Recognize Signs of Anxiety in Dogs

In dogs, anxiety and fear-related disorders are fairly common. In fact, experts estimate that around 14 percent of dogs in the United States suffer from separation anxiety, the most commonly recognized anxiety disorder in dogs. Despite this fact, however, anxiety can be difficult to recognize because its early signs are often subtle, and most behaviors associated with anxiety can be normal in different contexts. The most important thing to realize when trying to identify signs of anxiety in your dog is that anxious dogs expect bad things to happen, either generally or in specific situations, and act accordingly. This means you need to look not only your dog's behavior but also at the context of that behavior to assess anxiety.

Steps

Identifying Risk Factors

1. Intervene early. Dogs of all ages and breeds can develop anxiety, but some dogs are at increased risk of developing fear-related disorders. Be mindful of the following risk factors in this section. If your dog has any of the risk factors, you should be even more careful about looking for signs of anxiety. Early intervention can prevent or minimize the development of serious behavior problems.
2. Inquire with the breeder about a genetic predisposition. Dogs can be predisposed to anxiety based on genetics, which means you can ask if the parents have anxiety. Unfortunately, this step only applies if you have access to the breeder or other access to information about the dog’s parents.
3. Determine the dog’s early socialization. Lack of adequate socialization or exposure to different environments and situations can lead to anxiety when a dog is confronted with these stimuli. This is even more likely if the dog lacked these stimuli during the critical period between birth and fourteen weeks of age.
   • For example, puppy mill breeding dogs and other dogs raised in cages often have lifelong problems with fear and anxiety even after rescue.
4. Look at the age of the dog. Most anxiety disorders in dogs begin during adolescence, when the dog is between six and eighteen months of age. However, dogs of any age that experience trauma, illness, or other stressful events can develop anxiety problems.
5. Find out if the dog has a history of abuse. A history of abuse or past bad experiences with certain people or situations can cause anxiety. If you’re looking at a dog at a shelter or from a rescue, ask if the organization has any record of the environment from which the dog came.
6. Look at the dog’s medical record. Any illness or condition that produces pain can increase a dog's anxiety and cause it to become more fearful.
7. Note any neurological conditions. Neurological disease, degeneration, or exposure to neurotoxins can lead to anxiety in dogs as well. This also includes age-related cognitive issues, which can result in the onset of separation anxiety in old dogs.

Looking for Potential Signs of Anxiety

1. Examine your dog closely. The best way to recognize signs of anxiety in your dog is to pay attention to your pet and look for behaviors that seem odd or out of context. The steps in this part include commonly recognized signs of anxiety in dogs.
2. Look for increased vigilance. Scanning of the environment and attentiveness to the actions of people and other animals is a sign of anxiety. Anxious dogs scan their surroundings even in situations where other dogs would be relaxed. They are often on the lookout for frightening things or occurrences.
   • This heightened lookout mode can also mean that the dog startles more easily than you’re used to seeing.
   • Muscle tension in the dog is another symptom you may see in a nervous dog that is always on edge.
   • Excessive whining and barking may also be associated with the dog’s inability to calm down and relax.
3. Watch for pacing and other repetitive behaviors. You may notice pacing or other repetitive behaviors. This is similar to how anxiety makes it harder for humans to sit still.
4. Look for panting or trembling. Especially when these symptoms don’t relate to heat or cold exposure, they may be signs of anxiety. Note that dogs also commonly pant after physical exertion such as play or exercise, which is not an immediate cause for any concern.
5. Note any inappropriate urination or defecation. If your normally housebroken dog begins relieving itself in the house, it can be a symptom of anxiety. Old dogs can also show sign of incontinence, so consult your vet for a more complete diagnosis of the symptom.
   • Anxious dogs can also experience diarrhea following an anxious episode.
6. Examine your dog for additional facial symptoms. Lip licking, yawning, tucked back ears, and dilated pupils are all other potential symptoms of anxiety in your dog. Ensure you differentiate these behaviors from times when they are expected, such as when the dog is tired (for yawning) or when the dog experiences a change in light conditions (for dilated pupils).
7. Watch for escape attempts. Anxiety in dogs involves the release of similar brain chemicals as anxiety and fight-or-flight situations in humans. “Flight” responses in nervous dogs can include bolting, hiding, digging, scratching, fleeing and pawing (such as at doors).
8. Keep an eye out for destructive behaviors. These behaviors are usually more common in specific cases of separation anxiety where the anxiety is due to the absence of the dog’s owner. The destructive behaviors in question include destroying barriers such as doors and gates.
9. Note changes in your dog’s sleep patterns. Much like humans can experience sleep disturbances due to anxiety, you may also notice this symptom in your dog. This sign is more common for long-term cases of anxiety, so look for it in association with other symptoms.
10. Examine your dog for excessive shedding. Shedding is another potential sign of anxiety. Keep a close eye on the dog’s behavior if you notice uncharacteristic shedding or even bald spots because the cause may be due to excessive licking, which is another anxious characteristic.
    • Check with your veterinarian to ensure that the symptoms aren’t associated with a skin disease, endocrine disorder, or simply allergies if present without other signs of anxiety.
11. Track your dog’s eating habits. Another sign is a loss of appetite in your dog. In severe cases, you may even see weight loss in your dog over time due to the change in eating habits.
    • You may also notice vomiting unrelated to disease or eating spoiled or inappropriate food.
12. Look closely at your dog’s posture. During anxious episodes, your dog may maintain a lower body posture or tuck its tail between its legs. These general signs of cowering may indicate fear in your dog as well. Other typical signs of anxiety in a high-stress environment (such as the vet clinic) include:
    • Yawning
    • Licking lips
    • Avoiding eye contact
    • Raising a paw
    • Rolling over and displaying the belly
    • If you notice your dog displaying these behaviors, try to give them some space and a little time to adjust to the stressful environment. Pushing the dog outside their comfort zone might cause the dog to bite.
13. Note how clingy the dog is. An anxious or fearful dog may also cling to its owner in many situations. Look for this symptom in association with destructive behaviors when you aren’t around, which likely indicates separation anxiety.

