog Calming Music
“Music has charms to soothe a savage breast, To soften rocks, or bend a knotted oak.”
~~[William_Congreve]
Music can certainly help calm us down and soothe our nerves. Therefore, it is not such a big stretch to imagine that it can also be helpful to our dogs. However, the wrong kind of music can actually increase anxiety in dogs.
What is the right kind of dog music?
According to sound researcher Joshua Leeds,
“Rock music, jazz, heavy metal made them more anxious. Classical slowed them down. It just relaxed them in a way that the other music seemed to irritate them.”
~~[Want to Calm Fido Down? Try Music!]
The Thundershirt looks like a dog winter coat. It wraps around the torso of a dog, and works by exerting constant pressure on the dog’s body. Proponents argue that this pressure, can have a calming effect on the dog’s nervous system.
However, the only study I found was a very limited experiment, from an unsubstantiated source. Therefore, it is unclear whether the claims made on the effectiveness of Thundershirts are true.
Note – Pressure wraps will not work on all dogs. Some dogs may get even more anxious, when they experience continuous pressure on their body. In addition, it is unlikely that pressure wraps can fully solve our dog’s anxiety issues. Wraps and other calming equipment, are commonly used together with desensitization and other dog behavior modification techniques, to achieve true long-term success.
Depending on the dog and the situation, you may need to incorporate training with the cape to show an effect. The Anxiety Wrap recommends an 11-step treatment program for separation anxiety that includes using the wrap and leaving toys filled with favorite food treats for the dog to enjoy while you are gone.
Some people also use clocks or heartbeat pillows, to help calm new puppies.
4. Medication
Do not medicate your dog with over-the-counter human drugs, on your own. Dogs have very different physiology than humans, and dosage is very dependent on weight.
I always consult with my vet before giving my dog any medication.
Some medications used to suppress a dog’s anxiety response include –
- Clomipramine(Anafranil) – This drug was originally developed to treat OCD in humans. With dogs, it is sometimes prescribed to treat OCD and separation anxiety issues.
- Fluoxetine(Prozac,Sarafem,Fontex) – Fluoxetine is perhaps most well-known by its tradename Prozac. Prozac is used to treat heavy depression, OCD, and serious eating disorders (Bulimia nervosa) in humans. Eli Lily makes a special Prozac for dogs called Reconcile.
For lonely dogs with separation anxiety, Eli Lilly brought to market its own drug Reconcile last year. The only difference between it and Prozac is that Reconcile is chewable and tastes like beef.
- Sedatives – Powerful sedatives such as benzodiazepine (benzo) are prescription only. Some lighter sedatives such as antihistamines (Benadryl) and valerian can be obtained as over-the-counter medications for humans. Do not give sedatives or any other medication to dogs, without first consulting with a veterinarian.
The dog medication business is now a very profitable enterprise, and there are a large number of dog drugs available for purchase. These medications treat anything from separation anxiety, OCD, and depression, to motion-sickness, forgetfulness, and obesity. Most dog medications are short term solutions and may have serious side effects.
Dog Anxiety Problems
I believe that the best way to help our dogs with their anxiety issues, is through desensitization, as well as a calm and relaxed home environment.
Dog calming equipment and medication are very tempting solutions, because they involve little to no effort from us. However, their long-term effectiveness is highly questionable. These methods work by suppressing or muting the effects of anxiety, rather than addressing the source of the anxiety itself.
This is in contrast with desensitization and home management techniques, which target the anxiety stimulus, and teaches the dog new ways to cope with fear and stress. Rather than just suppressing symptoms, desensitization helps to build a dog’s confidence, and promotes a stronger bond between him and his human companions.
Ultimately, behavior modification and desensitization techniques lead to long-lasting effects, and a better quality of life for a dog and his family.
Hi guys,
Was just reading your article and not 100% on which method I should try. Myself and my partner both work fulltime and our nearly 2 year old blue heeler x border collie i think is suffering with anxiety. When we leave the house or hes outside and cant get in he will bark and whine till we let him in. Its to the point we have to replace the back screen door screen, a window screen and our whole outdoor setting as he has chewed them up. Ive tried frozen kongs, toys, bones treats u name it and he still plays out. I want to try getting him used to being outside but not sure how to. I hate the thought of him thinking where not going ro return because that is far from the truth as he is our family and will go everywhere with us and does. I just need help in finding the best method woth helping him relax whilst where at work or even while I’m doing my housework.. thanks hope someone can give me tips or an idea on which method to try..
