Dogs and people are very alike when it comes to the fact that we both experience stressors in our lives. The signs of stress are going to be a bit different though and might not be as obvious to us. If your dogs are being put into an unfamiliar environment or a situation they might not be used to, it is important to look for these symptoms to examine your dog’s level of stress.
- Excessive panting- If your dog is panting without there being reason to, your dog could be anxious
- Drooling- Unless your dog is a notorious drooler, this might be cause for concern
- Shaking- This is a very obvious sign of stress or fear
- Out of the ordinary vocalization- This could be excessive barking, whining or anything in between that is uncommon for your dog
- Excessive yawning- one reason for yawning is to calm themselves or reduce a threat
- Hiding/Not leaving your side- If your dog senses a threat they will be reluctant to leave you and may turn to hiding behind you/between your legs
These are just a few of the major signs of stress in your dog. As you will notice a lot of these signs on their own are not necessarily anything to worry about. It’s really up to you to determine what is normal for your dog. But if you notice a combination of any of these symptoms that seem to vary from your dog’s normal behavior you might want to begin to analyze what could be causing your dog’s discomfort and try to eliminate it to your best ability.