Canine Stress

Canine stress can be manifested in many ways: stretching, itching, yawning, licking lips, turning away, diarrhea, etc.  Many different things can cause your dog stress, including, but not limited to:

• children
• thunderstorms
• loud noises
• corrections
• overly assertive behavior

But wait! You say, my dog LOVES children or is completely fine during thunderstorms.  Obviously, this is a extremely general list and because your dog is unique, they also have unique triggers inducing stress.  So, the best thing to do is to look for the signs of stress if your dog.

How about we review the video from last week's post about the weave poles and see if you can't pick out a) what Cheri's stress reaction is, and b) what is triggering her stress reaction.

Think you have the answer?  Then read on and see if you've got it.

Cheri gets stressed after she 'fails' the weaves twice in a row and gets a verbal negative marker for it.  So, what does she do?   She itches.  Could she really have had a legitimate itch?  Sure, but it's unlikely, especially since I know that before this little video, we had worked pretty hard on the course after an already long time at work, school, and agility classes.  After this video, we wrapped up and went home.

So, is stress bad?  That really depends on how much stress your dog is experiencing.  Everybody and every dog gets stressed and this is often what motivates us to change.  A little stress during training is not bad, and if dealt with correctly, helps a dog to grow.  Take the above video for example, or think of the first time your dog learned the dog walk or teeter.  Most dogs are not comfortable the fist time.  But, with making sure they positively complete the task, you can work through this stress and make it beneficial for both you and your dog. 

However, excessive long-term stress is emotionally and psychologically bad.  Think of the Fourth of July and all its fireworks-if you live in a place where the celebrations are loud and long, this could negatively impact your dog.  This blog, focused mainly on items for agility, is not intended to help your dog with long-term or excessive stress.  If your dog experiences extreme stress over a long period of time, or is constantly stressed, it's probably best you consult a behavioralist. 

The take home message is this:  Look for signs of stress in your dog.  If you find they are experiencing stress, ask yourself, "Is this something he/she needs to get over? Or is this a one-time event?"  If it's something small they just need to get over, work on creating that environment of success to help your dog work through his/her issues.  If it's a one time event (you're at the dog park and there's a crazy dog running around terrorizing your Chihuahua), then just leave and take your dog out of the situation.  

For a great article about canine stress, read the article Identifying and Coping with Canine Stress