The past year has certainly been one for the record books, affecting both people and their animal companions. The shift to remote work as a standard practice, coupled with unprecedented amounts of time spent at home, has required adjustments from nearly all, regardless of being bipedal or quadrupedal.
While many of our four-legged friends would undoubtedly have loved having us around more than usual, this unprecedented situation has posed some questions surrounding the impacts that this may have had on our dogs’ well-being.
Canine Anxiety has been a documented condition throughout recent decades, and may well be documented more as we move beyond the tumultuous time we have experienced as of late. With this in mind, if you are interested in finding out a little bit more about what Canine Anxiety constitutes and ways that you could deal with this condition, read on.
What is Canine Anxiety?
Anxiety in our four-legged friends works in a somewhat similar way to that of anxiety in humans; it is thought to be the profound reaction toward fear and could even trigger the freeze, fight, or flight response in some situations.
Furthermore, much like that of anxiety in humans, Canine Anxiety could trigger your dog’s physiological responses, which should be easily spotted compared to any internal symptoms that they might also be experiencing. These could include any of the following:
- Commonly Noticed Symptoms: Tail tucked between the legs, fidgeting, inability to keep eye contact, hiding/shrinking away,
- Associated Symptoms: Urinating and defecating indoors, whining and whimpering, pacing around, trembling, avoiding interactions, and much more.
While these are some of the many symptoms that your dog could experience as a result of Canine Anxiety, you should consider any other factors that could contribute to how your dog is reacting to distinguish whether that is what they are suffering from. This could include making a note of the likes of external triggers and the environment they are in.
Separation Anxiety
It is in the name, really. Separation Anxiety is the most common anxiety associated with dogs. It is the name given to the condition that a dog usually displays when experiencing intense levels of discomfort and distress. Separation Anxiety in dogs is also the name given when a dog appears to show behavioural problems, mainly when separated from its owner or handler for a period of time.
While spending more time at home over the last year has undoubtedly been great for bonding with our four-legged friends on a different level, it could well lead to some questions being formed as we move forward beyond lockdown and the pandemic overall.
What impacts have the pandemic and lockdown had on our pooches’ well-being, and what will their reactions be when we eventually make our way back to the offices if in that position? Experts have estimated that they believe that animals worldwide may experience separation anxiety from their owner more than ever before. After spending so much time in their company over the last year and a bit, can we blame them?
With this in mind, you may well be wondering what you could do as a responsible pet owner to help and guide your dog through what could be a somewhat emotional time in their lives. If this is the case, then you should read on to our next section.
We will be contemplating what you could do as a pet parent to deal with any Canine Anxiety that your dog might face moving forward. Whether you wish to prepare for how you could help your dog when you head back to the office or would like to simply learn a bit more about this possibility, you are in the right place.
How to Deal with Canine Anxiety
There are various ways that you can help your dog manage any anxiety that they might be experiencing. Naturally, as a responsible and loving dog owner, all you would like is to make sure that your dog is as okay as they could be.
Much like handling other health conditions that your dog could experience in their lifetimes, there are numerous avenues that you could explore when wanting to do what is best for your pet. However, with this in mind, there are some things that you should take into consideration when making a plan of action for the coming days, weeks, and months.
Considering Pet Insurance
If it appears that your dog is in a high state of stress and discomfort, and if you have attempted other avenues to alleviate how they are feeling, which have been unsuccessful, you might need to seek the guidance and assistance of your registered vet.
There are some things that your vets could do or medications they could give you, to help your dog deal with the situation at hand and should be considered as a way of dealing with Canine Anxiety that your dog might be experiencing.
However, with this in mind, it could be worth considering how your pet insurance policy could possibly help in situations such as these. Pet insurance can help cover any vet bills that may be associated with handling a condition such as Canine Anxiety, so it could be considered in times like this.
With various policies available from the likes of Everypaw and other insurance providers, you could undoubtedly be overwhelmed with your choices. To uncover the policy that suits your situation the most and compare pet insurance policies that may be suited to you, head to their website. They have a range of lifetime pet insurance cover, there to help look after your pet’s conditions for the long-term.
Physical Contact and Exercise
If it is found that your dog may be experiencing certain aspects of separation anxiety, then you would naturally want to do what you can to make them as comfortable as possible. Overall, there are some things that you could do in these situations to do just that, including simple things such as physical contact and exercise.
Providing your dog with soothing physical contact could decrease the levels of anxiety that they are feeling. Not to mention, being present and around them, while they may be experiencing distress over you leaving, could also make some difference to how they are feeling.
Much like that of humans, exercise is said to release endorphins and could be used as a means of soothing your dog and any anxiety they might be experiencing as well. Naturally, as a responsible dog owner, you would probably already ensure that they receive adequate and regular levels of exercise anyway. However, with that being said, this could be something that you remind yourself of when faced with a potentially cold, rainy afternoon, where you may not feel up to taking your dog out for a walk.
Creative Methods of Handling Anxiety
Alongside the more conventional methods of handling anxiety, including the likes of seeking our professional assistance from a vet, or providing physical, soothing contact to your pet, some creative techniques could also be considered when wanting to handle the anxiety that your dog may be experiencing.
Music is soothing to humans, and this could also be the same for dogs. Research has shown that specific genres of music have provided certain levels of comfort to dogs in rescue shelters who have experienced symptoms of Canine Anxiety, so they could well provide the same level of comfort to your own dog.
We hope that this piece has been insightful and that you feel somewhat better prepared and knowledgeable when faced with this potential situation. While a lot of dogs are prone to experiencing Canine Anxiety, it is worth knowing what you could do when faced with that situation.