Does your dog have stress?

Determining if Your Dog has Dog Stress

While people suffer from stress and it can have a negative impact on their life, dogs may also have to deal with stress in their lives. Even if we can’t see the stress that they are under, they can feel it. Sometimes, it is harder for us to see it in our pets because it isn’t something that always makes itself evident. They can’t just come up and tell you that they are stressed, but that doesn’t mean that they aren’t. Here are a few things that you should consider.

First of all, dogs actually feel stress a whole lot like humans do. Many times, the pet owners will be too busy with their own stressors and their own daily responsibilities that they will not really see the subtle signals that they should be looking for. Experts say that dogs can feel stress, but the way that they interpret it is really a lot different than the way humans interpret it. The best thing that you can do as a pet owner is make sure that your dog is able to socialise enough. If they start socialising at an early age, then they will usually be able to get along well with other people and animals without having to be stressed. The problem is that some dog owners don’t start out doing this when their pet is a puppy.

So, what is it that you need to look for to tell if your dog is stressed? You will want to make sure that you are familiar with these signals so that you know what to look for. If you aren’t, then you could let it get past you and your dog will just end up suffering from it. Here are a few of the signs to look out for.

First of all, you will see that they may have a tensed jaw, or they may have their eyes may seem to be tearful. It is actually called the 'half-moon eye', and it can be noticed as a sign of stress in dogs. Sometimes, this happens without us noticing it, especially if you don’t know what your dogs eyes look like if they aren’t stressed.

You may also find them to be shaky at times. It is common for them to shake when they are wet, to get off the water, but sometimes they do it when they are dry too. This may be shaking because there is just something that is not quite right. They may be trying to literally 'shake off' their stress, or they may just be afraid of something. It is something to keep an eye on. The key is to remember that dogs will show their stress in various ways. Some dogs may just seem like they don’t really want to play very much, or will just keep to themselves. Others may start to have severe anxiety when it comes to being separated from their owners. Some may even start to become extremely vigilant to their surroundings.

Other common signs include increased shedding, muscle tension, dilated pupils, excessive salivation, and panting. These are all things that can show that your dog is suffering from dog stress. If you get down to the bottom of it, you can actually eliminate their stressors. Sometimes, they may just be getting used to a change that they have undergone. Other times, it might be an external trigger that can just be removed, and they will be better. If you can’t get to the bottom of it, it may be time to take them in to the Vet so that they can help.

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