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.
I have a 14 month old German Shorthair Pointer. She is very attached to my husband. If we go out she goes completely beserk in her kennel and tears up her bed/blanket or any toys. We have placed her in an over night kennel twice while we have been on week long vacation and she completely destroys her bedding. She gets lots of play time with the kennel employees and is kenneled with our other dog so she is not alone. We have tried eveything but medication. I am wondering if there is something we can give her while we are on vacation to make her kennel stay easier on her.
What you describe sounds like separation anxiety. A dog can become anxious when separated from the people that he trusts, and who he sees as his caregiver and protector. Other people and other dogs may not be seen in the same way, so the anxiety will still be there, even though he may not be alone. What exercises did you try and what was her response?
I help my dog with separation anxiety by doing desensitization and counter-conditioning exercises. I start small, with very short periods of alone time (seconds), and slowly build up from there. It has to be short enough that my dog can tolerate it without having a panic attack. The more calm and successful experiences my dog has, the more confidence and trust he gains, and the more he can tolerate. Similarly, reactive events and panic episodes will undermine that confidence, significantly set back training, and worsen his anxiety.
Therefore, management is very important because I do not want to expose my dog to situations that he is not ready to handle. I slowly introduce him to other caretakers and help them build a positive bond with him, so that if I cannot be around, I can get someone else that he trusts to be there. It is the trust and familiarity that is important.
I also set up a fixed routine for my dog and a consistent set of rules. Routine and consistency help to create certainty and certainty helps to reduce stress.
This article from the ASPCA has more on separation anxiety and desensitization-
https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/dog-behavior/separation-anxiety
Medication can help to mute the symptoms of anxiety in the short term, however, it is not a cure, especially for more serious cases. Medication is most commonly used together with a behavior modification program. I would consult with a vet and a good trainer/behaviorist.
Hello,
I am looking for some help as well. I have a 9 month old lab/spaniel mix puppy who has always been a little shy but is now terrified of loud noises, walks outside since its been nice, other dogs and people. She sometimes doesnt even want to leave the house and recently has bad anxiety in the car where she never did before. She hasnt been through any traumatic events and has always been introduced to new environments, we’ve traveled since she was 9 weeks old and goes everywhere with me. Please help
When did this behavior start? Did it get worse gradually and did it suddenly get bad? How did she act towards people, other dogs, and noises previously? How is she usually introduced to new environments? What is her reaction? Has she done any desensitization and counter-conditioning exercises?
My youngest Husky puppy is also a shy dog. When she was young, she was anxious of loud noises and unusual things like people on skate boards. I did a lot of desensitization and counter-conditioning exercises with her, and that was helpful. I also introduce her to new things slowly, and at a pace that she is comfortable with. I want to make sure that her experiences with new things are always positive and successful, so that she slowly builds confidence, and can handle more in the future. Similarly, experiences where she becomes anxious or fearful will undermine her confidence, significantly set back training, and worsen her anxiety. Therefore, it is very important to minimize such events.
Desensitization has to be carried out in a structured environment and in a very specific way. It was very helpful for me to get guidance from a good professional trainer/behaviorist in the beginning to help with this. Plus, I did dog-to-dog desensitization exercises with my Shiba at our local SPCA where they had some great dogs that they could use during training. We did the training under the direction of a trainer and with trainer chosen dogs.
Based on what you describe, I would get help from a good professional trainer. It can be a challenge to find a good trainer, because the field is not well regulated, but there are guides that can help with that.
https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/finding-professional-help
https://apdt.com/pet-owners/choosing-a-trainer/
A good trainer can also meet with our dog, observe her behavior within the context of her regular environment and routine, read her body language, and help with identifying the sources of anxiety.
More on dog socialization.