Diagnosing Anxiety in Your Dog

1. Keep a log of the behaviors. If you suspect your dog is anxious, try keeping a log of each exhibited behavior from the previous part. Log the location, duration, and circumstances behind each behavior.
2. Determine the context of each entry. You should examine the specifics of each exhibited behavior to determine which ones are actually caused by anxiety. Other things to note about each instance include people and other pets in the area, location, environment, weather, noises, and anything else you notice when the dog is showing signs of anxiety.
3. Disregard the appropriate responses. With the information you’ve collected, try to weed out the behaviors that were actually appropriate based on the context. For example, panting is a common sign of anxiety, but it is normal for dogs to pant when they are hot or have been exerting themselves. If all of the occurrences of panting you note occur in hot weather or after long walks, the panting probably is not due to anxiety. If, on the other hand, panting is occurring when the dog is well rested and confronted with strangers or other stressors, it is likely a result of anxiety.
4. Look for associated stimuli. By logging the instances of anxious behavior, you may also begin to see patterns emerge related to particular stimuli. This is why carefully noting details about when your dog becomes anxious, even if these details seem insignificant at the the time, is critical for fully assessing your dog's anxiety. A thorough understanding of context will enable you to eliminate stressors and work on easing your dog's fears through controlled training.
   • For example, a dog that fears being separated from its owner might start to show signs of panic or anxiety when the owner picks up car keys or puts on a coat because those are signs that the thing the dog fears might be about to happen. The critical thing to realize is that the owner does not actually have to leave the house for the anxiety symptoms to begin. The dog just has to somehow associate the owner's actions with its fear.
5. Consider setting up a camera if applicable. If your dog primarily shows signs of anxiety, including barking and property destruction, when you are away from home, consider setting up a video camera to record the dog when you are gone. This will allow you and your veterinarian to properly contextualize the dog's behavior and decide if it seems to be anxious because you are gone or if something else, such as loud noises or workers outside, is upsetting the dog.
6. Contact your veterinarian. Armed with all of the information you have collected about the behaviors and circumstances, you are ready to present the case to your veterinarian. However, most of the symptoms above also have a number of other potential causes. Your vet will discuss your log with you and perform a physical examination of your dog to rule out other possible causes of the behaviors.
   • If you are worried such an exam might make your dog's anxiety worse, contact the veterinarian in advance and explain your concerns. Veterinarians can offer suggestions and options—often including house calls—that can help make the process easier on your dog.
7. Follow your veterinarian’s recommendations. Your vet may consider multiple options based on your dog’s specific case, ranging from steps you can take yourself up to seeing a veterinary behavioral specialist. Follow your vet’s recommendations closely and keep him or her up to date regarding your dog’s progress.

Tips

• Never use punishment-based training methods with anxious dogs.
• Anxiety can severely impact a dog's quality of life. If your dog shows signs of anxiety, get help from your veterinarian or a veterinary behavioral specialist.

Warnings

• Fearful and anxious dogs can snap if cornered or startled, and they are much easier to startle than normal dogs. You should use caution when dealing with an anxious dog.
• While you should always supervise a dog around children, it's doubly important if your dog tends to be anxious. These dogs may resort to "fear aggression" if they feel that the child is attempting to harm them. If your dog is severely anxious, avoid introducing him to children at all.

Related Articles

• Understand Your Dog's Body Language
• Talk to a Dog Using Body Language
• Crate Train Your Dog or Puppy
• Socialize Your Dog
• Approach a Shy or Fearful Dog

Sources and Citations

See also

• Bathe a Dog and Keep It Calm
• Help a Dog Overcome Its Fear of Stairs
• Train a Scared Dog to Go Down the Stairs
• Calm a Nervous Dog in the Car
• Help a Dog with Separation Anxiety
• Calm a Dog During Thunderstorms
• Reduce Anxiety in Dogs
• Rehabilitate an Overly Shy Dog
• Stop Your Dog from Being Frightened During a Storm
• Make Your Dog Relax Completely

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