Everyone experiences stress including
our furry companions!
…….
Chronic stress has some pretty serious consequences for our dogs. And for ourselves. Stress negatively affects literally every aspect of your well-being, including your sleep, cardiovascular health, immune response, and digestive system, and studies show chronic stress even speeds up aging.
As a parent, it’s up to you to identify the signs of a stressed-out pooch and step in before your dog melts down. We all know some of the big ones: diarrhea, for instance, increased barking or growling, trembling, and so on.
5 Unexpected Signs Of Stress
-
Shedding.- Sure, most of our dogs shed most of the time, but during times of increased stress you’ll notice tufts coming off your dog in big puffs.
-
Yawning.- Of course we all yawn when we’re tired, but did you know your dog will yawn–often accompanied by a squeak or whine–when stressed? This is one way your dog is trying to calm himself when he feels himself getting stressed.
-
Pacing.- A stressed-out dog might walk back and forth. Imagine the old sitcom portrayal of the expectant dad pacing the waiting room. It’s the same thing; your dog is trying to blow off steam and expend that nervous energy.
-
Hiding. - If your dog ducks behind you, scoots under the bed, or crawls behind the couch, they are not feeling confident. In these instances, if your dog chooses to hide behind you, provide comfort as much as possible, but if they are in a closet or under the bed, it’s OK to leave them alone and wait for them out.
-
Drooling or panting. - If you haven’t run a couple of miles and your dog is drooling or panting? they're stressed. It’s just like when you’re in a period of stress and your breathing becomes shallow.
Watch for these signs, then step in to counteract them before your dog melts down!
Ways To Help Your Stressed-Out Dog
- Remove the stressor or remove your dog. - If something (fireworks, bicycle, crowded sidewalks, hot air balloons) causes your dog acute stress, either remove the thing or remove your dog. We’re not talking permanent avoidance; you’ll want to plan some training to help your pup in the long term. This is just short-term management to help your dog get through the moment.
- Provide comfort.- If your dog feels scared, provide comfort.
- Implement interventions. - For daily anxiety management you can try calm gummies or cbd doses For stressors that are unexpected or particularly acute–fireworks, thunderstorms, company visiting, whatever it is for your dog–other options include the Thundershirt and hormone diffusers like ADAPTIL. For stressors you can plan for–vacuuming, company visiting–you can organize a bunch of interventions, like combining a CBD dose with a Thundershirt or removing your dog to a cozy corner with a Kong stuffed full of his favorite things or a snuffle mat to take his mind off his nerves.
None of those are a substitute for training, of course, but for dogs who are wired for stress, training simply can’t mitigate all the stress your pup will ever experience.
We hope these tips & tricks work for you & your furry BFF. If you have any more tips or Knowledge you wanna share with the Miminko family, please leave a comment or DM us at @miminko_US we’d love to hear!
SOURCES:
https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/signs-your-dog-is-stressed-and-how-to-relieve-it.
https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/advice/how-to-tell-if-your-dog-is-stressed/
