Dog Stress

Close and loving bonds between dogs and their human owners have blossomed during the pandemic with families mostly at home and doggies getting more than their fair share of attention and daily walks. But as we open up again our canine friends may well start to fret as owners go back to ‘normal’ life. Leading vet, Dr Margit Gabriele Muller, advises on how to know if your dog is stressed and what to do about separation anxiety.

inally, there is a light at the end of the tunnel and lockdown restrictions are slowly being lifted. Some of us may soon return to the office or even go on holiday. But, what about our dogs who have got used to us being at home full time? Will they be okay at home alone whilst we are away at work? Let’s take a closer look of how we can protect our dogs from stress and separation anxiety when we go back to work or enjoy holidays again.

Signs of stress in dogs

Most importantly, we need to know what the typical signs of stress or anxiety are in dogs. It’s also important to know what your dogs’ normal behavior is and their reaction in different situations to be able to evaluate signs of stress and the extent of it.

Stress in dogs manifests itself in many ways. Whining or barking is a way for timid or frightened dogs to get our attention or to soothe themselves. Drooling, excessive licking and prolonged yawning are other typical signs of stress. Dogs that are stressed can also have change in their body languages such as blinking rapidly, eyes that are wide open eyes, ears that are pinned back or cowering and putting their tail between their legs. Anxiety can also lead to rapid shedding of fur, panting and pacing, inappetence and urinary and faecal incontinence.

Signs of separation anxiety in dogs

Separation from their beloved humans can be a major shock and traumatic experience for dogs and can even result in a panic attacks. This applies especially to the ‘pandemic puppies’ who have never been left alone at home before. A sign of separation anxiety can be self-harm like excessive licking or chewing a part of their body like their toes until they are raw. Dogs who are perfectly housetrained might suddenly destroy household items.

Alleviation of separation anxiety and related stress

Separation anxiety, stress and self-harm can get worse if we don’t train and prepare our dogs to overcome this problem.

Preparation has to be achieved on various levels and depends on whether you already had your dog before the pandemic or if you have a ‘pandemic puppy’ which you haven’t been able to socialize properly with other dogs and that has always had you at home.

It is important to build good self-confidence of the dog by positive reinforcement behaviour training. Firstly, they must have their own place for their bed, toys and water and food bowls. This can be a special area in the living room, kitchen or even a large crate. The point is, that this is their own place where nothing bad can happen to them and they feel safe and comfortable. You can motivate them to use their own space even while you are in the same room by letting them go to it and giving them some treats or special toys.

Our dogs must learn be alone at home, but we need to train or re-train them gently. In the beginning, it is sufficient to go to another room for just a few three to five minutes, once or twice a day. The dog will then learn that you do come back and feel happy about your return. Slowly you can increase the duration and frequency up to three to five times daily. Then, you can do the same but going outside the home e.g., just around the block or waiting in the car inside the garage.

Dogs get to learn our routines and they also learn that we are going to work when we wear our work clothes or good shoes. Therefore, it can be helpful beforehand top go shopping in your work clothes so that the dog thinks you are going to work and therefore gets used to the idea.

When you leave home, make sure you leave the radio on. Your dog will hear music and voices, and this can help him to not feel so lonely. When you come home, you shouldn’t make a big fuss - treat your dog normally otherwise your dog can become hyper and over excited.

Taking your dog for a good walk in the morning before you leave for work also helps to make your dog relaxed and tired so that he will sleep whilst you are out. It is still important, however, to stimulate your dog whilst you are not there. This can be done by leaving an exciting interactive or treat releasing toy that will keep your dog busy for hours.

Very timid and anxious dogs can find solace in special calming sprays or diffusers as well as the thundershirt that wraps around their body like a big hug and can reduce loneliness.

If after trying all these things, your dog still seems to be anxious whilst alone, a temporary solution could be to hire a dog walker or a neighbor who can come and check on your dog during the day.

Training to use busier streets, parks and traffic

With restrictions lifting, there will be more people and dogs in the parks and streets as well as more traffic on the roads Your dog, and especially pandemic puppies, will have to get used to this. As a first step, you can train your dog at home by recreating the sound of a noisy street with people and traffic by playing a You Tube video for example. Once your dog gets used to this and isn’t’ afraid of the sounds anymore, you can start taking him out to places with more people but just for a short time. Start with a few minutes and gradually increase. Your dog needs to know that you are there to protect him by always being at his side. This will require patience and time as you slowly introduce him to different situations and a variety of people, dogs, and cars. Remember to reward you dog with special treats when he does something well.

Conclusion

The most important way to alleviate stress and separation anxiety is well-thought out, gradual preparation in advance along with patience and continuous, on-going training. In addition, allocating a safe place at home for your dog to sleep along with toys for entertainment can go a long way to keeping your dog happy whilst he is alone at home.

Dr Margit Gabriele Muller, award-winning author of Your Pet, Your Pill: 101 Inspirational Stories About How Pets Lead You to A Happy, Healthy and Successful Life, available on Amazon.