Study Reveals That Over 72 Of Dogs Suffer From Anxiety
All living things are afraid of something. In particular, anxiety is not a disorder that affects humans only: the study that we show you in this article reveals that over 72% of dogs suffer from anxiety and other fears.
It is important to be aware of this problem and not underestimate it, both for our four-legged friends and for us. Knowing how to recognize the symptoms of anxiety in our dog, or any form of psychological distress, will help us to give him a better life and, secondly, to prevent all the behavioral problems that derive from it.
The results of the study
The study was conducted in Finland on a sample of 13,700 dogs. The researchers created a questionnaire to submit to owners, in which they had to answer on the 7 most common symptoms of anxiety in dogs and other behavioral problems.
Next, we show you the results obtained by the experts:
- Fear of noise is one of the most common symptoms of anxiety: fireworks are among the most common fears that trigger dog anxiety. In fact, 36% is made up of fear of loud noises, of which 26% of fireworks.
- Fear of something in particular is another of the most common symptoms of anxiety : the most common are neophobia, fear of other dogs and strangers, with an incidence of 11%, 17% and 15% respectively.
- Young dogs are more prone to shredding furniture and going to the toilet when they suffer from separation anxiety. They also show a tendency to bite their tail and are more impulsive and nervous.
- Males tend to be more aggressive and impulsive, while females are more submissive and fearful.
- Although fear and anxiety are common to all breeds, tests have shown that Labradors do not tend to let off steam and that mixed breeds are more sensitive to noise.
- The fear of loud noises increases with the dog’s age : thunderstorms, fireworks, motorcycles and other noises frighten older dogs more.
Why do more than 72% of dogs suffer from anxiety?
One of the reasons for anxiety in dogs is usually the owner’s lack of attention to these problems. It often happens that, due to ignorance or other causes, the owner does not recognize the ailment, which gets worse until the dog causes serious damage to the furniture or annoys the house.
How to recognize anxiety in dogs
Anxiety knows no races, places or species. As always, prevention and early diagnosis are the best tools to avoid having to deal with this pathology which is so difficult to cure once it manifests itself.
The dog suffers from anxiety and fear when he exhibits one or more of the following clinical and psychological symptoms:
- Nervousness.
- Tremors.
- Muscle tension.
- Palpitations.
- Motor tension.
- Apprehension.
If your dog exhibits these symptoms, look for the reason for these behaviors.
Tips for preventing anxiety in dogs
Here are some tips for preventing anxiety and behavior disorders:
- Adapt the environment to the animal : it is important to find a balance between the adaptation of the dog to the house and the comfort of the owner. Stressors such as loud noises, unpleasant odors or noxious chemicals can be the source of many behavioral disorders in dogs.
- Getting to know the dog : it is not necessary to be an ethologist to understand when the dog is behaving out of the ordinary.
- Contact a specialist : either because there may be a health problem or because the behavioral problem cannot be solved on your own, a professional will always provide the tools necessary to keep the dog healthy on a psychological level.
- Making sure that the dog has a healthy routine : not spending too many hours alone, always going out at the same times, good nutrition, environmental enrichment and a thousand other things greatly affect the mental health of the dog.
Mental health is important for all species, not just people. The fact that a study reveals that over 72% of dogs suffer from anxiety means that solutions must be found, starting with a change of perspective: dogs can also suffer from anxiety.
