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By Kellie Scott
Topic:Pets
Once you know the signs to look for, you can treat your dog for anxiety. (Pexels: Pixabay/ABC Life: Nathan Nankervis)
One of the hard things about our relationships with dogs is that when something is up, they can't easily communicate that to us.
That's why, with issues such as anxiety, we need to be aware of the signs so we can help our mates cope.
If you think your dog might be anxious, there are recognisable symptoms and treatments available to ease their (and your) worry.
We spoke to animal behaviourist Kate Mornement and vet Sandra Nguyen about identifying and dealing with dog anxiety.
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Separation anxiety, when your dog doesn't like to be separated from you, is the most common form of anxiety.
"Dogs [often] associate everything they value in their life — company, play, food, going for walks — with when people are around," Dr Mornement says.
Dogs just want to be wherever we are. (Pexels: Spencer Gurley)
When they are left alone, it's likely they have none of that good stuff.
And if they haven't learnt to be cool with their own company, that's when they can experience separation anxiety.
Dr Mornement says dogs need to learn to cope with being away from their humans, and the best time for that to happen is when they are young.
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Things like thunderstorms and fireworks can trigger anxiety in dogs.
"Dogs are naturally fearful of those events because they are loud and scary, so they learn to associate the [lower level] noise of wind or rain with those events," Dr Mornement says.
For that reason, dogs often become anxious even if they sense a storm might be coming.
Less common forms of anxiety can involve changes in environment, such as going to the vet, in the car or moving house, says Dr Nguyen.
"Even things like changes to work hours, the owners travelling — any sudden change to normal routine can prompt anxiety," Dr Mornement says.
Resource guarding — displays of aggressive behaviour designed to scare other dogs or people off — can also be an issue if a dog is anxious about a valued item being taken away.
Treats and walks are just some of the things dogs enjoy while their humans are around. (Unsplash: Tamara Bellis)
It's important not to dismiss behaviours that we sometimes consider normal, warns Dr Nguyen.
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For example, "not eating can be a sign that we would potentially put down to [an] upset stomach, but it could be anxiety", she says.
A dog licking their lips can be a more subtle sign of anxiety. (Unsplash: Maddie)
"Those subtle body language signs can signal more mild signs of anxiety," Dr Mornement says.
The earlier you spot anxiety in your dog, the greater success you have in treating it.
"Just like any behaviour that's repeated often over a long period of time, it becomes more hard-wired in the brain," Dr Mornement says.
There are several things you can do.
For separation anxiety, Dr Mornement recommends working to change your dog's negative association with being alone to positive by giving the animal something it loves.
Dr Nguyen suggests food puzzle toys that keep the dog occupied for longer while you are out.
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And you can gradually increase the time you leave the animal on its own, "but only if it's coping at the previous level", Dr Mornement says.
For noise it is a similar principle as changing the negative association to positive.
"Pairing the scary thing with something the animal likes," Dr Mornement says.
If your dog is afraid of travelling in the car, Dr Nguyen suggests breaking the process down.
"Get them near the car, then reward them, the next day get them in the car, and reward them, then the next day drive them around and reward them," she says, noting each dog will have individual needs when it comes to how quickly you can progress through each stage.
In more extreme cases of anxiety, Dr Mornement says you can give the dog medication to "take the edge off".
"I work with animals where they need medication because sometimes the anxiety is so high it inhibits the animal's ability to learn."
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Dr Nguyen gives her dog anti-anxiety medication if she sees a thunderstorm warning.
"There are medications that are specifically anti-anxiety. I'm deliberately not using the term sedative, because some vets do use [sedatives] and that makes [dogs] more noise-phobic."
Dr Mornement agrees, saying sedatives may make the dog appear "relaxed", but rather it's just masking the problem.
"It's not fixing the underlying reasons," she says.
Speak to your vet about whether medication is suitable for your dog.
Older methods around treating anxiety in dogs advised not patting or comforting the animal to avoid "reinforcing" the behaviour.
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You can also purchase thundershirts, which wrap around the dog tightly so it's like "you're hugging them really closely", Dr Nguyen says.
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If you can afford it, doggy day care is a good option for pets with separation anxiety, or taking your dog to a friend or family's home when you need to leave.
"If we invite friends of mine out for dinner they get in a dog sitter," she says, as an example.
Creating a safe space for your pet at home and regular exercise will also help keep them be calmer when you're not around.
If your dog's separation anxiety is caused by losing a canine mate, getting another dog can help, Dr Mornement says.
"If the separation anxiety came about from the dog losing a companion, and the dog is used to having another dog around all the time … getting another dog can solve it."
But if the anxiety is triggered by being apart from humans, getting another dog usually "does not make one bit of difference", she warns.
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It's important to treat anxiety in your dog to avoid it reaching dangerous levels.
"A dog that started mildly anxious can get much worse in terms of scaling up to destroying furniture, self-harm and running away," Dr Nguyen says.
"Some people think the dog is doing these behaviours deliberately and 'just being naughty', so they end up being surrendered or rehomed."
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