Anxious Dog - Symptoms, Causes and Treatments

Author: Peter Berry
Date Of Creation: 16 February 2021
Update Date: 19 November 2024
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Top Ten Signs Your Dog Has Anxiety Issues
Video: Top Ten Signs Your Dog Has Anxiety Issues

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In some situations we can see our dog a lot. nervous and restless, presenting a picture compatible with anxiety. This behavior can be triggered by loud noises, but it can also happen when we leave our dog home alone for a few hours.

In this article by Animal Expert anxious dog - symptoms, causes and treatments, we'll explain what a dog with anxiety is and what solutions we can adopt to reduce it. It is important to highlight that there are professionals who are experts in canine behavior who are the ones we should turn to in these cases. Good reading!

Dog Anxiety Considerations

Anxiety is a behavior problem that manifests itself in dogs in different situations. It can occur in response to negative stimuli, such as high intensity noises, for example, fireworks. Some puppies can also be very anxious when they are alone for a certain period of time, not necessarily a very long one.


Usually we will notice that the dog is very nervous, restless, cry, tries to run away or take shelter, we can't calm him down, etc. Some caregivers try to solve the problem by administering medicine to the dog, but this does not solve the situation, even if it keeps him sedated. So, what can you do to reduce your dog's anxiety? To treat it, we must study the moments in which it is present and try to anticipate and, obviously, contact a specialist in canine behavior, since anxiety will be adequately treated with a professional.

In addition, on the market we will find products such as feed, snacks, diffusers, collars or sprays that contain active ingredients or pheromones for dogs with a tranquilizing effect. We will see below frequent cases in which we can identify an anxious dog.

Anxiety in dog caused by noise

It is very common to identify an anxious dog due to fireworks. This type of noise is usually produced suddenly and continuously, causing the dog to be frightened. In these cases, if we are on the street, we must be especially careful because it is likely that the dog be scared and try to run away even escaping the leash. We will observe that the dog seeks shelter, moans, produces a lot of saliva and is very restless and nervous that it is not even able to hear us.


At such times, it is easy for us to try to pet him in order to reassure him, but this action can be interpreted as reinforcing the anxious behavior. So we must anticipate this reaction to avoid an anxious dog, what can we do if we know at what times pyrotechnic parties are celebrated, as is always the case on New Year's Eve.

One of the things you can do is close the windows and curtains or lower the blinds to minimize outside noise. It is also convenient that you provide a place where he feels safe and that he can be close to us, always keeping calm not to increase your insecurity. If we observe that our dog remains very calm, we can reward him. For this we must give him some order that he knows, such as "come" or "sit" and, while he is doing it, we reward him with caresses or food so that he knows why we reward him.


In this other article we explain how positive reinforcement works in dogs.

Dog with separation anxiety

Separation-related disorders are increasingly known. Usually manifest when we leave the dog alone and the normal picture includes crying, howling, barking, destruction, or he may even pee or poop inside the house.

We can try to improve this behavior by establishing a time of departures that will gradually increase, so that, little by little, we can get the dog used to being alone. Maintaining an activity level adequate to the dog's needs so that it has enough time to exercise, play and burn calories are practices that will contribute to improving anxiety.

These cases of a dog anxious for separation usually need the intervention of a professional so that it provides concrete routines on a case-by-case basis, which can be complemented with the use of stimulus toys, such as kong for dogs.

puppy dog ​​anxiety

Adopting and bringing a dog into our home is a big change for him and sometimes, during the first few days, we may notice that it's difficult for him to be alone, for example if he doesn't sleep with us. during the night. In these cases, it is normal for the little one, used to his home and his family, to be crying, scratching the doors or barking if, suddenly, he finds himself alone. This picture of an anxious puppy dog ​​is totally normal.

Canine behavior experts have been adamant for years that the best thing to do in these situations is to ignore their calls and just offer a bed with something of our own that smells like us and a clock underneath so the anxious dog remembers the beats of the dog. heart. However, this practice is increasingly questioned because yes we can console our puppy and reward him as we explained in the previous section. Good puppy socialization is very important to avoid anxiety.

Anxiety in an elderly dog

What to do to reduce the anxiety of an elderly dog? When our dogs become old, it is possible that we may observe changes in their behavior compatible with cognitive dysfunction syndrome or dementia states, which we could interpret as Alzheimer's affecting human beings. the dog will show itself restless, nervous, lost, he will cry or bark and may exhibit destructive behavior and relieve himself in inappropriate places. It can also feel like separation anxiety.

These cases must always be evaluated by the veterinarian to rule out that there is a physical cause for this anxious dog behavior.Drugs can be administered to try to keep the dog calm and thus improve its quality of life.

The most important thing in older ages is to try to influence their behavior and environment in a positive way. Proper exercise, simple games and mental stimulation exercises are highly recommended.

As you've seen, there are several ways to reduce your dog's anxiety. Here we present a quick summary that can help an anxious dog:

  • Provide daily physical activities and, if possible, play with it
  • Allow mental stimulation exercises
  • Reward him when he goes through stressful situations.
  • Get the dog used to being alone little by little
  • You can also seek out a professional in canine behavior.
  • Anxiety in dogs can also be caused by some illness. Therefore, looking for a veterinarian is also an option.

Now that you know how to reduce dog anxiety and have seen the different treatments for an anxious dog, you might be interested in this article on 10 Signs of Stress in Dogs.

If you want to read more articles similar to Anxious Dog - Symptoms, Causes and Treatments, we recommend that you enter our Behavior Problems section.