Stress, Anxiety & Fear: our dogs feel it too

These three emotions have very similar feelings and signs. They often occur together or in conjunction with one another. Recognizing the signs of these emotions in ourselves and our dogs, as early as possible, will go a long way to help keep the emotions manageable.

Here are definitions of each:

Good stress (Eustress): physical, mental, or emotional tension that is caused by something positive or is psychologically or physically beneficial

 Bad stress (Distress): physical, mental, or emotional tension that is caused by something negative or is psychologically or physically harmful

 Anxiety: the expectation and anticipation of an event that is either dreaded or desired

 Fear: a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined

 By definition, stress and anxiety can be both good and bad. However, even a lot of good stress can eventually be damaging.

 Dogs can experience these emotions on their own, as well as pick up on these emotions when we have them. Dogs can be trained to manage these emotions in themselves and even help us manage these emotions.

 Just like us, some dogs are more nervous than others, some more confident than others, some more sensitive than others, etc. Sometimes these emotions are genetically predisposed, sometimes they are triggered by past traumas or experiences, and sometimes they are exacerbated by certain situations or people.

These emotions are complex, and we won’t always be able to know the cause or trigger. What we can know is our dog’s responses and how to manage those responses.

Signs to look for that your dog is stressed (good or bad), anxious (good or bad), or afraid can include:

 “Pacing or shaking. You have seen your dog shake after a bath or a roll in the grass. That whole body shake can be amusing and is quite normal…unless it is occurring as the result of a stressful situation. For example, dogs are commonly stressed when visiting the veterinarian. Many dogs “shake it off” when they descend from the exam table and touch down on the ground. Dogs, like people, also pace when agitated. Some dogs walk a repeated path around the exam room while waiting for the veterinarian to come in.

Whining or barking. Vocalization is normal self-expression in dogs, but may be intensified when they are under stress. Dogs that are afraid or tense may whine or bark to get your attention, or to self soothe.

Yawning, drooling, and licking. Dogs yawn when they are tired or bored, they also yawn when stressed. A stressful yawn is more prolonged and intense than a sleepy yawn. Dogs may also drool and lick excessively when nervous.

Changes in eyes and ears. Stressed dogs, like stressed people, may have dilated pupils and blink rapidly. They may open their eyes really wide and show more sclera (white) than usual, giving them a startled appearance. Ears that are usually relaxed or alert are pinned back against the head.

Changes in body posture. Dogs normally bear even weight on all four legs. If a healthy dog with no orthopedic problems shifts his weight to his rear legs or cowers, he may be exhibiting stress. When scared, dogs may also tuck their tails or become quite rigid.

Shedding. Show dogs that become nervous in the show ring often “blow their coat”. Dogs also shed a lot when in the veterinary clinic. Although less noticeable in outside settings, such as visiting a new dog park, shedding increases when a dog is anxious.

Panting. Dogs pant when hot, excited, or stressed. If your dog is panting even though he has not exercised, he may be experiencing stress.

Changes in bodily functions. Like people, nervous dogs can feel a sudden urge to go to the bathroom. When your dog urinates shortly after meeting a new canine friend, he may be marking territory and reacting to the strain simultaneously. Refusal of food and loss of bowel function are also stress indicators.

Avoidance or displacement behavior. When faced with an unwelcome situation, dogs may “escape” by focusing on something else. They may sniff the ground, lick their genitals, or simply turn away. Ignoring someone may not be polite, but it is surely better than being aggressive. If your dog avoids interaction with other dogs or people, do not force the issue. Respect his choice.

Hiding or escape behavior. An extension of avoidance, some tense dogs literally move behind their owners to hide. They may even nudge their owners to prompt them to move along. As a means of escape, they may engage in diversion activities such as digging or circling, or may slink behind a tree or parked car.” – Excerpted from

These behaviors can also occur without the dog feeling stressed or anxious or afraid. The context of the situation is important to take into consideration, as well as knowing your dog’s regular demeanor and behaviors. Keep in mind that these signs can be extremely subtle to completely obvious.

 As you will often hear me say, dogs do what works. If your dog is exhibiting signs of stress, anxiety, or fear, it is important that we recognize that they need help in either coping with, recovering from, or avoiding the triggers that are creating the behaviors. 

A word on triggers. There is something called trigger stacking. It happens to us and our dogs and if not given appropriate time to reset can take longer to overcome. 

For example, say you wake up late one morning, you go to fix your coffee, and you spill the canister of coffee all over the place. Then you go to get dressed and realize what you intended to wear isn’t clean. You finally get into the car to leave, and you remember you need gas to make it to where you are going. You finally arrive at your destination, only to find you have the days mixed up. A bit of relief that you aren’t really late, but the one thing after another just builds and builds until we just can’t function well anymore. We will definitely need some calm, relaxing time to recover from all of these “triggers”.

 For dogs, it can be very similar, a new person arrives at your home, the person is carrying a lot of big scary things and going in and out the door. The person tries to pet your dog, and your dog runs away and hides or barks like crazy. Depending on the severity of these triggers as your dog perceives them, it can take up to 72 hours for all the cortisol to leave your dog’s system, and even longer if they recover just a bit, then more triggers happen. Some poor dogs, that have never learned how to cope and are not able to recover, remain in a heightened state of arousal all the time. These dogs take much longer to teach them how to cope and often need a complete change of environment to ever be able to recover. An example of this could be a dog that doesn’t do well in the shelter or kennel environment. 

Just remember, our dogs have emotions just like us, and they are affected by our emotions too. They need coping behaviors and recovery time. Really become aware of your dog’s regular behaviors and demeanor when they are NOT stressed, anxious or afraid, and you will more quickly become able to recognize when something is off.