Stress in Dogs: The Guide

A dogs stressed levels can be raised in many ways, as it’s individual to everyone. Whilst some pups are more robust in their stress levels and enjoy new places and meeting new people, they can still crumble at the vets – it’s a universal stressor for dogs.

Many of our four-legged friends are also worried by loud noises. Common times for dogs to become stressed are around fireworks night or New Year's when everything gets a little noisy and can be quite overwhelming. If dogs are worried by noise, then heavy traffic or even a door slamming can cause a stress response.

Understanding dog body language will help to pinpoint when your pooch is feeling stressed. Signs you should be looking out for to know when they might need some support include:

In situations where dogs are stressed, they may resort to displacement behaviours. These behaviours include doing things like turning their head physically away when approached or taking themselves off to do something.

Dogs are very good at trying to avoid conflict and will often try to de-escalate and remove themselves from any environments they find intimidating. Chronic stress can occur when a dog’s stress levels do not reduce over time and can lead to stereotypic behaviours like over grooming.

Once you understand how to tell if your dog is stressed, the next thing there is to learn is how to reduce their stress. As with many of our four-legged companions, everyone is different and what might work for one pup, may not for another.

It was once a widely accepted theory that comforting a worried dog would reinforce the behaviour. Many pet owners would ignore their scared companions on fireworks night as they trembled with fear. Now, more up to date research has shown that you can’t reinforce an emotion like fear simply by comforting your pup so if your dog is seeking a cuddle when they’re stressed, science now tells us to give them that cuddle!

While some dogs will seek out their favourite people when they get stressed, other dogs will need time to decompress away from you which is perfectly normal. If the home is a little chaotic or there’s a lot happening, and they want to take themselves away then allowing that alone time can sometimes be all they need to feel better.

Make sure they have a nice safe space they can take themselves off to. Some dogs love their crate so by placing them in a quiet area of the house they can take themselves off there. Otherwise, a nice comfy bed and some of their favourite toys in a room away from everyone might be just what they need.

Sometimes just telling them how well their doing can really help to bring a dog’s stress level down. Our pets often feed off how we’re feeling and if their owner is running around like a headless chicken without any time to so much as look at them, they might think there’s something to be worried about.

Taking the time to let your pup know that everything is ok and talking to them in a nice, calming tone can really help to set their mood and make them feel safe and comfortable. If you’re not stressed, then they will start to release their stress.

Exercise releases endorphins and some happy chemicals in the brain can be just what your pup needs to relax. Walks are a great time to get rid of some pent-up energy while also giving them lots of things to sniff and think about. Walks make for a good distraction and can help both owner and pup to get away from whatever stresses there are and just live in the moment to take in your surroundings.

Pheromone products are cleverly designed to release the same pheromones a mother dog will give off when with her puppies. A mum will release pheromones that soothe her young and make them feel safe which when exposed to as adults can relieve anxiety in the same way.

The Adaptil Pheromone Refill is completely safe and great for making a nice quiet area of the home a safe spot. It can help when moving home or when you have a lot going on in the house to give them a safe space to decompress. The Adaptil Calming Dog Collar is a good alternative when your pup might not rest in just one place so the collar can go with them while it slowly releases the same pheromones as the plug in. The collars are great for car journeys or camping, any time where there might not be an outlet to plug anything in.

Walks are a great way to distract your pup when they’re feeling stressed, but you can’t just keep walking forever to avoid any stressors that might be happening back home. It's important to give your pooch healthy outlets to get rid of extra pent-up energy at home and release their stress through play. Toys are great for reducing stress and keeping their mind off things. Soft toys are especially great for chewing, ragging around or even having something to cuddle up to for a nap and help them to feel safe and comfortable.

Every dog is different when it comes to how they show their stress just like they’re also different in how they recover from it. Some dogs will shake off a vet visit and be back to normal the second they leave the environment while others might hold onto that stress and need a few days to recover. In a perfect world, dogs would get a few weeks of avoiding any triggers to help make sure they’ve fully decompressed from whatever caused them the stress in the first place.

If a dog is suffering from chronic stress, being able to decompress might feel like an impossible task if it’s something like strangers or seeing dogs out on walks that are causing them the stress in the first place. Some stressors are harder to avoid than others. Dogs under constant stress can start to show aggressive behaviour when they feel the need to defend themselves. At this point, owners could benefit from working with a behavioural specialist to help to gradually change their emotions about the stressor if isn’t something you can simply avoid or remove.

For everything you need to help your pooch decompress from stress and all of your other puppy and dog necessities, take a look at our wide range of stock online and in-store.