Identifying and Coping with Canine Stress
Jul 2008
By Don Hanson
What is Stress?
Like us, our dogs can and do experience stress. Just as stress can make us feel afraid or hyper or edgy or irritable, it can do the same to our dogs. It is a well established fact that chronic or long-term stress will likely have a detrimental effect on an individual's behavior, health and overall well-being. As responsible guardians we have a responsibility to help prevent stress in our dogs lives and to help them deal with stressors when they do occur.
In his book Canine Neuropsychology, Dr. James O'Heare defines stress as "…the response of an organism to a demand placed upon it to change or adapt." This is a fairly universal definition of stress whether we are talking about dogs or people. It also implies that a certain amount of stress is normal and is in fact part of what causes an organism to grow and develop.
While we and our dogs need to live with a certain amount of stress; it is imperative that we understand that whether the stress is "good" or "bad," short term or long term, it will have a physiological effect on the body. Stress has the potential to make one ill and may cause behaviors that damage relationships with others. It also increases arousal and reactivity, which frequently increases aggression. As a pet behavior consultant, it has been my experience that most behavior problems with pets, especially the more serious such as aggression and separation anxiety, are the result of stress. The susceptibility to stress varies with each individual dog or person. How an individual responds to stress is often affected by a combination of inherited genes and events within the organism's environment.
The systems in the dogs body which control stress are virtually identical to those in our body. Stress affects an individual both physiologically and emotionally, and the two are always interconnected. The biggest difference between "good" stress (eustress) and "bad" stress (distress) is the length of time the organism is under stress and a matter of how the stress affects the subject emotionally. Eustress is almost always short term, while distress can start as an acute event and easily escalate into a chronic condition. When "good" stress occurs it may be experienced as euphoria and a heightened sense of awareness. "Bad" stress typically makes one feel fearful or irritable and more edgy and jumpy.
When something stressful happens (e.g. we are surprised by a snake, we are in a car accident, etc.) the body falls under control of the Sympathetic Autonomic Nervous System (SANS). The SANS is part of the body responsible for controlling the flight or fight response. Essentially the body goes on auto-pilot to protect us from the perceived threat. This is all controlled by a series of stress hormones and neurotransmitters that activate and deactivate various systems within the body.
The SANS is closely associated with the limbic system, which is the part of the brain that deals with the expression and experience of emotions, memory and aggression. It is the most primitive part of the brain and is very involved with instinctual survival mechanisms. It is separate from the cerebral cortex, which is thought to be the "thinking" part of the brain and the site of conscious thought and intelligence. Note that the brain is hard-wired to always remember negative emotional responses to help ensure our future safety.
There are four key things to remember about a dog under severe stress: 1) their body is reacting instinctively without thought, 2) the increased level of arousal/reactivity that is part of stress increases the probability of aggression, 3) when under stress the ability to learn is severely disabled if nonexistent, and 4) if under chronic/frequent stress, it can take many hours or even days for the body to return to normal, which is why chronic stress is so debilitating. While this is a gross oversimplification, more details can be found in the books listed in "Recommend Resources."
Causes of Stress in Dogs
Consider the stress a puppy invariably feels the first day we bring them home. We abruptly take them away from the safety of their mother and siblings and bring them into a foreign environment where we communicate with a different language (English versus canine) and where the customs for normal social greeting behavior are counterintuitive to everything they know (direct eye contact and hugging versus calm butt sniffing). To fully comprehend how stressful this, consider how well you would do in a similar situation. Far too often this stress continues because many dog guardians do not take the time to learn and understand canine behavior and body language, or are misinformed by the old outdated ideas about canine behavior which emphasizes dominance and punishment. Talk about a setting the dog up to be stressed!
Another frequent reason for stress in a dog is our inability to adequately provide for our dogs most basic needs; freedom from hunger, thirst, malnutrition, discomfort, pain, injury, disease, fear and distress and the freedom to express normal behaviors (for a more detailed discussion see Brambell's 5 Freedoms - http://tinyurl.com/57qv29). While this sounds simple, that is not always the case. People usually have very good intentions towards their dogs, but out of ignorance often fail to provide some of the most basic needs.
Other common causes of stress in dogs are: grief due to loss of a companion (human or animal), living with a family that frequently argues; excessive stimulation (too much play, daycare, dog sports, etc.), insufficient stimulation, too many dogs per available space, any change in their environment (schedule, people, animals, increased noise), punitive training (shock, choke and prong collars), a mixture of reward based training and corrections based training, inappropriate play partners, unreasonable expectations by us (we expect our dog to like all people and all other animals in all situations, 100% of the time), insufficient social time/family time, traumatic events, and many more.
Identifying Stress in Canines
Dogs express themselves and communicate with body language, vocalizations and behavior. By getting familiar with our dogs' bodies, we can tell when they start to feel stressed. It is imperative to look at the entire body and not just isolated parts to get the best understanding of what your dog is feeling.
