Events that can cause stress

Holidays

German Shepherd dogs on the beach

German Shepherd dogs Wolf and Fang enjoy a day on the beach

With a dog you have three choices for holidays

Kennels

Some dog owners don’t want their dog around when on holiday and prefer to put it in a kennel while they are away. You can leave them in kennels if you must and go off and enjoy your holiday, and, on returning, pick them up like you do your car at the airport, and give them a cuddle to make it better. This is no holiday for your dog, it’s a spell in prison. They are kept in concrete pens the size of a toilet, and are lucky if taken out for walks. From a life in a house with their family they are suddenly abandoned and locked up without explanation. How would you feel? They don’t know it’s only for two or three weeks, for them it’s abandonement and forever. The reason why they are usually overjoyed when their people return to collect them is overwhelming relief.

Dog minding

You can find a friendly dog minding service which will look after your dog in a home, and treat it like family together with their other dogs, in short a holiday for your dog. You can then go and enjoy your holiday, secure in the knowledge that even if your dog experiences separation anxiety, they will be distracted, shown affection and be able to play with other dogs.

There are some people who board dogs in their home, or in extensions where it still feels like home and where they can mix with other dogs in some semblence of normality. This is so much better than the concrete prisons, that the little extra you have to pay is well worth it, and many people are preferring this to the old method of incarceration. Worth considering if you have to leave your dog with someone else and have no relatives or friends to take them in even temporarily.

GB Petsitters - have branches in many areas of the UK, and offer a range of fully-insured professional pet-sitting services, which include dog walking, boarding, house sitting, small animal care and pet transportation. They have a franchise scheme which is open to anyone to apply.

Holidays with dogs

You can find a holiday which welcomes dogs and have a holiday together, just like a family. There are many holidays now available which not only cater for dogs but actually welcome them, more information of some here. But there are many more you can find with Google's help. They can range from holiday hotels to campsites and log cabins, and there are an increasing number now welcoming dogs. It’s better for all of you to go on holiday together as a family, and it can be very rewarding and fun. Dogs love camping! It’s the closest thing to a natural life for them and they get more fresh air, walks and play than they could ever have imagined was possible, so it’s the perfect holiday as far as they’re concerned; they love barbecues!

Many more campsites these days are allowing dogs as well, but you must be responsible and keep them under control the whole time; no one wants a dog stealing their food or making a mess of their tent, and you can be asked to leave if you don’t keep them under control. However, this is easily done, a tether stuck in the ground and a long lead attached gives them some freedom to move around your campsite, while preventing them froms straying further. Then when you go for a walk you take the dog as you do at home on a lead. It is worth noting that when on holiday, whether camping or on the beach, be sure to provide shade if it's at all hot, and always have water handy and within your dog's reach.

Other holidays such as chalet or cabin rental also allow dogs, and this can be a home from home for all of you. Just remember to watch them in the countryside, as they can do damage if they chase livestock or disturb ground-nesting birds, and could even be shot by a farmer if caught chasing sheep, even if they just want to play with them. Dogs can also disturb other species in the wild or even kill wild animals, so at all times should be under your control and not running ‘wild’. If you have trained your dog to respond to you, you don’t need to have them on a lead, but you should be able to call them to you for any reason, such as approaching people or vehicles etc. and they should come. If in doubt that they will respond, keep them on the lead until you have trained them to obey.

Dogs Trust have teamed up with Wellcome Cottages with a superb selection of dog-friendly holiday cottages in the UK, France and Ireland here.

Other Events causing stress

Moving home

This is stressful for humans, and doubly so for dogs as they can't know why you are packing everything away, where you are going to, and whether they will be going with you. Give them lots of reassurance, make sure they see you pack their bed and food bowls away, and tell them about it as you do so. If they don't like strangers in the house, make sure they are in a quiet room if you have removal men enter and load up, or better still, take them off before this happens. Be sure to unload their bed and bowls as soon as you get to the new house, and give them some water and a small feed immediately. They may not eat, but will probably need a drink. Ensure they get an extra cuddle in the evening before sleep.

Bonfire night

Some dogs are ttally unconcerned with fireworks and don't react at all. Others become terrified immediately, try to hide, shake uncontrollably, and even urinate in fear. The best thing with a new puppy is to be unconcerned and matter of fact. If they react, say 'that's a firework' and then continue as if nothing happened. They will take their cue from you, and unless your pup is especially sensitive, they will probably go on to not be bothered about bangs outside the house. Give your dog a good walk before it all kicks off, before dark, and make sure they won’t need to go out again.

