Phobias And Anxieties In Dogs
For people and dogs the same holds true; when presented with an external threat, whether real or not, we have a common instinct. This reaction to perceived danger is to freeze, fight or flight. That’s the survival instinct in all humans as well as animals.
Does you pet exhibit any of these reactions to certain situations? Responding to fearful situations is a normal, routine behavior. If your pet exhibits an abnormal behavior, this can be a unlearned through training over a period of time.
There are a few ways to know whether your dog is suffering from anxiety. Excessive barking or licking; loss of bladder control or whining are some of the most popular symptoms. Separation anxiety tends to be the most common stress for dogs.
Loud, sudden noises like fireworks or thunder claps can cause your dog anxiety. Your dog might have a phobia which can be described as a unjustifiable fear of sudden sounds. Dogs can be trained to “unlearn” this behavior by observing signs of the onset of this patterned behavior and stopping it.
As dogs get older, they may experience more separation anxiety then in the past. This can be caused by the decline in memory and thoughts. Anxieties and phobia see their onset around the beginning of social development which is about 12 to 36 months. Between 8 to 10 months they may experience a fear or withdrawal which is normal.
Some signs that your dog might be suffering some phobias or anxieties can vary. Tails tucked, withdrawn behavior or trembling can be identified as signs of mild fear. Some fears and anxieties are hard to diagnosis due to no identifiable stimulus.
What causes your dog to develop these conditions? Illness or a physical condition that causes pain can contribute to the development of phobias, fears or anxiety. Puppies not given proper social exposure until the age of 14 weeks may become fearful.
If you adopt a dog that came from a prior abusive situation, they might suffer some form of anxiety. Separation issues can be the cause of a previous abandonment experience. Whatever the issues are, be sure that you continue to nurture the dog and work on positive affirmation when you see efforts being made to curb the behavior.
Not to worry, most of these behavioral issues can be treated with medication and behavior modification. However, some dogs may not respond to the behavioral modifications. Additionally, medications can take up to 2 weeks in some cases before you will see results.
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