Hi, I could really use your advice. I have a Shiba inu, he is 2 years old. He has always been easily scared and jumps at any noise. He is really lovely and sweet but he is scared of people and wont let them touch him unless he gets to know them. He has always enjoys walks and loves being outside but 3 days ago I took him out at night (as per usual) and he was strange, he was pulling to go away from the house as much as possible and didn’t want to turn around to go back home. After that, he woke us up at 3am because he was having a panic attack (gasping, shaking, moving around, etc). It took us ages to calm him down. Since then we realised that he is extremely scared to go to the roundabout we have just in front of our house where we always go and other places close to ours that we always take him to. He always pulls to go as far away from home as possible and wheneve you have to go back he panics, shakes and refuses to move. At home he is ok during the day but at night he has these panic attacks. I don’t know what do to and can’t understand what the stimulus is so desensitation is difficult. Nothing special has hapened, there hasn’t been anything that could have traumatised him so I don’t understand. Now he gets scared for no reason and starts panicking. But it’s particularly the square/roundabout in front of our house that freaks him out. I can even send you a video to show you how he acts (he basically has the same reaction than when he goes to the vet which is very extreme). Do you have any advice? Thank you very much in advance. Hara
Have you tried desensitizing him to various noises? Perhaps there are noises at night that scare him? Have there been cars or peoeple skateboarding or doing noisy things outside, around the roundabout? Also, if untreated, anxiety issues may worsen with time. A dog may become anxious of more things or become more sensitive to his existing anxiety triggers.
Where does he sleep at night? Have you tried taping him at night (including taping sound)? Often, with my dogs, what affects them may be something that seems small or inconsequential to me. Therefore, I try to be very very observant. What occurs right before, when he first starts to show symptoms?
The first thing that I do with anxiety issues is to find the source of the anxiety. If I an unable to accurately identify it, then I get help from a good professional trainer. Some of the trainers that I have visited with, have given me some good observations/insights about Sephy that I didn’t see, because I was too close to the problem.
https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/finding-professional-help
https://apdt.com/pet-owners/choosing-a-trainer/
I also desensitize my dog to noises that he is afraid of and people. In general, I try to socialize my dog to as many things as possible, and desensitize him to even mild anxiety so that he starts to build confidence early on, and can handle more later on.
More on noise and people desensitization.
More on dog socialization.
*HELP* We have a 16 month old 12 pound female Shiba and sadly I am at my breaking point with her. She has been well trained and goes outside all day long about every hour for potty breaks and we watch her potty outside but she still pee’s inside the house! No one can talk to her without her peeing all over the floor and we are all at our wit’s end. The Vet says she in is good health and has submissive pee issues but we have tried everything to help her to no avail. We are a family of 5 with 3 son’s 16, 13 and 9 and I don’t know what to do and I am tired of cleaning up pee all day, any help would be greatly appreciated 🙂
Submissive urination is not really a potty training issue, because the dog is doing the behavior to show appeasement. I help my dog with submissive urination by helping him build confidence. I try to identify things that he is afraid of, e.g. loud noises, and slowly desensitize him to that. I talk more softly to him, I make greetings and play more low key, I do a lot of fun obedience training with him to build a good bond, and I make sure *never* to use physical or verbal punishment.
Positive and successful interactions, will help him build confidence in terms of interacting with people and his environment. Similarly, putting him in situations he is not ready for, will undermine that confidence, significantly set back training, and cause his behavior to worsen. Therefore, managing my dog’s environment and interactions are very important because I want to minimize situations where he submissively urinates. I want to start small, in a low stimulus environment, and slowly build up my dog’s confidence from there.
http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/dog-behavior/submissive-urination
http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/dogs/tips/submissive_urination.html
Hi there!
I’m 16 and have a 6 year old cavachon. My parents are currently going through a divorce and whenever I trade off between houses I bring her with. She seems to be fine at my dads, which is a house and where she’s been living for most of her life, but whenever I take her to my moms she starts acting up. Whenever my mother leaves the house my dog with whimper for hours, even after walks, play time, etc. We keep her in a crate and she begins barking right after we leave. When we come home, her mouth is drenched with spit from endless barking and she runs straight out and to the water dish to get water. She also tears up her bed/blankets inside of the crate. It takes her a long time to settle down once we get home, again even after a walk and play time. Any suggestions for my dog?
Big changes in routine and environment can be very stressful for a dog. I imagine being alone in a totally new place is simply too much.
This ASPCA article has more on separation anxiety-
https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/dog-behavior/separation-anxiety
I help my dog by getting him accustomed to very very short periods of alone time, and then very slowly building up from there. The more positive and calm alone experiences my dog has, the more confidence he gains, and the more relaxed he will be with alone time. Similarly, anxiety attacks and bad experiences will undermine that confidence, and worsen his anxious behaviors.
