Anxiety in Dogs

by Maggie

Overview

Some dogs experience anxiety much like humans do. Dogs can either be anxious by nature or anxiety can be triggered by a trauma. It's important to identify what causes anxiety in your dog to determine how to treat it.
Separation Anxiety

One of the most common forms of anxiety is separation anxiety. Oftentimes dog owners misinterpret signs of anxiety for bad behavior. An anxious dog can be destructive, have an accident in the house or bark excessively. These behaviors should not be punished because that can exacerbate your dog's anxiety.

Other Types of Anxiety

Not all anxiety in dogs is due to separation, though. Anxiety or stress can be caused by other dogs, strangers and even food or toys.
Treatment

The best method to ease your dog's anxiety is to slowly desensitize your dog to that trigger. Create a positive association with the trigger via treats, praise or toys. Expose your dog for short periods of time to the triggers while praising and rewarding your dog. Slowly extend the duration while continuing to reward your dog.
Considerations

Some anxiety cases might require professional attention either through working with a trainer on behavior modification or working with a vet for a medical treatment.
Warning

Punishing your dog's anxiety symptoms (destruction or an accident in the house, lunging at another dog, etc.) will not help treat your dog's anxiety; rather, punishing your dog may reinforce or worsen his anxiety. Instead, focus on positive reinforcement of good behavior, desensitizing your dog to his triggers or working with a professional to implement a treatment plan.

Overview