Is he ok being inside the house when you are away? How long have you had him? When did this behavior start? Did anything different happen around the time that the behavior started?
What you describe may be separation anxiety. I help my dogs with separation anxiety by doing desensitization training. I start with very short periods of alone time and slowly build up from there. The more calm and successful alone experiences that my dog has (through desensitization), the more confidence, trust, and positive associations he forms. Similarly, anxiety episodes will undermine that confidence and trust, significantly set back our training, and worsen my dog’s anxiety behaviors.
Therefore, to help my dog, I also need to manage his routine and environment carefully, so that I do not expose him to situations that he is not ready to handle. For example, if my dog can only tolerate very short periods of alone time at the start, then I get someone that he trusts to house-sit him while I am away. At the same time, I keep repeating desensitization exercises (in a structured and controlled way) so that I help raise his tolerance threshold.
ASPCA article on separation anxiety.
Hi just read your article and couple of things came to mind,one you can burie things in the yard and leave him to find them whilst your at work or if at home you can purchase the adaptil difusers that plug into the wall to relax your dog,i have three heeler pups under two yrs old and im always thinking about the next activity to keep them buisy! Which is why i enrolled in a course and am studying to be a dog trainier. Also there are people who can walk your dog during the day to wear him/her out.wishing you all the best venessa
Don’t have a dog that you can’t spend time with!
Anxiety Bruce…
Someone else commented about hiding things for the dog to look for while hes outside. I found this to work well for a couple hours. The only problem was that i also didnt want my dog digging up the yard. I used solid/hard toys like the Kong toys that let you put treats in them and hid them in locations where the dog didnt have to dig. Also having an ingloo type dog house helped some. The smallest size for the size dog worked the best. The dog prefered to be in a tighter space rather than a larger, open dog house. It seems I also kept other distraction toys outside. I had to get new toys every few days or week but toys are cheaper than doors jams and screens.
Its hard to desensitize train during the week when you have to work at least 8-10 hrs a day but try it on the weekends… being gone for short periods then gradually longer periods.
kelley jensen…
Not everyone can be at home with their dog 24hrs a day. Most people have to work for a living to be able to afford to feed and sheler their dog. Leaving a dog at home while at work doesnt mean the person isnt spending time with their dog. Most dogs can deal with that situation without any issues. There is no way to know up front if a dog will have anxiety and not having a dog or giving the animal away is not a solution.
Wonderful site – lots of good info!
Wondering if there’s anything else we can do here….
We have a 3 yr old Akita whom we bought from a “reputable” breeder. Birth certificate said she was 6 months when she arrived (but breeder told us before we bought her she was 4 months). Since the day we picked her up from airport she was visibly nervous around people and especially men. She ate her poop for about a year. Never been food motivated & only eats every 3 days. Has always drank a TON of water throughout the day & she is CONSTANTLY itching her side mid section even though there is no skin issue or fleas or anything. She used to HATE walks and the car…but we’ve gotten her to enjoy them now. If we have visitors at our house (or if we see someone outside of our house on a walk, etc) she reacts poorly – very nervous. So we let her say hello (with no attention toward her), she MIGHT lick their hand depending on the day but we put her away in a room by herself – which she seems to like. But no one can look at her, talk to her or pet her or approach her in any way…there can’t be any attention paid to her. We (her family) can give her attention but no one else can. If someone gives her attention outside of the family she will make a strange low whining noise or will start growling loudly displaying laid back ears, lowered head, fixed stare & baring teeth. She also cannot stand children or any animals (other than our resident dog who was here before her) She has bitten 1 person to date (our 9 yr old niece)…but everything was fine. After many therapists, trainers, and doctors – we put her on Fluoxetine & Soloxine every day. Seems to take the “edge” off but anxiety is ever-present. She accepts my husband to a degree (never aggressive towards him) but still very nervous around him after 3 yrs! She also runs away after someone pets her (from our family) – but she doesn’t react that way with me. She is most comfortable with me. She is very nervous at the vet & we actually have to give her gas to knock her out so she can be examined. A muzzle keeps her from biting but the experience is so hard on her that we have recently resorted to gas.
