Understanding and Managing Anxiety in Dogs: A Comprehensive Guide

Common Causes of Anxiety in Dogs

Anxiety can stem from genetic, environmental, and situational factors.

1. Breed Predisposition: Breeds like Border Collies and Spaniels are more prone to anxiety due to their high sensitivity.
2. Past Trauma: Rescued dogs often display anxiety caused by prior abuse, abandonment and neglect.
3. Lack of Socialisation: Puppies not exposed to varied environments during critical development stages may grow fearful of new stimuli.
4. Over-indulging: Many people are guilty of giving their dogs too much attention and codling them. It’s easy to do if you’re not conscious of it because they’ll just lap it up. There’s nothing wrong with encouraging your dog to spend time by itself, doing its own thing.

Puppy's require adequate socialising to avoid anxiety issues as they grow

Effective Strategies to Treat Canine Anxiety

Behavioural Training Techniques

1. Desensitisation: Gradually expose your dog to anxiety triggers in a controlled manner. For instance, if your dog fears car rides, start by sitting in the parked car with them, rewarding calm behaviour.
2. Counter-Conditioning: Pair good behaviour during anxiety-inducing situations with positive experiences, such as treats or toys.

Using Natural Remedies for Dog Anxiety

How to calm an anxious dog naturally includes products like:

• Calming Treats for Dogs: Look for ingredients like melatonin or chamomile.
• Pheromone Diffusers: Mimic natural calming pheromones to create a stress-free environment.

'You may know the obvious signs of SRB in dogs, such as destroying furniture or barking. Yet, did you know that there are other signs that may go unnoticed?' RSPCA

A well adjusted dog with minimal anxiety is truly a free animal

Case Study: Ace’s Journey from Anxious to Calm

Background: Ace, a three-year-old rescue Spaniel (at the time of the case), is a handsome and alert dog and looking at him, it’s hard to believe how quickly he would change into a bundle of trembling fear anytime his owners tried to leave their home outside Tetbury without him. Phil and Grace got Ace just before lockdown and for a while they thrived, quickly bonding. Both worked from home during lockdown and Ace enjoyed 24/7 attention from his dotting new owners. Who could blame them? The honeymoon period lasted a good 6 months and ended abruptly when they returned home later than anticipated one afternoon. Ace had been alone for just over 4 hours. In that time, he’d torn up the carpeting outside the door to the master bedroom trying to get in. He’d also peed in the kitchen and chewed the doorjamb to the utility room - presumably to get to the backdoor. This behaviour had not come without warning. With the benefit of hindsight, and lots of reading up on the subject, Phil and Grace admitted that Ace had displayed all the signs of canine separation anxiety.

Ace’s destructive behaviour stemmed from a fear of abandonment. All he had known since his adoption had been the constant presence of Phil and Grace. Phil confirmed that they had even joked about not being able to go to the bathroom without finding Ace waiting outside the door when they came out. If Phil got up from his work station in the study to make a cuppa, Ace would follow him to the kitchen and back. If Grace closed the door with Ace on the other side, he’d whine and scratch at it and she’d open it quickly. Ace had full-blown separation anxiety and Phil and Grace were afraid to leave him alone at all. Not only because of what damage he might do, but in case he injured himself.  This in turn reinforced Ace’s dependency. 

After extensive research and speaking to a local dog trainer, they implemented a strategy to alleviate Ace’s anxiety.

Their solution was a combination of strategies:

• Desensitisation and Counter-Conditioning: Everyday, they purposely left Ace alone for short periods. These controlled absences were initially just closing him in the kitchen area for just a couple of minutes before returning. Key to this tactic was to not make a fuss of Ace who greeted them like they had been gone for days when they opened the door. In addition, they did this numerous times in quick succession, carefully gauging if Ace was becoming stressed or bored. If they opened the door and he did not go crazy, they’d calmly give him a treat. Gradually, they extended these absences from just minutes to a quarter of an hour. 
• Interim Solutions: In the meantime, they had to find a solution to leaving Ace alone when they went out. To break long periods of isolation, they engaged a professional dog walker to visit Ace every lunchtime with strict instructions to not not make a fuss of him when getting there.
• Calming Products: They also tried a pheromone diffuser, switching this on 30 minutes prior to them leaving. 
• Outcome: Over the following three months, Phil and Grace worked with Ace consistently and with loads of love and patience. This combined effort saw Ace’s anxiety reduced significantly. After 6 months, he could comfortably tolerate absences of over four hours. Not only could Phil and Grace safely and confidently leave Ace alone when they went out, they didn’t have Ace shadowing their every move at home. ‘He goes out the back by himself now to sniff around and easily spends 20 minutes or more playing out there by himself.” Phil says. “Before, he’d be at my knee or under Grace’s feet and only go outside if we did.”