From behaviors such as uncontrollable excitement to cowering under a piece of furniture, stress induced behavioral responses can differ tremendously between dogs and situations. Even behaviors often viewed as extreme, such as outbursts of reactivity or aggression, are often caused by a physiological stress response.
If you believe that your dog is exhibiting symptoms of stress or anxiety but aren’t certain, then you have made it to the right place! Stress, especially when it’s occurring frequently, can be highly detrimental to a dog’s mental and physical well-being. By teaching yourself to understand what to look for during situations where your dog is exhibiting unusual behavior, you can take the steps necessary to calm their stress response and help them feel safer and more confident in triggering environments.
What is stress?
Before we can discuss how to recognize the signs of stress, it is helpful to understand exactly what stress is. At its most basic level, stress is a response to any change which has the potential to interfere with homeostasis. Stress functions as a survival mechanism, and it serves to relieve the tension experienced during potentially threatening situations. These situations are viewed by the body as being potentially threatening, but are not always obviously so. Physical exertion, tasks requiring increased cognitive effort, social interactions and even positive sources of excitement are stressors. Triggers of stress do not need to be tangible, they simply need to be perceived.
The stress response, or stress cascade, is initiated by the sympathetic nervous system (SNS). Once this process begins, the SNS activates the sympathetic-adrenal-medullary (SAM) system resulting in the release of epinephrine (adrenaline) and norepinephrine (noradrenaline).1 When this occurs, the HPA (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal) axis releases stress hormones, which result in significant behavioral and physiological changes. This process temporarily alters normal brain functioning and results in several physiological changes such as: increased heart rate and blood pressure, changes in memory coding,2 an increase in instinctive responses and the halting of rational thought processing,3 an increased pain threshold, changes in elimination, gastrointestinal function, and more.4
Once an animal experiences a stress response, it can actually take time for the associated hormones to achieve peak levels. This keeps their body functioning in this elevated state of arousal even after the initial event, functioning as a safety mechanism in case they are confronted by another potentially threatening stimuli. After stress hormone production has peaked and levels stabilize without being triggered again, a function called the negative feedback loop ceases the production of stress hormones which enable the body’s return to homeostasis.5
What are the types of stress?
There are several categories of stress, and each of them impacts the body differently.6
Acute Stress: A short-term stress response triggered by a specific stimulus or challenging situation.
Chronic Stress: A stress response which persists over an extended period of time, typically due to prolonged exposure to a stressor. Chronic stress can create long-term changes in brain structure and can lead to health issues.
Episodic Acute Stress: Categorized by frequent exposure to episodes of acute stress, episodic acute stress can also lead to physical and psychological issues.
Traumatic Stress: Exposure to a stressor so intense that the body cannot physically or psychologically cope with it.
Environmental Stress: Oftentimes low to mid-grade and chronic, environmental stress can be physical, psychological, or both. This type of stress can be highly detrimental as stressors are part of the animal’s environment.
Psychological stress: Cognitively or emotionally driven, psychological stress is derived from internal factors and do not require the presence of a tangible trigger.
Physiological stress: Purely physical in nature, physiological stress is caused by physical factors disrupting the body’s ability to maintain homeostasis such as injury, illness, sleep deprivation or nutritional deficiencies.
Symptoms of stress manifest in a wide variety of presentations, depending on the type of stress being experienced and the animal’s unique methods of coping with that stressor. There are a number of dog body language cues which are widely accepted to indicate stress in the moment, but more chronic forms of stress can result in aggression, depression, hyperactivity, hypoactivity and OCD type behaviors. It can also manifest physically, through GI dysfunction, immune suppression, skin issues and more.
What causes stress?
So far, we have covered the mechanics behind what causes stress from a physiological perspective, but what about the extrinsic factors triggering the stress response in the first place? Causes of stress will vary tremendously from one dog to another, in stimuli and response severity. Factors such as a dog’s age, schedule and daily life influences, disease, sickness or treatments, physical and cognitive enrichment, owner temperament, etc. can make a significant difference in a dog’s ability to cope with stressors,7 so it is important to recognize which stimuli trigger your dog to become stressed or anxious.