I can’t really desensitize her to people for the obvious reasons but I am wondering if there’s any other stone I’ve left unturned. I have spoken to the breeder over the yrs but he lied to us about a few things and offered very little in the way of behavioral history before she came to us. He only said she was “never like that when she lived with him”.
Our Akita is a part of our family and as such we want to do anything we can to help her. If you have any thoughts I’d love to hear them. Otherwise I will assume she is just this way and we will continue living our lives the way we have been. But any thoughts would be most appreciated – thx!
I am a big believer in desensitization and counter-conditioning training. The key here, is to weaken the anxiety stimulus, e.g. people, so that we start by only exposing our dog to a very small bit (i.e. weak version) of it. With people, distance helps to weaken the stimulus.
I do desensitization training with my dog in a very quiet and controlled environment. I make sure the environment is big enough that I can have enough distance between my dog and the training-person. The person I use has to follow all of my instructions, i.e. no eye-contact, no moving around, to talking, etc. The environment should be private, so that I am sure nobody is going to come in and disrupt the exercise.
I have my dog on-leash and start far enough away that my dog is able to stay calm and listen to simple commands from me. That is the starting point. More on how I desensitize my dog to people.
ASPCA article on desensitization and counter-conditioning.
The more successful structured experiences my dog has, the more confidence, trust, and positive associations he builds. Similarly, anxiety events will undermine that confidence and trust, significantly set back desensitization training, and worsen my dog’s fear/anxiety behaviors. Therefore, a very important part of helping my dog with his anxiety is to carefully manage his environment. I always try to set him up for success, and I do not expose him to situations that he is not ready to handle yet. For example, if he is only ready to stay x-distance away from a person, then I do not let people come any closer than that (during walks, at home, etc.). Management is most of the battle, and then desensitization gets me the rest of the way there.
For desensitization training to be effective, it has to be conducted in a structured and specific way. When I started desensitization exercises with my Shiba Inu, we did it under the guidance of a good professional trainer who could help me with management techniques, timing, reading body language, etc. However, the dog training field is not well regulated, so it can be a challenge to find a good trainer/behaviorist. These articles have some good information on how to find a good trainer-
https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/finding-professional-help
https://apdt.com/pet-owners/choosing-a-trainer/
Can you describe how you got her to be OK in the car?
We have a 4 year old male Dalmatian (Henri) & 3 year old female Dalmatian. Our female has no issues but our male barks at anything going past our house, barks when I’m preparing their breakfast, paces & barks when my husband leaves the house outside of work time, stops eating from bowl during meals and barks at he bowl until we stand beside him and jumps at sudden movements or noises. He also gets funny getting on his bed at night because it moves a bit with the momentum of Henri getting on it. Other than that he is fine and not at all destructive. Our female gets aggressive if Henri goes near her food & will hang near him if she finishes first. Please advise. Thanks, Maria
How long have you had both dogs? Has the male always shown this behavior? What type of training is he used to? What is his daily routine like? How is his behavior during his daily walks?
I help my dog with anxiety by-
1. Giving him lots of positive but non-stressful outlets for his anxious energy.
My Shiba likes going hiking and exploring, so after we moved to a new house, we went on lots of long hikes, in quiet trails, and during off-hours if necessary. This gives him a fun and non-stressful outlet for his energy and is a good way to help relieve his stress from moving to a new home. My dog also works for all of his food, we have structured play-time, obedience training, grooming sessions, etc.
2. Creating certainty.
I set up a fixed routine, clear rules (walking rules, play rules, dog-to-dog interaction rules, etc.), and a consistent way of communicating with my dogs. In this way, my dogs know exactly what to expect from each other, what to expect from me, and what I expect from them in return. This creates certainty, and certainty helps to reduce stress and conflicts.
