Signs Of Anxiety In Dogs: 10 Signals To Watch For

You want your dog to be happy and healthy, so any sign of anxiety or fear is cause for concern. Luckily, most episodes of worry and fear are brief and typically in response to specific events, such as when the dog encounters its mortal enemy, the vacuum cleaner. But if your dog shows signs of anxiety, fear, or stress too often, then you're dealing with behavioral problems that you need to address.

Effective approaches depend on what the dog is really going through and why. While words like "fear," "stress," "worry," and "anxiety" are often used interchangeably, they do have distinct definitions. "Fear" is a response to a specific presence. The dog might fear a person, for example, or it might fear being in loud, crowded areas. Sometimes fear is justified, but it can also occur at inappropriate times, such as a dog that has never acted up around the sound of your footsteps suddenly becoming scared.

"Anxiety" is a type of fear, mainly of danger or potential catastrophe. Again, sometimes anxiety is a normal response to a worrying situation. But if the dog appears tense and hypervigilant too often and in response to things that shouldn't cause anxiety, then this is an issue.

"Stress" is a behavioral and physical response to situations that cause anxiety and fear. Stress takes a toll on health. Just as humans can have job stress that results in chronic indigestion,  so too can dogs have stress that leads to skin, stomach, and respiratory illnesses and conditions, along with increasing phobias and odd behavior.

Dog anxiety – a phrase that's often used to refer to the multiple conditions of anxiety, fear, worry, and stress in dogs – is no fun for you or your pet, but the good news is that there are ways to treat it. Whether your dog displays fear, worry, or the results of stress, you and a veterinarian can come up with a good treatment plan.

In this post, we’ll explore 10 signs of dog anxiety to help you identify anxiety issues as they arise. 

• 10 Signs Of Anxiety In Dogs
• Treating Anxiety in Dogs
• Signs of Anxiety in Dogs: Frequently Asked Questions
• Final Notes

10 Signs Of Anxiety In Dogs

You'll see 10 signs listed in this article, but please keep in mind that the dog doesn't have to display all of these, nor does the appearance of some of these indicate actual anxiety. Dogs can encounter situations that elicit valid responses of fear, anxiety, and so on. These are just the more common signs that can clue you into something that needs to be checked out. Also, pet parents should be aware that sometimes behavior that seems fearful or worried is the dog's way of reacting to other health issues that require a diagnosis from a veterinary professional.

1. Increased Vigilance

Some dogs are naturally vigilant and always on the lookout, but they're still generally calm. If your calm, friendly dog seems to be on alert much more, is more agitated, and/or reacts badly to people they usually wouldn't react badly to, pay attention.

Assuming the dog isn't suffering from a physical medical condition with symptoms that mimic this behavior, start looking at when and where the dog acts up. If it's to a specific stressor, remove it. Does the dog act up when around huge groups of dogs in the dog park? Find a different dog park or try going at times when it's not as crowded. Also create a quiet space for the dog in your home, where it can go to hide out and breathe.

2. Urinating or Defecating Indoors

This is a straightforward loss of body control when dealing with excitement or anxiety. Once in a while, in response to a very exciting or understandably scary incident, is just a reaction to that incident. But if this keeps happening, especially if the dog was previously house-trained, it requires treatment. Start the process of house-training your dog again as if they were a new puppy. When you leave your home or do something where you can't supervise the dog, limit the dog's access to the areas in the house that they seemed to use the most, as they can become used to those areas being "OK" even if you don't think they are. Keep the dog crated or placed in their usual sleeping area, as they will be less likely to use that area as a second bathroom.

3. Drooling

Some dogs are just drooly, but if yours normally isn't, it could be a potential sign of anxiety. You must be sure nothing else is causing it, however, such as a dental problem. If everything else checks out, look at dog-soothing methods such as placing them in the harness they use in the car, if the anxiety seems related to driving. As drooling is often related to nausea, you may want to ask your vet about anti-nausea medication.

4. Panting

If your dog has been resting and is not in a hot environment, they shouldn't be panting. Normal panting occurs during and after exercise and when it's very hot. Anything else could indicate a problem. In this case, it's possible the anxiety behind the panting could be related to pain, and you'll need to discuss this with your vet.

5. Destructive Behavior

This symptom is exactly what it sounds like: your dog becomes destructive. It can be moderate, such as chewing up a pillow when the dog is still new and nervous about being in your home, but it can also become very disruptive, including destroying door frames and furniture. If you can figure out why your dog is anxious, address that first. A new dog who came from a rescue could be very nervous, so creating safe, calming spaces and providing engaging activities might help. A dog that's started chewing after a major change in diet could be suffering from calorie intakes that are too low. Or, the dog might not have good outlets for its normal energy, in which case giving it more chew toys and increasing the number of opportunities it has to run and play may be the best option.