Therefore, I need to manage my dog carefully so that I *do not* expose him to more than he can handle. I need to start small and very slowly build up his tolerance.
http://shibashake.com/dog/separation-anxiety-dog-why-how-reduce-dog-stress#desensitize
Hi, I have a senior terrier mix who has become very anxious during family meals. We rescued him as an adult about 10 years ago, and he has had on and off food anxiety/aggression, but it’s gotten better. He has also habitually whined when the family eats meals together, but has usually been easily discouraged.
However, in recent months, his behavior has gotten much worse. Occasional whining has turned into a non-stop very high-pitched whine that breaks into yowling and yapping, but increasingly it’s been paired with intense shaking, constant pacing, and fearful ears, making it seem more like anxiety than ordinary begging. He looks scared. Often he’ll stare at one of us and start the high-pitched whine and visible shivering, whereas he used to just fixate intensely on the food. He sometimes calms down if he’s on someone’s lap with a blanket over his head, but not always. Verbal reprimands aren’t helping anymore. At first crating him was the best solution. He’d sometimes growl or even snap when someone tried to remove him, but he’d calm down and nap once he was crated. But he’s started to become upset about that, too, whining and howling, and has begun to avoid his crate, which is alarming because he used to seek it out for comfort.
The anxious whine and shivering has shown up at other times too, for no apparent reason, but it’s much more common during a meal. There aren’t any particular family tensions that he could be picking up on, and he had a check-up with the vet fairly recently, so it doesn’t seem to be any physical problem feeding the anxiety.
Do you have any thoughts on what we could do? I’m concerned that our attempts to stop his behavior could be making him even more anxious. Thanks for any advice.
I would stay away from verbal reprimands or punishment. These will often worsen anxiety issues.
How recently? Is he eating and drinking normally? Are there any other changes? Did you discuss these symptoms with the vet? With my dogs, physical issues may sometimes show up suddenly. Even though they have just been to the vet, there may be internal issues that may not be readily apparent during their examination.
Are meal times usually noisy? Does he only show the symptoms when there are loud noises or a particular trigger or triggers?
If my dog were showing such symptoms, my first priority would be to identify the source of his anxiety. Especially for a senior dog, I would visit with my vet and discuss the symptoms with him. Senior dogs could have dog dementia or old dog syndrome.
http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/cognitive-dysfunction-syndrome-dogs
After I am very sure that it is not a physical issue, then I would try to identify what specific things trigger my dog’s anxiety, e.g. is it loud noises, lots of movement, lots of activity, or something else. Once I identify the trigger(s), I can help my dog by managing his environment, keeping him in a low stress/low stimulus environment, and slowly desensitizing him to his anxiety triggers.
However, the first step is to identify what exactly is triggering my dog’s anxiety.
Hi, I wonder if anyone could help? I think my 6 yr old collie is stressed/anxious & its really starting to take over. The problem only arises around our 2 yr old – whenever I have to change her nappy, all hell breaks loose. Same when I get her dressed. Why doesnt he like it when these things happen? He will make a high pitched whine, run around the house like a mad dog and bark loudly. He hates it when we leave the house and does the same routine then. Could he have separation anxiety and is linking the nappychanges/dressing to this? I dont know what to do about it but sometimes he scares me when he is barking loudly. Its quite out of character. Any opinions on what I should do? Thanks
When did he start doing this? Was it only after the baby or before as well? What is his daily routine like? What was his routine like before the baby and after? What was his behavior like before and after?
With my dog, large changes in his environment and routine will cause him stress and anxiety. If I can, I try to introduce changes slowly, so that he can get used to them a little bit at a time. When we moved to a new place, I set up a fixed routine right away, and I tried to create as much certainty as possible. Certainty helps to reduce stress. In addition, my dog loves to go exploring, so I took him hiking on quiet trails, during off-hours. In this way, he has a fun but quiet and relaxing activity, where he can release his stressed out energy.
Dog behavior is very context dependent, so I observe my dog very closely and try to identify the source of his anxiety. Right before you go out, do you always change baby’s nappy and/or get her dressed? What does your dog do when home alone? Does he chew up stuff, try to escape, pace a lot and can’t settle down, bark the whole time, or something else?