Oftentimes, there are trends in the types of things which most often provoke stress responses in dogs. Sound sensitivities,8 veterinary visits,9 separation anxiety,10 physical punishment11 and even owner personality12 are some of the most well-documented stressors; however, novel stimuli, immobilization, poor housing conditions and confinement, transportation, and unpredictability are other common triggers of stress.13 Some other common stressors include:
Trauma: Situations, stimuli or environments reminding dogs of a previously traumatic experience can be a significant source of stress.
Overstimulation: Often caused by environmental factors such as busy environments, novel environments, noise and movement can cause dogs to become stressed.
Environmental changes: Any changes in a dog’s home environment, changes to an environment where they have begun feeling comfortable, or even changes in their daily schedule can be a source of stress for dogs.
Sickness or injury: Sickness, infection, allergies, injury and disease are all significant stressors.
Exposure to potentially threatening stimuli: Typically this includes unpredictable stimuli such as other dogs, novel animals, human children, or confrontational adults.
Inadequate physical and cognitive stimulation: Feeling understimulated is stressful in itself, and dogs whose enrichment needs are not being met will often begin presenting with signs of stress or anxiety.
How do I know if my dog is stressed?
Since dogs can’t verbally communicate their feelings to us, it is important to recognize the signs of stress in dogs. Symptoms of stress are often demonstrated by the body language cues and behaviors which dogs present. Although the intensity and scale of these indicators vary between one dog and another, there are a number of universally accepted “stress signals” which can help you identify if your dog is experiencing stress.
Gastrointestinal malfunction and changes in elimination patterns
Since the stress response is a result of sympathetic nervous system activation, and portions of the gastrointestinal tract are highly receptive to changes in SNS functioning, digestive issues and changes in elimination patterns are often indicative of stress. Approximately 95% of serotonin is produced within the GI tract,14 so stress can disrupt serotonin production and cause behavioral malfunction. Alternatively, GI issues such as food sensitivities, malnutrition and other intestinal compromise can greatly interfere with the body’s ability to produce serotonin, which in turn can result in increased stress, behavioral dysregulation and more extreme stress responses than would otherwise occur in a healthy body.
Vocalizations
Vocalizations can be indicative of stress and arousal in dogs.15 Oftentimes stress-related vocalizations include whining, whimpering, barking, growling and yelping.
Overgrooming and repetitive behaviors
Dogs who rehearse behavioral patterns repeatedly which serve no obvious function (also known as stereotypies) are often stressed. Jumping, pacing and circling are some of the stereotypic behavior often performed by stressed dogs,15 alongside tail chasing and flank sucking.16 Overgrooming, or compulsive grooming patterns, are also some of the repetitive behaviors frequently observed in stressed dogs.17
Body language cues
Dogs exhibit a wide variety of stress related body language cues, which often work on a sliding scale from subtle to obvious as the stress response increases. Some of the more common subtle cues include yawning, lip licking and nose licking, panting, turning the head away from the trigger, panting and paw raising. As stress progresses, you may begin to see more obvious signals of stress such as hypersalivation, hyperactivity or hypoactivity, circling, eating or drinking more or less (oftentimes stressed dogs will either take food more intensely than usual, or will not take food at all), changes in ear posture, and trembling.15 If a dog is stressed due to a potentially threatening stimulus, you may begin to see very obvious stress signals such as attempts to flee, muscle tension often accompanied by tail tucking or a very stiff tail (typical of a freezing behavior), whale eyeing, lip rolling or the baring of teeth, or full on aggressive displays and biting.18
Two types of stress-related behaviors often referenced in the dog behavioral community include displacement behaviors and appeasement behaviors.
Displacement behaviors
These are behaviors which a dog appears to randomly and sometimes compulsively exhibit which appear inappropriate to the context of the situation. Some typical displacement behaviors include scratching, licking, compulsive sniffing of the environment, shake offs, self-grooming, urogenital checks, and yawning. Displacement behaviors are typically considered to function as coping strategies for stress or frustration.19
Appeasement signals
Although not considered a direct response of stress, appeasement behaviors are a tool used by dogs to reduce the aggressive behavior or potentially aggressive behavior of a perceived threat. Lip licking, head turning, low tail wagging accompanied by flat ears and a crouched posture, stretching, autogrooming and paw lifting are some of the appeasement signals most commonly demonstrated by dogs.20
Your dog’s responses to stress will differ depending on the stressor and underlying emotion being experienced in its presence. It is important to remember that every dog is an individual and will exhibit their own unique repertoire of stress signals. It is important to be conscious of your dog’s emotional state in varying situations and analyze for behavioral trends which are indicative of a stress response.
