Anxiety in dogs

Overview

Do the Fourth of July fireworks or a single clap of thunder send your canine cowering under the bed? Loud noises upset many a companion animal, leaving them looking anxious and acting nervous. Virtually any size or breed of dog can become startled and shaken by unexpected loud noise.

Symptoms

Signs of anxiety in your dog may not be as obvious as hiding under the bed. Other symptoms include:

• Excessive panting
• Pacing
• Yawning
• Upright posture with tail held stiff in the air
• Barking or whining
• Licking lips
• Turning eyes or head away from the stressful object
• Scratching
• Breaking house training, or eliminating himself in the house even though he is well housetrained

Scratching is a displacement behavior, where affected dogs relieve their stress by channeling their excess adrenaline into another activity.

Treatment

Although your natural reaction may be to comfort a nervous pet with a soothing tone and food treats, comforting him can actually reinforce fearful behavior. He'll learn that he will be rewarded whenever he shows fear. You can offer a few kind words in a happy, unworried manner, but it's best not to cater to your pet. For mild cases, ignore him while allowing him to hide wherever he feels most comfortable - under the bed, in the back of the closet, or perhaps in his crate. Be sure to praise him when he comes out of hiding and is more relaxed.

For more extreme cases, train your pet to deal with his fears by desensitizing him to the offending noise under controlled conditions. You'll need to buy or make a recording of the sound he dislikes - be it thunderstorms or fireworks - and begin to play the tape at a low volume. Get involved in a positive activity with your dog when you play the tape, such as feeding or playing a game. Schedule this exercise during a time when you know the noise in question will not occur naturally. The idea is to play the tape so low that your pet ignores it. Slowly, over several sessions you can raise the volume. If your pet appears fearful at any time throughout the process, the tape is too loud, too soon. Gradually increase the volume of the tape until it is equally as loud as the real thing. This may take several weeks, but your pet should be better equipped to handle an actual occurrence of the noise.

If your phobic animal has an extremely severe reaction to loud noises, such as urinating or biting, seek professional help. A trainer of behaviorist can work out an effective program with you. Your veterinarian may also prescribe anti-anxiety medication for severe cases.

References:

Rugaas, Turid, On Talking Terms with Dogs: Calming Signals, (Dogwise Publishing; 2nd edition, December, 2005)