The first thing that I do with my dog is try to identify the source of his anxiety. Once I identify the source, then I can take steps to manage his environment so as to lessen his sources of stress. In addition, I can also slowly desensitize him to his stress triggers.
Consulting with a good professional trainer was helpful for Sephy, both in helping us identify the source of his problem behaviors and in coming up with a good plan for rehabilitation. However, the dog training field is not well regulated, and it was a challenge for us to find a good trainer, who had good experience, and actually understood the science behind dog behavior.
https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/finding-professional-help
https://apdt.com/pet-owners/choosing-a-trainer/
More on separation anxiety-
https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/dog-behavior/separation-anxiety
I have a shitzu around 7 yrs. old. I have had her about one year. She was with a lady who was elderly and was on her lap most of the time. I acquired her when the lady became I’ll and eventually died. She adjusted very well, but has issues with noise. My 91 yr old mom and I live together in a mobile home. Our house is quiet except for when it gets really cold, the house will pop real loud sometimes. During the day, Emmie, the dog, will just go under my mom’s bed. At night, however, she sleeps with me and when the house pops she gets up and states walking on me and takes her paw and gently touches my face. I try to get her to lay down, but it never works. She justs walks on me and over me till I can hardly stand it. I am not sure what to do. What do you think about playing music to mask the sounds? I can hardly desensitize her from something that sporadically happens. In the day, she just goes under the bed quietly. It is only at night that she is so obnoxious. She is also afraid of the dryer, and sirens and whistles, even on t.v. Even if someone one on t.v. whistles through their teeth when talking. When that happens she just goes under mom’s bed. Help, please.
I do noise desensitization exercises with my dog. First, I make a recording of the scary sound. Then, I can use it in a controlled way during our training exercises.
The key thing with desensitization is management. I want to not only maximize positive and good experiences, but also minimize panic attacks and bad experiences. The more positive experiences my dog has, the more confidence he builds, and the more comfortable he becomes with the sounds. Similarly, negative events will undermine that confidence, significantly set back training, and worsen his anxiety.
https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/dog-behavior/desensitization-and-counterconditioning
I had to do desensitization exercises in a very structured and specific way. In the beginning, I got help from a good professional trainer, and it was helpful to have someone knowledgeable show me the ropes.
https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/finding-professional-help
https://apdt.com/pet-owners/choosing-a-trainer/
How does she respond to music? Is she ok with loud music? Another possibility is to have a news channel on. I try to use something that my dog is totally familiar and comfortable with. Some music gets them even more agitated. My dogs have very sensitive hearing though, so even with music on, they can hear it when dogs walk by the house.
Hi there. We have been fostering English bull terriers for a few rescues since we lost ours. They have had a few issues which we have been able to train out and deal with before releasing to their furever home, but we have just got one who is super high anxiety level, and food aggressive though this I believe is linked to his anxiety. Oh yeah, he is deaf too.
Anyway, when he is doing his anxious behaviour he runs to different corners of the room manically and sometimes digs them. He has recently started barking like he has heard something too.
These episodes can last 30secs or up to an hour. There doesn’t seem to be any triggers. He will be chilling on the floor or in his crate or in the kitchen and the just suddenly get up and start manically running and lacing into corners.
I was told to ignore the behaviour and he would eventually calm down and learn to be calm but this seems a little strange, should you correct negative behaviour?
It was also suggested he have a safe area where he won’t be disturbed, but he is quite happy just chilling by patio doors or by sofa, then suddenly just get up and pace again.
He is on herbal meds for anxiety which I don’t know how much that helps.
He does not get anxious when he is left or at bed time, and is beyond chilled out.
Would it be better to leave him to his own devises when he is being anxious or correct the behaviour?
He is always calm when we go for walks, I ensure we do not leave the house until he is calm state.
I work from home so am around all day.
Any thoughts would be much appreciated.
Thankyou
When dealing with anxious dog behavior, I need to address the source of the behavior, which is the anxiety itself. I never punish my dog for anxiety behaviors because he is not in control of those behaviors, rather they are symptoms of his stress.
I have never had a deaf dog before, so I am not familiar with the problems that they commonly face. Could he be reacting to changing lights and shadows, vibrations, changing smells?
