Is My Pet Stressed or Anxious? How to Tell and What to Do

Stress is an emotion that can be caused by a variety of factors, and dogs communicate primarily through body language. It's essential for humans to understand what their furry friends are trying to tell them in order to reduce their anxiety and prevent dangerous situations from occurring. Growling is one way to tell if your pup is uncomfortable, and it's usually a warning that they're feeling uneasy. Don't punish them for growling; instead, respect their space or find another way to get what you want from them. Other signs of stress include whale eyes, ears tucked in, tail folded, hair raised, licking their lips, yawning and panting.

Your dog might also avoid eye contact or look the other way. This is often seen in a dog that appears “guilty”, but they're actually reacting to your voice and body language and thinking something must be wrong. When dogs walk back and forth, it's a sign that they can't calm down due to something stressing them out. If this happens during meals or for short periods of time, it may not be a major issue. However, recognizing when your pup engages in this behavior can give you clues about what's causing their anxiety.

In older dogs, this behavior may be a sign of dementia. Aggression towards people and other animals is one of the most common signs of stress or illness in dogs. If you notice your puppy becoming increasingly agitated, this could be an indication of an underlying problem. This symptom is usually accompanied by a fearful body posture and tense facial expressions. By paying attention to your dog's body language, you'll be able to read their stress signals and reduce their anxiety in no time. When a dog feels very threatened by something, they may jump forward and even growl, bark or click at anything.

Dogs do this in an attempt to increase the distance between them and what scares them.

Ava Anderson
Ava Anderson

Certified beer scholar. Wannabe zombie specialist. Devoted internet enthusiast. Incurable zombie scholar. Typical internet specialist. Lifelong social media enthusiast.

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