3. I help my dog build confidence through desensitization and counter-conditioning.
I do desensitization exercises in a structured environment. In this way, I can start by exposing my dog to only a small amount of his anxiety stimulus, teach him coping mechanisms, and help him re-associate these stimuli with calm and rewarding experiences. The amount of anxiety stimulus I expose my dog to must be small enough that he is able to stay calm, listen to my commands, and learn positive behaviors from the experiences.
I talk more about desensitization in the article above and here. This ASPCA article has more on desensitization training. For desensitization to work, it has to be conducted in a very structured and specific way. When I started doing this training with my Shiba, we did so under the guidance of a good professional trainer who could help me with timing, management of the environment, reading my dog’s body language, and more.
https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/finding-professional-help
http://www.apdt.com.au/trainers-directory/how-to-choose-a-trainer.html
4. I set my dog up for success.
Successful experiences (for example through controlled desensitization training) will help my dog build confidence, trust, and positive associations. Similarly, reactive experiences where my dog gets anxious or fearful will undermine that confidence, set back our training, and worsen my dog’s future behavior.
Therefore, it is very important that I set my dog up for success, manage his environment carefully, and not expose him to more than he can handle. For example, I make sure that all my dogs give each other space during meal time, there is absolutely no stealing, and I make sure that everyone can work on their interactive food toy calmly and comfortably. Rules, consistency, management, and prevention.
That sounds like food guarding behavior.
https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/dog-behavior/food-guarding
More on what I do during meal-time.
However, dog behavior is very context dependent so the temperament of the dogs, past experiences, routine, and more will all play a role. Given what you describe, I would consult with a good professional trainer; one who understands desensitization and counter-conditioning techniques.
I appreciate your blog here. Lots of good information. I have a unique situation. I work in a doggy daycare and recently started bringing my big Labrador to work with me. All is fine for the first hour or so, until he sees or hears me coming into the dog play space bringing other dogs in or out, and he can’t get to me. He begins to bark incessantly and it doesn’t stop for hours. He becomes the highest maintenance dog of the group, rilling up the other dogs, and causing issues with my fellow co workers. They’ve tried everything- moving him in to another area of the facility, stuffed frozen kong (which he doesn’t even acknowledge), gentle speaking and vocally rewarding his calm behavior. But the second he hears me talking or he sees me, it starts all over again. I’ve tried ignoring him completely and that’s backfired. Not sure if it would help to take him out of the fenced area for a short walk outdoors on my 3 daily breaks to give him some contact time or if that’s just a bad idea. He’s not bonding with anyone at the facility yet and the staff changes depending on what day it is so consistency is a problem. Not sure what else I can do to make him realize I’m not leaving him behind. I have to make this work for the sake of keeping the job and keeping him well adjusted. I adore him so much and only want the best for him. One of the reasons I took the job was the benefit of putting him in no cost daycare everyday. He’s a sensitive soul in a big (120lb) body and he loves his people dearly. I practice pack leadership and he always listens well except this. He’s an adjusted dog and gets along well with just about every dog, so temperment with others isn’t an issue. Side note–he had a moderate case of separation anxiety when I first adopted him 7 years ago but has since overcome that in our home environment through training and desensitizing. Any advice you can offer is greatly appreciated! Thank you!
Dogs who are attached to their people can become anxious when their people are around, but they cannot get to them. This can also lead to barrier frustration.
There is this handsome Weimaraner that we frequently meet while hiking in our local trails. He is great because he sticks close by his owner, without even being called. Such dogs are wonderful because they can go almost anywhere with their person and not get into any trouble. When the dog gets stressed, his first move is always to run back to his person. However, when put in a new, uncertain situation, without his person there, he will get extremely stressed. In such a situation, he doesn’t know what to do, and the person he trusts is not around to supervise him and calm him down.
Dog daycare can be a very stressful place for some dogs. My Shiba Inu, for example, did not do well at daycare. He is the type of dog who really needs routine, structure, and certainty. The dog daycare is full of new dogs, new people, and is very high stimulus. Poor Sephy would either get really reactive during play-time, or very stressed at other times because everything is new, different, there is a lot of noise, and lots of activity that he cannot get to. Dogs with a more gentle disposition can also get highly anxious is such an environment.
