If you have ever been in a situation with your dog where it was scared or reactive, you can sometimes feel helpless in trying to calm them down or work through what seems to be irrational fears. Our dogs are constantly communicating with us non-verbally. Understanding your dog’s body language cues can make a difference in advocating for and managing your dog’s anxiety levels.
Finding the Triggers
Anxiety is the anticipation of a perceived threat. If you can anticipate what activities make your dog anxious, you can prepare for the situation. Finding what situations your dog finds anxiety-inducing can help manage those reactions and feelings. Some of the most common situations are:
- Car Rides
- If your dog only goes to the vet for car rides, it will associate that anticipation when it gets into the car.
- Your pet might have motion sickness, and anticipating that uncomfortable feeling.
- Separation Anxiety
- Your pet might not like being left alone.
- Unfamiliar Places, People, or Situations
- If your pet was not socialized properly when it was young, it might not be confident in unfamiliar places or situations.
Once you can identify what your dog perceives as upsetting, you can avoid those situations or work with your veterinarian to discuss possible anxiety medications for unavoidable situations, such as car rides. Depending on the situation, identifying the problem can also help you work with your dog to gain its confidence, such as with unfamiliar people or places.
Scale of Anxiety
Sometimes, it’s easy to tell when your dog is anxious, but some signs can be subtle or easy to miss when they start feeling uneasy. Here are some of the more subtle cues to look out for:
- Yawn- Unlike people who yawn when tired, yawning in dogs signifies they are stressed.
- Licking Lips- This sign can happen quickly and can be easy to miss.
- Panting- This can also be a subtle or misinterpreted sign of stress since it is also a cue that your dog is hot. Assessing their overall demeanor can help determine if they are saying they are nervous.
- Looking Away- Dogs can find hard staring intimidating and threatening. Therefore, they often look away and try to divert their attention as a sign to show they are uncomfortable.
- Hiding- An anxious dog will try to distance themselves from the perceived threat.
- Grooming Themselves- Self-grooming is a way to self-soothe for anxious dogs.
- Shaking Themselves- Dogs use “shake-offs ” or whole-body shaking to signal that they are calming down and releasing tension and stress. This is a de-escalation tool in stressful situations.
- Looking for an Escape- Dogs will try to flee the scene and hide when the threat is too intense.
- Whining- Dogs will vocalize that they are uncomfortable. Again, this vocalization can happen in other situations, like when they are excited or trying to seek attention, so be aware of different signals.
It is crucial to notice these early signs and intervene before they escalate further to a point where it can be more challenging to get them out of that state of mind or redirect them. These behaviors manifest in the Four Fs:
- Fret/Fidget- Pet avoids eye contact, looks away, licks lip, moves slowly, paces, or is overly active.
- Flight- Wanting to escape and create space, lips are usually tight, and tail tucked.
- Freeze- The pet is so scared that it becomes immobile, with a tense/closed mouth, ears back, and a hunched body.
- Fight- Pets use aggression to create space, which can manifest in two ways:
- Defensive Aggression- Ears, tails, and body are lowered, showing teeth and vocalizing to communicate discomfort.
- Offensive Aggression- When other signals of discomfort are continuously missed, dogs can turn to offensive aggression, which involves forward, stiff/rigid, lunging, and vocal behavior.
The dog’s behavior and reaction are all based on its perceived threat level and depend on the duration and intensity of the stressor and the pet’s ability to escape. Knowing the subtle signs can also help you advocate for your pet when others might not be able to see them, showing them that they are uncomfortable, and reinforcing a trusting relationship between you. For further information on dog body language and anxiety, you can reference the scale below or visit Fear Free Happy Homes.
