Anxiety Symptoms & Treatments for Canines

Identifying anxiety symptoms in a dog can be difficult. Some behaviors that seem anxious might instead be related to other situational issues. Likewise, other actions, such as destructive behaviors, might seem to be vengeful but are actually due to anxiety. After careful observation and a visit to the veterinarian's office, various treatments are available depending on the severity and particulars of the dog's anxiety.

  1. Common Fears

    • Fears that commonly affect dogs may lead to anxious behavior. Inside the home, some dogs are afraid of slippery floors, dishwashers, vacuums, hair dryers and other loud appliances. Particular dogs also may show signs of fear during thunderstorms. Outside the home, loud traffic, strangers, other dogs, lawnmowers and carts or luggage can cause fearful reactions. Finally, many dogs exhibit some degree of fearfulness during separation from the pack or family.

    Anxiety Sypmtoms

    • Panting may be a symptom of anxiety.

      A dog may exhibit anxiety symptoms in varying degrees, depending on the dog and the situation or context. Symptoms the owner can observe directly include excessive licking, vocalization (barking), pacing or hiding. If you suspect your dog has separation anxiety, it may be difficult to observe the behavior after separation, but urinating or defecating in the house (post-training) as well as destructive behavior will be obvious signs of anxiety visible upon your return.

    Determining if Behaviors are Related to Anxiety

    • The context of the behavior is important when diagnosing anxiety.

      Consider the context in which the suspected anxious behavior is happening. Excessive panting can be a sign of anxiety, but dogs also cool off by panting. Likewise, destruction of furniture or articles in the home can be a sign of separation anxiety, but dogs may also exhibit this behavior due to a lack of exercise. Observe and evaluate your dog's behavior at a calm, fear-free time. This will help establish a baseline for what is normal behavior for your dog, which you can then compare to its behavior at other times.

    Behavioral Treatment

    • If you have identified the origin of the fear, conditioning the dog is an advisable behavior treatment. According to dog trainer and author Kathy Diamond Davis, introducing the object or situation that is causing anxiety at low intensity and short durations can help a dog overcome a fear. Choose an especially enticing reward, such as favorite treats or certain games. Begin reintroducing the feared object at an intensity where the dog will still accept rewards (in an extremely fearful state, most dogs ignore rewards). Gradually increase the intensity, duration and proximity of the object until the dog is in a calm, happy state around the feared object. Give rewards for confident behavior and be patient.

    Medical Treatment

    • A dog exhibiting anxious behaviors should have a checkup with a veterinarian to rule out any physical problems that may be causing the behavior. If the veterinarian diagnoses the dog with anxiety, there are two main types of drugs available: psychotropic medications or pheromones. When medical treatment is prescribed, owners should also begin therapy to change the behavior as well. This may include changing the dog's environment, conditioning training and other treatment practices such as false departures for dogs with separation anxiety.