8 Signs your Dog is Stressed

Poor appetite or attempts to eat inedible items, behavioral changes, deterioration in appearance, unpredictability of actions, tremors, insomnia, diarrhea, frequent urination ... These can all be signs of stress in the dog. There are many stressful situations in a dog's life. It can be trips, moving to a new house, overexposure in a zoological hotel or with relatives of the owners, visiting a veterinary clinic and groomer, the appearance of a new pet or loneliness, noise in the apartment and on the street. It is impossible to neglect the signals of the dog's discomfort, otherwise prolonged stress can seriously harm the pet.

Subtle signs of Anxiety in Dogs

• The Dog is Breathing Heavily

The dog can perceive the disputes of the owners in raised tones as a manifestation of aggression, begin to worry and breathe heavily. Sometimes it is enough to simply change the intonation or speak a little more quietly to calm down the animal.

• Agitation or Apathy

From stress, the animal can fall into a stupor and stop responding to any stimuli. This is an extreme degree of stress in which an urgent need to see a doctor. Usually, dogs become inactive, lose their appetite, do not want to play, and huddle in a corner. Sometimes they whine monotonously. Other animals become restless, make repetitive movements, run in circles, bark shrilly, and may show incomprehensible aggression.

• Shaking Off for No Reason

Animals, by shaking off, put their wool in order after sleeping, lying for a long time in one place, bathing. When these completely understandable reasons are absent, and the animal, nevertheless, has a habit of shaking itself off often, this can be a kind of reaction to some stressful situations, when the dog is surprised, puzzled, and outraged by something.

• Back Rolling, Scratching, Licking, Chewing Skin

This expression of emotion is not so simple. The fact is that adrenaline rushes in dogs are often accompanied by skin itching, which the animal tries to cope with by rolling on its back, scratching or biting off non-existent fleas.

• Eating Grass

Both dogs and cats, walking on the street, periodically eat grass. Thus, some replenish the reserves of vitamins, others get rid of the wool swallowed during licking. However, experts believe that dogs have another reason - stressful situations. At the same time, some believe that a dog who has experienced negative emotions, eating grass, is simply trying to distract himself from stress and unpleasant thoughts.

According to others, dogs in this way console themselves by choosing sweetish grass stems.

• Increased Salivation

This way of expressing emotions is typical for certain dog breeds. In this case, cases of increased salivation should not go unnoticed. Abundant saliva can be both a sign of joy and an indication that the animal is scared or that something or someone makes him feel extremely unhappy.

• Involuntary Urination and Diarrhea

The reason for the puddles left on the floor is not always the pet's bad manners. Very often this is a manifestation of fear, especially in puppies. It's all about physiology: due to the release of a significant amount of stress hormones into the bloodstream, the water-salt balance can be disrupted, which leads to involuntary urination. Stress hormones can also cause sudden onset diarrhea.

• Reconciliation Signals

Typically, this is about yawning and licking. Thus, dogs, communicating with people, apologize for accidental misconduct, show sympathy, beg for treats. However, overly active delivery of such signals may indicate a high level of stress. Cynologists believe that in this way the dog tries to calm itself down after the experiences.

With love for your dogs, DogRook!