Do you know when your dog feels anxious? Do you recognize stress in your dog? If you recognize stress in your dog, you can deal with it.
Not the same as us
There are obvious signs your dog is stressed; panting, leaving sweaty paw prints, shaking. But did you know that lip-licking and yawning are also signs of stress in dogs?
In terms of behavior, dogs show stress in one of two ways. Either they “stress high” or “stress low.” How your dog manifests stress depends on his personality.
High stressers
Dogs who “stress high” get super-excited, even being described as out of control. These are the dogs who will get the “zoomies” and act out. They’re not sure what’s going on, and they know they can’t control it, so they have to move to deal with it.
It may seem odd, but dogs who stress high are actually easier to train and work with. The dog is still doing something – he just needs a focal point to expend the energy. When we compete in dog sports like agility, we actually are looking for a dog in “high arousal” who can still pay attention and work with us. It’s fun and fast – just like all the best training can be.
Low stressers
“Low stressers” are dogs who check out. These dogs seem to just shut down when the going gets stressful. These dogs are more difficult to engage and some of their stress may come from fear. Hope’s Dax was a classic low stresser – when things got too stressful for her during agility competition she would simply disengage and go off into a corner. Sometimes Hope was able to get her back in the game by inviting her to do her favorite obstacles. Familiarity is our friend with dogs who stress low.
What you can do
Have a game plan for dealing with stress when it arises.
When you recognize that your dog is stressed, having a plan will help both of you. If you have a little routine, or trick behavior, that your dog loves, use it. Hope’s Torque adores the “tap” trick where he touches her foot (or leg) alternately with his two front paws. It’s a game they can play anywhere – including when they’re waiting to have a turn at training class, or even waiting to go into a competition ring. Try to keep it something simple like the “tap” so you don’t need any special equipment or props.
If your dog gets stressed walking through a crowded area, but loves toys, why not teach him to hold his toy while you negotiate through the situation? It changes other’s perception as well. Instead of seeing the hyper-alert dog ready to react, people will see the cute dog showing off his toy. A big, muscular dog carrying a little pink toy is non-threatening and adorable.
Familiarity reduces stress
We just talked to a customer whose dog was not only stressed, but hyper about getting her nails trimmed. And the owner did exactly the right thing. She arranged with the groomer to bring the dog over for “visits.” For a month, she took the dog to “visit” the groomer, who did nothing at first but give the dog treats and pets. Then they progressed to touching the dogs paws. Then they tried trimming a single nail. Now the dog is fine and looks forward to her “mani/pedi” appointments.
Once dogs understand the rules and what’s expected of them, their stress level decreases. Just as ours does. When we know what we’re in for, we can cope with anything more easily. If holds true for reducing stress in dogs, too.