If I wanted to get Sephy more comfortable with daycare, I would have to slowly desensitize him to the environment, and slowly get him to learn to trust the people there. However, as you say, the people there are always changing and so is the environment. Not all dogs do well in a dog daycare type situation, and Sephy definitely belongs to this group.
My dogs actually do best at home. I am at home most of the time, but they are totally fine being alone for several hours. The environment is quiet, structured, and they know exactly what to expect. Certainty always helps to reduce stress and anxiety.
Has your dog been to daycare before this? When did you start working at the daycare? How was your dog’s routine like before the daycare job? Does he like playing and being with other dogs? Is he more people focused or dog focused? How is he with new things, new people, and new environments? Or does he prefer a quiet, familiar, and calm environment? What were his socialization experiences? How is he when alone at home?
Is it possible to work from home? Are there other people that he trusts who can care for him when you are not around? I try to get at least one or two other people involved in caring for my dog, and earning his trust. In this way, if I am sick or need to travel, there is someone else who can take over, without introducing too much stress.
Great post and I really like your site. Can’t wait to explore it more.
I ran across your site because my 8 year old Golden Retriever, Logan has started to become stressed by possible anxiety issues.
There were several major events that happen over the past couple of years which might have lead up to this behavior. Logan lost his eye to glaucoma last July. He seemed to adjust well. We moved from California to Florida the end of 2014. Both my dogs made the trip fine, seemed to adjust for the most part. Allergies is another topic all together though. About a month ago Logan had yet again another surgery. He had a couple of cysts removed. I was really surprised, but that surgery was a little more taxing on him compared to the eye surgery.
He’s never had any trouble other than long car rides longer than three hours or so. My vet suggested Rescue Remedy as a possible solution when I couldn’t solve the problem. It never was a huge problem, as we only took drives over 3+ hours 4 to 5 times a year. I’ve used Rescue Remedy occasionally over the years and it seemed to help, not sure, maybe it just made me feel better. Last time I tried this was when we drove the 2600 miles from California to Florida.
Recently, over the past couple of weeks (after living her nearly a year without any issues), I’ve seen him become more anxious when arriving home from work or running errands. I arrive home and he’s over zealous to see me. Kind of whining, panting, that kind of thing. He’s always been happy to see me, but this is a little bothersome. Because of thunderstorms (not many of those in California) I started leaving music on. Thought it might help, but maybe I need to try classical. When I’m home, he has no issues with thunderstorms, etc. I do my best at remaining calm and generating good vibes if you will. He eventually calms down after 15 minutes or so. He’s also not destructive in anyway. Never has been.
I plan on looking into calming music maybe a little aromatherapy, but if nothing else, we’ll ask our vet.
Just want to say that I enjoyed reading your post and look forward to reading more.
Best regards,
Scott
Thank you Scott and big hugs to Logan!
I have an 8 month old Siberian husky, we have had her since 2 1/2 months old. She has been crate trained since day one with no problems, but for the last week or so she has began crying, howling all night into the early morning hours. We thought it was just a bad night for her but she continues to do this. Nothing has changed as far as routine, could it be time to fix her? Not sure if this is the issue as this behavior came out of no where. She is only put in the crate at night when we go to bed, please help ……sleepless in Antelope
This is the exact same reason I am here. We have a labradoodle puppy 8 mos. who has been crated at night since we brought her home with no issues. All of the sudden, she started crying at night….all night long. When we go away and leave her in her crate, she scratches and digs to the point that she has ripped off one of her nails. It has come out of nowhere and I hope this is just a phase that will pass?
Is her crate in your bedroom or somewhere else? Does she stop as soon as she sees you? If she hears you, does she stop? Is she with you all the time during the day? Does she show this behavior during the day when you are not around?
Sometimes, there could be unusual noises at night that may scare/spook my dog, thereby causing her to develop some amount of separation anxiety. I usually keep my puppy with me in the bedroom, in her crate. In this way, she can see me, and is less likely to get anxious. After she matures and has gained a bunch of confidence, I let her decide whether she prefers to be with me in the bedroom, or with my other dogs downstairs.