Calming signals, as described by Norwegian ethologist and dog behaviorist Turid Rugaas, are very subtle changes in the body of a dog which suggest building stress and are used to diffuse conflict before it happens. A calming signal is a polite request to another dog to change their behavior and therefore prevent any dispute from occurring. Two of the calming signals people see most frequently are "licking of the nose" and "yawning." The dog in the picture is demonstrating both "averting of the eyes" and a "nose lick," probably because the camera is staring at her. Other signs that can be calming signals are; turn away, softening of the eyes (squinting), freezing, play bow, sitting down, lying down, sniffing, scratching and splitting up. For more information on calming signals checkout the web links, books and DVDs in Recommend Resources.
When calming signals do not have their desired effect, a dog will result to more overt communication such as lunging, growling, showing teeth, an overall tenseness or stiffness throughout their entire body, as well as other signs.
When stressed a dogs behavior will often change. Common behaviors that are often stress induced are: being restless, an inability to relax, poor sleeping habits (less than 17 hours of sleep per day), excessive sleeping, becoming jumpy/hypervigilant, irritable, destructive behaviors, excessive self-grooming, loss of appetite, obsessive/compulsive behaviors (e.g. shadow chasing), an inability to focus, hyperactivity, increased urination and defecation, and vomiting and diarrhea
Reducing Stress in Dogs
In order to reduce our dogs' stress we first need to understand it. Once we have identified the cause there are many approaches to eliminating the stress. The easiest way to deal with a dog under stress is usually management - removing the dog from the situation/context where the stress occurs. While this does not solve the problem, it is a temporary fix which will make the dog feel better. If this is a context/situation the dog will need to be exposed to in the future, it is advisable to work with a qualified and credentialed behavior consultant (see Selecting A Dog Behavior Consultant - http://tinyurl.com/4o6a7t ) to help get the dog over this fear. Few dog guardians are successful resolving this type of issue by reading books, attending seminars, or watching programs on TV. In my experience they usually make the problem worse.
A behavior consultant will consider a number of methods to help your dog deal with their stress. They will almost always recommend a behavior modification protocol, which is a specialized training program for your dog's situation. A dog training class is seldom recommended for a dog with stress-based issues such as anxiety and aggression, as it often puts a dog in a situation where they will be stressed and learning cannot occur.
Additionally a behavior consultant may also recommend changes in diets, treatment with complementary therapies (Bach Flower Remedies, herbs, homeopathy) if they are so qualified, and if they are a veterinary behaviorist they may recommend the use of certain drugs. A behavior consultant should always be working with your veterinarian.
Stress can make us feel miserable and it does the same for our dogs. If you have a dog living in stress - take steps to help them as soon as possible!
Don Hanson and his wife Paula own the Green Acres Kennel Shop (greenacreskennel.com) in Bangor, where he is the Director of Behavior Services and Training. He is a Bach Foundation Registered Practitioner animal specialist, Certified Dog Behavior Consultant, Certified Pet Dog Trainer, and the past President of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers. Don hosts The Woof-Meow Show on WVOM, 103.9FM every Sunday at 8:30PM.
What Can Stress Feel Like?
Prednisone is a man-made corticosteriod that is used to suppress the immune system. It is often used to treat autoimmune disease, asthma, lupus, colitis, Bell's palsy, rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory diseases. Prednisone mimics cortisol, a major stress hormone, so the side-effects of prednisone can be similar to those of an organism in extreme distress; insomnia, euphoria, depression, mania, mood swings, irritability and even psychotic behavior. As an asthmatic I have been on prednisone numerous times and know how it makes me feel. While it eventually makes me physically healthier, the side effects are not pleasant for me, or those around me. I have also observed animals on prednisone and sometimes they can react negatively and experience significant behavioral changes, which do not always resolve long after the drug is no longer being used.
Recommended Resources
Web Links
Green Acres - Brambell's 5 Freedoms - http://tinyurl.com/57qv29
Green Acres - How Do Dogs Communicate - http://tinyurl.com/6k7yug
Green Acres - Canine Calming Signals and Stress - http://tinyurl.com/5uctjh
Green Acres - Selecting A Dog Behavior Consultant - http://tinyurl.com/4o6a7t
Downeast Dog News - Let's Talk Dog - part 1
Downeast Dog News - Let's Talk Dog - part 2
Books & Videos
Stress in Dogs, Martina Scholz and Clarissa von Reinhardt, Dogwise Publishing, 2007
Canine Neuropsychology, 3rd edition, James O'Heare, Ph.D., DogPsych, 2005
The dog's brain - a simple guide, Val Strong, Alpha Publishing, 1999
On Talking Terms With Dogs: Calming Signals, Turid Rugaas, Dogwise Publishing, 2006
Calming Signals: What Your Dog Tells You - DVD - Turid Rugaas,
The Other End of the Leash - Why We Do What We Do Around Dogs, Patricia B. McConnell, Ph.D, Ballantine Books, 2002
The Language of Dogs - Understanding Canine Body Language and Other Signals- DVD's - Sarah Kalnajs, Blue Dog Training and Behavior, 2006
OFF-LEASH Dog Play, Robin Bennett, CPDT and Susan Briggs, CKO, C&R Publishing, 2008