Above all, don’t leave your dog alone while fireworks are going off if they don’t like them, they will panic and might injure themselves if you are not there to reassure them.

Keep your dog interested in other things such as games or toys, or occupy their mind with some training. But don’t reinforce his/her noise problem by responding to their panic if it starts; just ignore it and continue as if nothing is happening. Your dog takes his or her cue from you, if you aren’t worried, the dog will be reassured. A safe place to hide is always useful; under a table or in a room in the centre of the house where the noise from outside is least heard. Close curtains and turn on the radio to drown out other noises; you could even compile a selection of their favourite music on CD, tape player or iPod to play when things get noisy. Above all, don’t encourage fear by making a big thing of it.

If all these measures fail to calm your dog, you should have a word with your vet before the event and they will most likely prescribe welping bitch pheromone, which comforts any dog as it smells just like a bitch with puppies, very comforting even for adult dogs. Or a sedative may be prescribed in extreme cases of anxiety. Even if your dog is totally unworried by fireworks as some are, avoid taking them for a walk in the thick of it as there are plenty of idiots around and it’s not unheard of for them to throw fireworks at a dog, even from cars! If this ever happens to you, note the registration number and immediately phone the police with a complaint. If you can, get a picture on your mobile to back it up.

Signs of stress

Panting – when the dog isn’t hot could be a sign of stress.

Drooling – drooling can also be stress-related.

Trembling – this might just be because the dog is cold, but might be caused by stress. If it persists after any cause is gone, and your dog is old, it could also be age-related; they may be suffering pain in the joints, so should be taken to a vet as this can be treated.

Sweaty paws – if you notice paw prints on the floor and it's not wet outside this could be due to stress as dogs sweat through their feet.

Tense body – If your dog's body feels rigid and tense, it may indicate stress.

Change in eyes – if your dog is wide-eyed with the pupils dilated before it’s dark, this could indicate stress.

Scratching – this can commonly be due to fleas or mild skin irritation, but if your dog scratches more than normal it could be stress

Calming Signals

Wolves communicate by use of body language. The signals they use are called cut-off signals, but with dogs they are more subtle calming signals, which are used to prevent things from happening, avoid threats from people and dogs, calm down nervousness, fear of noise and other unpleasant things. They use the signals for calming themselves when they feel stressed, and they are also used to make others feel safer, helping them understand that goodwill is intended, and they want to make friends, with other dogs and with people, as dogs try to avoid conflicts; they are conflict-solving animals.

Some of the signals are used for other things as well and some are so swift that it's hard to see them. To see them all in any situation it takes a lot of experience but with experience and a lot of observations you will be able to identify some and to start understanding what your dog is really saying rather than attributing anthropomorphic explanations. Calming signals definitely help you to understand your dog better.

Turning the head - this may be used when another dog is approaching to tell the other dog to calm down; the other dog may be coming too fast or head on instead of a curving run. Their head may turn if you stoop over them, or pull them towards you, or they may just stand still and turn the head, letting you know they are uncomfortable with the situation. You can also use head turning with a dog that is worried or frightened when you approach him, or when a scared dog starts to bark or growl at you, turn your head away.

Turning away – turn whole body away to calm the situation – this can be used to calm a dog jumping up, just turn your back on her/him.

Licking nose – very quick movement sometimes hard to see – dog uses nose licking when approaching another dog, or they may use this when you bend over them or hold them tight, especially when you bend down to grab or talk to them in an angry voice – nose licking is not easy for humans to use!

Yawning – dogs use this when going into the vets, when there are fights or quarrels in the family (human), when you hold your dog too tight, when they are in situations they are uncomfortable in – you can use this when your dog feels uncertain or a little scared, stressed, worried, or when you want her/him to calm down a bit.

Some other signals commonly seen in dogs are: sniffing, sitting down, curving, splitting up, tail wagging, play bowing, freezing, walking slowly, and using slow movements.

Start by observing your dog at home. In a calm, quiet home atmosphere you won't get very many calming signals, but when people arrive and there are movements around the house you should see some.

When your dog is off leash and sees another dog try and watch the instant she sees the other dog in order to observe the signal she gives.

You can use any of these signals if your dog becomes stressed by anything.