This ASPCA article has more on separation anxiety-
https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/dog-behavior/separation-anxiety
With my dog, I slowly get her used to alone time. I start with very short sessions (seconds) and slowly build up from there. The more calm and successful alone experiences that she has, the more confidence she builds, and the more relaxed she becomes by herself. Similarly, panic attacks and negative experiences will undermine her confidence, significantly set back training, and worsen her anxiety symptoms.
Therefore, I need to manage my dog carefully and set her up for success. If I need to be away for more time than she is able to handle (at the moment), I get someone that she trusts to be with her.
Both my Huskies were spayed pretty early on, so my experiences are only with spayed dogs.
My dog is Molly and is a 5-year-old Maltese Teacup. We got her from someone who got her from a friend and had no idea how to look after a dog like her. When we got her, her whole coat was matted, she had about a million fleas and some of her teeth were rotten and had to be removed a week after we got her. She was very reserved for the first few days but since then has become a friendly and energetic dog (and a wee bit spoiled!). Since we got her we noticed she would run around in circles. Not big circles, just a little wee ones practically on the spot. She does this when you first come into the house, when she wants the food or water bowl filled, when she gets a treat, or when she wants permission to come onto the couch. One website said that this might be cause by stress. Should I be worried? I give her plenty of attention, and someone is home all day as my Dad works from home. Is this just a habit?
I’ve seen that in dogs that are in cages a lot. Usually rescues. They spin around when stimulated because that’s all they were able to do.
How long does she do this for? Does she listen when you ask her to do something else? How much time each day does she spend running around in circles? Does this behavior interfere with his daily life?
Based on what you describe, it sounds like it could be from excitement. However, dog behavior is very context dependent, and there are several different things that may cause this type of behavior. This article has a list of reasons why a dog may run around in circles-
http://pets.thenest.com/causes-dogs-running-circles-4005.html
HI there… How is your Molly doing? DId you find a solution to her behavior? I have a 3 month old puppy Chihuahua terrier Dotson mix or mutt. I rescued him from this wonderful rescue center (http://farescue.org/) . He seems to have anxiety problems when I am not in his eye sight or even when I have the 1′ doggie wall between the rooms he is allowed into and not. I am starting to use this time when he starts to bark to train him to sit. My thought is to give him something else to think of rather than his anxiety. Please let me know if you have any thoughts or suggestions. Thank you…
I recently adopted a rescue who is about 3 years old. He is a mutt, but looks to be some rat terrier and maybe some boarder collie.
His foster mom was crating him during the day and said she had no problems.
When I put him in his crate to leave for work, he SCREAMS and starts shaking. He goes in a little timidly and about 20 seconds later, starts howling. When I come home, he has ripped the blanket from off the top, and has dug up the bed inside. I have left a recorder today to see how long he screams for but he is just so unhappy in there. He is a clingy pup which has subsided as time goes on, but still so un relaxed in his crate.
Any advise would be so much appreciated.
Was he alone at home in the foster mom’s place?
What you describe sounds like separation anxiety. I help my dog with separation anxiety by doing desensitization exercises. I start with very very short periods of alone time and *very slowly* build up his confidence and tolerance.
The more successful events there are, the more confidence my dog builds, and the more comfortable he is by himself. Similarly, bad experiences or panic attacks will undermine that confidence, significantly set back retraining, and worsen his anxiety symptoms.
Therefore, I make sure never to expose my dog to more alone time than he can handle. If I need to be away, I get someone that he trusts to be with him.
This article from the ASPCA has more on separation anxiety and desensitization exercises.
More on how I help my dog with separation anxiety.
