Some signs are clearer than others, but the truth is that often we don’t fully recognize them. Today we talk about 8 stress signs that can affect your furry friend’s health – take note so you don’t miss a single one!
There are a number of general traits that almost everyone knows how to recognize, but there are also small behaviors that can go unnoticed and trigger welfare and health problems for your best friend. It is important that, from the start, we learn to differentiate between positive stress and negative stress in dogs.
Positive stress is the one they experience, for example, when they meet someone they love. And negative stress is what they experience when they encounter someone they fear. When this negative type manifests, our furry friends tend to flee or produce negative responses such as barking, growling, attacking… Although this will depend a lot on the situation and the dog’s own personality.
With this first point clarified, let’s start talking about all those stress signals that could occur!
Hyperactivity
This type of behavior is very common, and fortunately it is one of the easiest to identify. In general, stressed dogs tend to be hyperactive, which translates into continuous nervous behavior that sometimes leads them to bite objects, furniture, their own beds, etc. Be careful, a hyperactive dog is not the same as an tireless dog; hyperactivity arises even when our furry friend is exhausted.
Stereotypies
Stereotypies are constant, repetitive movements, practically irrational. They generally have no exact purpose, meaning they don’t do it to get something in return or because it has a specific goal. There are many types of stereotypies, but the most common are: constantly biting their tail, chasing invisible animals, or barking continuously… essentially all repetitive and incessant habits.
Obvious lack of attention
Dogs experiencing stress suffer from generalized nervousness that prevents them from concentrating or paying individual attention to things. Therefore, you may notice that they do not obey commands or orders, have difficulty paying attention, and practically do not engage with you.
Excessive behaviors
It is likely that your furry friend has certain “traits” that you have already noticed, for example: regularly barking, eating things off the ground during walks, barking at other dogs, jumping on people, barking at other furry friends… but if you add the stress factor, it is very likely that all these behaviors will intensify even more.
Constant licking
If you start noticing that your dog licks itself or objects insistently and constantly, this is one of the most difficult stress signals to identify. It may start by licking toys, its own bed, the floor, furniture… and eventually it may injure itself from excessive licking. If you see this behavior is continuous, monitor it and give it the importance it deserves.
Excessive panting
Dogs usually pant to release body heat and stabilize their body temperature. However, if in situations of complete calm or when the dog should be relaxed you notice that it keeps panting, we may be facing a stress problem. It is likely stressed, and panting is its physical way of releasing that anxiety and emotion. In some cases, constant panting is accompanied by small whines or sad sounds, which helps us identify this signal more quickly.
Weaker coat
Continuous hair loss is often associated with chronic stress problems. The dog begins to express these emotions physically through constant shedding. If this happens, the first thing you should do is visit a veterinarian to solve it as quickly as possible. Sometimes the dog licks its skin so much that it causes hair loss, or even pulls it out with its teeth!
Always alert
If you notice that your dog is always alert, with tense and rigid muscles, even when there is absolutely nothing to be alarmed about, we may be facing a stress problem. Usually, both its tail and its legs are tense, waiting for something to happen.
Anxiety in furry friends can be very serious, which is why Ownat recommends visiting a veterinarian or ethologist if you see your four-legged friend experiencing many of the situations described above. This way you will discover why these situations occur, what causes stress, and what is the most appropriate treatment for your best friend.