How to relieve stress in your dog
If you have read through this article and realized that some of your dog’s behaviors are actually indicative of a stress response – or perhaps you already recognize that your dog is experiencing anxiety in certain situations – you may be wondering how you can help your dog when these situations occur.
Short-term stress relief
Some short-term ideas to try when you find that your dog is becoming stressed are below.
Remove your dog from the situation
The first, and often fastest way to decrease your dog’s stress is to remove them from the stressful situation and place them in a safe, familiar environment where they can relax. This will enable cessation of the stress response and will enable them to complete the stress cycle.
Provide calming forms of enrichment
After making distance from the stressful trigger or removing your dog from the stressful situation, you can accelerate the completion of the stress cycle by providing calming forms of enrichment such as calming olfactory enrichment like exposure to a DAP (bio-identical dog appeasing pheromone) or a positive scent such as grass. Allowing your dog to forage in the grass for treats in a quiet, familiar environment is another calming form of enrichment. Sound enrichment in the form of playing certain genres of music have also demonstrated efficacy in stress relief.21,22 Licking and chewing activities, as well as naps, are all forms of calming activities which can reduce your dog’s stress.
Long-term stress relief
The best way to minimize your dog’s stress levels long-term is to help them build the skills necessary to minimize the chances of a stress response occurring. Some of the most effective methods to help your dog achieve this are below.
Systematic desensitization and counterconditioning
These are behavioral therapies used to help animals develop a healthier response to a behavioral trigger, and they are often used in conjunction with one another. At its most basic, systematic desensitization refers to incrementally exposing an animal to a stressful stimulus at under threshold until the animal is responding to it in a neutral or positive manner. Counterconditioning refers to systematically changing an animal’s association with a triggering stimulus from negative to positive.
Resilience conditioning
Building resilience is one of the most effective ways to improve the welfare of an anxious dog. Resilience refers to an animal’s ability to bounce back after a negative experience, so increasing resilience will decrease your dog’s overall stress levels while increasing their ability to cope with stress. Research-backed resilience fostering protocols, such as the Resiliency Framework and Resilience Rainbow, are available if you’re interested in learning how to increase your dog’s resilience.
Build your dog’s confidence
Alongside resilience, building your dog’s confidence is a fantastic way to help decrease their overall stress levels. There are less potential threats to respond to when the world doesn’t seem as scary. You can build your dog’s confidence by engaging them in positive, independence building activities such as the treat hiding game and exploratory foraging activities, involvement in dog sports (provided that the training and outcome remain positive), through obstacle training and play, and through positive, systematic exposure to a variety of environments and stimuli.
Provide physical and psychological exercise
In some cases, chronic stress and anxiety is caused by inadequate physical and cognitive stimulation. Many dogs were bred to partake in certain “jobs” for up to hours each day, and oftentimes unmet needs result in increased anxiety, exaggerated behavioral responses and even destructive behaviors. To help avoid the potential increase in stress which accompanies unmet needs, ensure that your dog is receiving a level of physical exercise and cognitive stimulation which is appropriate for them.
In conclusion
In this article we have covered what exactly stress is, the physiology of stress, the types of stress and their causes, how to know if your dog is stressed and how to relieve it when they are. When determining if stress is the cause of your dog’s behavioral concern, it is imperative to remember that they are an individual and that they may only demonstrate some of the stress signals mentioned above. Stress is typically contextualized, and your dog should have plenty of moments where they seem relaxed and able to rest.
Chronic stress and anxiety is detrimental to a dog’s psychological and physical wellbeing, just as it is for humans. In some instances, such as in cases of PTSD, dogs can lose their ability to contextualize triggers. This can cause them to be constantly anxious and hyper-vigilant of their surroundings. In these situations, it is always worth seeking the assistance of a qualified behavioral specialist and veterinary behaviorist to help resolve any underlying issues prior to partaking in any sort of behavioral modification protocol on your own.
References
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