Hi i have a big problem my wife and I have 2 small breeds dogs the first one his name is Chiqui he’s a mix of chihuahua and Yorke the sweetest dog any one can meet bit our second dog Pulgui she is a mix of maltices and habanes I guess they call it maltaness well my issue is totally with her with us she hides under the bed doesn’t want to come out she only does so if we say treat or let’s go which means time for a walk and when we both on the bed. Where’s our biggest problem when she first came to us she was always frighten as if her last owner use to hit her or mistreat her so at first happy energetic going up the stairs and happy all well the second day she didn’t want to go up the stairs no down hiding crying we got her when she was 4 months old she’s now 1 year old but she has a habit when we are not at home to rip the rug apart eat the walls furniture and my wife’s shoes my wife has had enough I understand her I have tried everything but my other dog chiqui is also I need help she doesn’t listen we give her all the attention training longer walks and nothing the other day I was home off of work and went to do the dishes and I heard scratches coming from the room she saw me stooped ran under the bed and she had ripped the rug in a way that I was furious I grande her from under the bed and put her in her cage I hate to do that cause chiqui knows where to pee and poop so he roams the house freely but it’s like if she has to be I’m her cage 24 hours trust me no we don’t do it but it’s like we’re looking at it with no other choice please help us cause I don’t want to get to that point
Did anything happen with the stairs on the first day? Did she accidentally fall? Was she supervised the entire time? What is her daily routine like? What type of training is she used to?
With my more fearful Husky, I focus my energy on building her confidence and trust. To do this, I need to manage her environment so that I can set her up for success. The more positive and successful experiences that she has, the more confidence and trust she builds, and the better her behavior becomes. Similarly, negative experiences and punishment will undermine her confidence, destroy her trust, significantly set back retraining, and worsen her fear symptoms.
Dogs with separation anxiety may become destructive when home alone. This is a symptom of the dog’s anxiety. Similar to how some people may chew their nails when anxious, some dogs may chew at the carpet or walls. I help my dog with separation anxiety by doing desensitization and counter-conditioning exercises. I start with very very short periods of alone time (seconds), and pair it with very high priority rewards. Then, I very slowly build up my dog’s confidence and tolerance level, from that starting point of success.
The ASPCA article above has more on how to desensitize a dog to alone time. Here are two more ASPCA articles on fear behaviors and how to retrain it-
http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/dog-behavior/neophobia-fear-new-things
http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/dog-behavior/fear-objects
I help my fearful dog by –
1. Setting up a fixed schedule and routine for her,
2. Giving her structured but relaxing outlets for her energy, and
3. Doing desensitization exercises to help her build confidence and trust.
Desensitization exercises also give her new tools to deal with her stress, as well as help her re-associate a previously scary stimulus with something calm and positive. A fixed routine is also important as that helps to create certainty, and certainty helps to reduce stress and anxiety.
Most important of all, I manage my dog’s environment very carefully so that she is *not* exposed to situations that she is not ready for. I keep her with me most of the time, supervise her, we do positive training exercises, we do desensitization and counter-conditioning exercises, and I always try to set her up for success. Locking her away, punishment, panic attacks, and negative events will only worsen her anxious behaviors.
When in doubt, I get help from a good, positive-based, professional trainer-
https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/finding-professional-help
https://apdt.com/pet-owners/choosing-a-trainer/
Hello. I am down to my last resort. I have a dauchand she is 8 years old and has very bad separation anxiety. She is a very good dog on a normal basis, potty trained and very very cuddley. However, anytime we are home she has to go into her crate. and everytime she pees (sometimes poops) in her cage. We have tried all sizes of cages. She hates when things are in her cage. If you put food or treats or toys in she throws them out or leaves them sitting there until she is out of her cage (so Kong or anything of the sort wont help) I have to give her a bath (because she will lay in it) everyday and clean her cage and wash she blankets everyday. I have no idea what to do, it is getting to be too much. Any advice?
With my dog, I got him used to being alone by doing desensitization and counter-conditioning exercises. I start with very very short periods of alone time, e.g. seconds, and very slowly build up his confidence, trust, and tolerance. The more positive and successful alone experiences that he has, the more confidence he builds, and the more comfortable he becomes. Similarly, negative events and panic attacks will undermine that confidence, significantly set back retraining, and worsen his stress symptoms.
Therefore, I make sure to set my dog up for success and not expose him to more alone time than he can handle. If I need to leave him alone for more than he is ready for, I get someone he trusts to stay with him.
This ASPCA article has more on desensitization training for separation anxiety.
More on how I deal with separation anxiety.
Why does your dog have to be crated when you are home?