This article has some good information about deaf dogs, including how they have a highly developed sensitivity to smells and vibration or air movement.
This website has more information on deaf dogs.
If I were in a similar situation, I would get help from a good professional trainer who has good experience with deaf dogs. To help my dog with their anxiety, I first need to identify where the anxiety is coming from, and an experienced trainer can help me with that.
http://www.apdt.co.uk/dog-owners/local-dog-trainers
Hello,
I recently got a dog from a shelter. She is a doxen mixed with maybe a terrier? They told me she was around a year of age. She is very shy.
We’ve had her about a month now and for the most part, she is good about potty training. We did have to crate her while we were at work, but now she is holding it throughout the day (I come home and let her out at lunch).
Here is the problem. She is scared. You light a candle, listen to music, watch television, open a door and she is scared. We even got a bell so she could tell us when she needs to go outside and the first time I rang it, she ran upstairs and hid. I can deal with a scared dog, but now if my husband walks toward her she pees. For some reason she’s terrified of him. He’s never hurt or even yelled at her. The worst part about this is she’s peeing on our couches. Not cool.
I’m not too sure what else to do with her. We’ve worked with desensitizing her to what seems to scare her, BUT she scared of virtually everything. Being scared is one thing, peeing is another.
Any advice would be much appreciated.
The peeing thing sounds like submissive urination-
https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/dog-behavior/submissive-urination
http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/dogs/tips/submissive_urination.html
My younger Husky also started out being more fearful of men. Men are larger and have deeper voices and this can be scary to a submissive dog. To appear less scary, I sit on the floor, and make sure there is “no talk, no touch, and no eye-contact. No eye-contact is especially important as that can be threatening to a fearful dog.
For example, with my dog, I sit on the floor and place a bunch of yummy food a fair distance around me. Then I read a book and let my dog approach me on her own to eat the food. I do not talk, touch, or initiate eye-contact. I repeat this until she is comfortable with getting the food. Then I *very slowly* increase the challenge.
More on how I desensitize my dog to other people.
The *key* with desensitization is to start small and to always go at a pace that my dog is comfortable with. Positive and successful experiences will help my dog build confidence. Similarly, bad experiences or panic attacks will undermine that confidence, significantly set back training, and worsen her anxiety. Therefore, I manage my dog carefully and make sure that I do not expose her to new stimulus that she is not ready for. I start by keeping her in a very low stimulus environment and I introduce new things slowly and at a pace that she can handle.
https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/dog-behavior/desensitization-and-counterconditioning
In the beginning, I got help from a good professional trainer because desensitization exercises can be counter-intuitive. For it to work well, I really need to manage my dog’s environment very carefully.
https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/finding-professional-help
https://apdt.com/pet-owners/choosing-a-trainer/
I have a Border collie who will be turning a year this month. When he is in his crate he chews himself, sometimes throws up, and obsessively licks and pants while in his crate. He hasn’t always done this, just recently. Is this anxiety? Any advice? Thanks!
Hmmm, does he do this behavior anywhere else? When does he go into his crate? Does he usually go into his crate only when people are about to leave? Where is his crate? Did anything unusual happen around the time this behavior started, e.g. changes in your routine, unusual noises, new people in the house?
He sleeps in his crate at night, and when we leave. My husband and I are on different schedules so he is out most of the time. We recently moved, maybe the new place has him stressed?
Does he also show the same behaviors when he sleeps in his crate at night or is it only when you leave?
Yeah, moving to a new place can be very stressful to a dog. The last time we moved, I helped my Shiba cope with his stress by-
1. Setting up a fixed routine right away that is as close to his previous routine as possible.
2. Setting up a consistent set of rules that is as similar as possible to what he had before.
3. I spent more time with him and exercised him more, doing his favorite activities. Sephy likes to explore so I took him on longer walks in *very quiet* trails, during off-hours, so that it is a calm and relaxing environment where he can de-stress. Calm and structured exercise gave him a good outlet for his anxious energy.
In general, I try to create as much certainty and consistency as possible.
If there are changes in noise-level, new sounds, or something else in the new environment that is causing him stress, I try to identify each of those things, and slowly desensitize him to each one.
When in doubt, I consult with a good professional trainer.
http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/finding-professional-help
https://apdt.com/pet-owners/choosing-a-trainer/