Much like their human members of the pack, dogs sometimes experience anxiety. All proud owners of four-legged darlings know that dogs are little bundles of all sorts of emotions. The only problem is the poor souls cannot tell us what troubles them. Luckily, our two-legged kind likes to observe and learn, so after many joyous years spent with furry friends, people are now able to recognize canine anxiety. Although every pup has a different personality and expresses emotions in its own way, here are 7 main signs your dog is anxious.
#1 Urinating or defecating inside the house doesn’t always call for a time-out
Unless there is some medical reason, your dog suddenly starts to pee and poop inside the house, and the poor guy may be going through something. Before you start yelling and accusing the little guy of being ill-mannered, ask yourself what he is trying to tell you. Dogs can act this way if they are feeling neglected. Maybe they are a bit needy of your attention. It is common for some dogs to exhibit this kind of behavior when there’s a new baby in the house, for example. This new creature suddenly gets more attention, and by peeing in the room, the dog is saying, “Look at me! I hate that you are petting that new guy instead of me.” Our advice in this situation would be to treat your pooch as you would your older child – with lots of love and a gentle introduction to the baby.
When there’s a new baby in the house, dogs may start exhibiting strange behaviors due to anxiety
#2 You know your dog is anxious when it’s doing a marathon walk around the house
This symptom is very hard to miss. Your usually peaceful pooch suddenly starts pacing around the house. It seems as if the little fur ball is late for an important meeting. Another variation of this is trying to find the right spot to settle on the floor, but none seems to be the right one. The most common reason for this disturbing sign of your doggie’s anxiety may be physical – it may need to go potty or may have some allergy issues (which will come with obsessive scratching). Your dog may feel some sort of bone pain that prevents it from sitting comfortably. In this case, it is best to start with easy solutions like taking the dog for a walk. If that doesn’t help, it is probably the safest to see the vet.
#3 Destructive behavior which doesn’t seem to stop
The most obvious sign your pup isn’t feeling ok emotionally and may be anxious is when it becomes destructive. At least you can rule out the health problems when it starts acting out like this, but your slippers might pay the price. The reason for these tantrums in dogs may be a feeling of not getting enough attention. Try spending some more quality time with your fluffiest member of the family – you are probably the most important person in his life. On the other hand, some dogs act like this because they harbor some anxiety over past traumas. If you think this might be the case, consult a vet.
#4 The doggy blues
Is your dog sulking in weird places of the house for no apparent reason? Is the little guy less cheery than before and almost seems to turn his back on you – literally? These are signs of depression in a dog. Just like in humans, it is caused by anxiety related to some issue. Unfortunately, your dog is unable to communicate that to you. Reasons for this depressive state vary from boredom to some health problems. To ward off this symptom of your anxious dog, try entertaining him first. One way of lifting the spirits of your fatally bored dog is to take it on a sniffary – a long walk where it is allowed to sniff whatever comes to its snout. Never forget we are everything to our pets, and our choices directly impact their lives to a great extent. If you tend to have a busy lifestyle with no room for extra commuting, think of your dog when choosing where to live. If you live in New York City, research the best Manhattan neighborhoods for dog owners. You should choose the right area that will make every outing with your dog a joy for you both. In the long run, the problem with your four-legged friend’s depression is likely to be solved for good.
If your dog is too quiet and seems to sulk around the house, he may be depressed
#5 Excessive digging all day long
You might have noticed your dog started digging like mad, trying to find a bone buried in bed or something (?!). This behavior is completely natural, but only to a certain extent. Your furry roommate’s forefathers used to live in the wild and needed to dig shelter to sleep in. Naturally, due to this genetic heirloom, some digging before falling asleep is normal. However, if your buddy seems to dig too often, you might have a sort of digging doggy anxiety on your paws. Experts believe one of the reasons is insufficient physical activity. Your pup simply has too much energy that needs a place to vent. This can be a problem during periods of bad weather but if you notice this kind of behavior in your dog, make sure you find a way it gets the amount of exercise it needs. This will surely help if your dog is anxious to help restore balance to their emotional levels.
#6 Going on a hunger strike
Here’s one that always gets us extra worried. When a dog refuses to eat, you have to immediately try to figure out what is going on. Hopefully, your canine friend is just sulking as a result of being a little spoiled. He may want something else to nibble on, so he decided to go on a little hunger strike until the right food was provided. Alternatively, it is the issue of separation anxiety. Your dog may decide it is just too sad when you are not around. Therefore, it puts everything on pause (including) eating until you get back. Of course, if this situation lasts more than a day or two, you need to see the vet. When it comes to health issues, not eating is often associated with problems with teeth or tummy issues – nothing a doggy doctor won’t know how to diagnose and treat.
#7 When your pup is barking too much, it is telling you something is up
Speaking of separation anxiety, here’s one very common symptom of it. Dogs sometimes bark and howl when their owners are away because they hate being alone. Also, since they cannot speak, the barking may be their way of trying to tell you something important. Most of the time, they feel their basic needs are being neglected (food and potty time). It is possible you aren’t paying enough attention to your furry friend, and he is trying to shout that at you. The solution to this may lie in more time spent with your dog. Try to think of some new activities to entertain your pet. If their problem is feeling left out too much, this should do the trick. Ultimately, when all else fails, hire a good dog trainer. He should be able to fix this unfortunate issue and save you from potential troubles with neighbors.
For the end, some paws-itivity!
Even if you conclude your dog is anxious, don’t fret too much about it. There’s a solution for every ruff situation! All in all, there’s nothing lots of love, and a good vet can’t fix. And some snacks, of course!
