Have you ever come across an anxious dog? If you have, you will know how devastating it can be to see your dog experiencing these types of symptoms. If you haven’t, then you may not know how to spot an anxious dog, or even why they are anxious in the first place. By reading through this article, you will be given some advice on why your dog might be anxious in the first place.
Separation Anxiety
We all have many different tasks that we are required to complete in our daily lives. From going to work to taking your kids to school, and going grocery shopping, there will be many times during the day that your dogs could be left on their own. Whilst this is a normal part of your life, your dogs will be left wondering why you are leaving them all the time. Like humans, they don’t like it, and if leaving them on their own is something that occurs daily, then barking, whining, and even going to the toilet in your house could soon be a possibility.
To help them cope with this anxiety, be sure to spend as much time as you possibly can with them when you have the chance. This will help them to realise that they are still loved and that you haven’t just left them on their own. Even buying them different types of toys, or taking them for a walk are some of the ways that can help their anxiety.
Former Rescue/Shelter Dogs
Whilst there are people out there who would do anything to make sure that their dogs are always safe, there are some who soon fall out of love with the idea of looking after a dog, thus deciding to put them into a rescue shelter. Whilst these types of places are safe, the time that each dog gets to spend with a staff member is greatly reduced which means that they will be on their own for a large amount of time.
So, when they finally leave, the thought of trying to fit back into a normal home life, with different people and surroundings can be hard for them to adjust to. They will have that fear of being abandoned again, which is why you need to develop a routine that will help them settle into their new life.
Fear-Related
Everyone has a fear in life. Regardless of whether you fear spiders, clowns, or the dark, everyone has something that they don’t like. And it is the same with dogs. Though they can’t fully communicate to you what their problem is, there could be fears that exist. Some dogs are scared of loud noises like fireworks and thunder, whilst others could fear strange environments or other dogs.
It can be hard to know when your dog is feeling anxious, especially if they don’t show physical symptoms like shaking or whimpering, so always pay attention to how they react to certain situations and you will know whether they are suffering or not.
Old Age
When dogs get older, they are faced with the possibility of suffering from a type of dementia that is usually found in canines, called Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome. Just like dementia in humans, this syndrome can lead to dogs feeling very confused easily and if this happens, they could also become anxious extremely quickly. This is because they won’t be as aware as they once were and it can scare them, just like it would scare us. So, it is important that when your dog hits their senior years, that you provide them with all the love and attention they need so their anxiety levels can be kept at bay.
Seeing your dog suffering from anxiety can be heart-breaking. It can be hard to know how to deal with it, but if you know the reasons why your dog could be anxious in the first place, like some of the points mentioned above, you will have a much better chance of being able to make sure that you can do everything you can to help them when they need it most.
