In this age of , many of us turn to our pets for emotional support. But is our behavior increasing our furry friends鈥� fears?
The answer isn鈥檛 simple, says Frankie Jackson, a veterinary nurse and animal behavior consultant, and the owner of Canine Counseling in Smyrna, Georgia. She said she's seen an increase in anxiety among her animal and human clients, but that it鈥檚 hard to unwind the cause and effect.
鈥淒ogs are incredibly responsive to our expressions, our body language and our scent,鈥� she says. 鈥淭here is a feedback loop 鈥� the owners are nervous; the dog gets nervous. Our cortisol levels rise and fall in tandem.鈥�
Dr. Becky Peters, a veterinarian and owner of Bath Veterinary Hospital in Bath, New York, has also noticed a link between the anxiety of pets and their owners, particularly in the exam room.
鈥淚f owners try to over comfort them 鈥� lots of 鈥榶ou鈥檙e OK!鈥�" in anxious voices, the animals do get more anxious. If we stay calm and quiet, they do too,鈥� Peters says.
Peters attributes much of the rise in pet anxiety to the social upheaval of the COVID years. Many animals who were had limited opportunities to socialize with other people and pets during their peak developmental stages. After COVID, pets who were used to having their family at home experienced as their owners returned to work and school.
鈥淎 lot of pet anxiety comes from changes to their households,鈥� Peters says. 鈥淚t can also occur from a lack of routine and structure and not enough physical activity.鈥�
Other components that could contribute to our pets鈥� anxiety include unmet needs, past trauma and insufficient open spaces.
"We are asking our dogs to live in a world that isn鈥檛 made for them,鈥� she says.
Try to get at the cause of your pet鈥檚 anxiety
Low-level stress responses in dogs, such as eating less and excessive self-grooming, are forms of communication that precede lunging and barking, Jackson says. Trying to solve reactive behaviors through obedience training without addressing the root cause can make dogs鈥� anxiety worse.
鈥淚t鈥檚 important to understand what the dogs are saying and why they鈥檙e behaving the way they are. Manners and life skills are important, but it won鈥檛 create happy dogs,鈥� Jackson says.
Anxiety in cats can be harder to spot, according to Jackson, because they鈥檙e hard-wired to hide it. While dogs seek out their support people, cats don鈥檛 feel safe expressing their vulnerability. Urinating in the house, scratching, hiding under the bed and overgrooming can be signs that your kitty is anxious.
First, see a vet
If your animal companion is suddenly acting out or on a licking binge, Jackson advises seeing a veterinarian to rule out a medical cause, such as pain or .
Veterinarians can also prescribe anti-anxiety medication and complementary treatments to promote sleep and relaxation. Peters recommends supplements for her canine clients including probiotics and the amino acids l-theanine and tryptophan (yes, the turkey coma one).
For cats, she suggests using a product like Feliway that diffuses calming pheromones into the air.
Learn about the breed
A dog's breed might also play a part in developing anxiety. Peters says that while the more active herding and working breeds like shepherds and border collies can become anxious and destructive without an outlet for their energy.
鈥淗erding breeds need space to run and jobs to do,鈥� she says.
When Tacoma, Washington, resident Shelani Vanniasinkam got her Australian shepherd puppy, Roo, she didn鈥檛 know about the breed鈥檚 reputation for anxiety. Her previous dog had been an easygoing husky who enjoyed pats from strangers and visits to the dog park. She quickly realized Roo was not that type of dog.
鈥淗e had a lot more needs than we anticipated,鈥� Vanniasinkam says. 鈥淲e couldn鈥檛 leave him alone for more than 30 minutes.鈥�
Vanniasinkam and her husband, Jesus Celaya, reached out to a local pet behavioralist, but it became clear that Roo鈥檚 anxiety was so acute he needed medication before he could start behavior training.
Should you consider meds for an anxious pet?
Medication can be important in behavioral treatment, but it shouldn鈥檛 be the only approach, says Peters. She usually suggests that her clients try training and routine modification first, unless their pet is causing harm to themselves or others.
鈥淚f I鈥檓 going to use meds, it鈥檚 part of a greater process,鈥� Peters says.
Roo鈥檚 veterinarian put him on Fluoxetine, or 鈥渄oggie Prozac,鈥� an antidepressant commonly given to anxious pets. He also prescribed Trazodone, another antidepressant, for particularly stressful events, such as trips to the vet or
After starting his medication, Roo received eight months of behavior training, during which Vanniasinkam and her husband not only changed their own approach to dog parenting but also set boundaries with friends and family. They limited Roo鈥檚 interaction with other dogs, asked people to stop using their doorbell and requested that others ignore Roo when he barks.
Now, when they want to take Roo for off-leash play, they book time at a local Sniffspot, which Vanniasinkam describes as 鈥渁n Airbnb for anxious and reactive dogs.鈥� The company, which launched in 2016, allows homeowners to rent out their yards or property by the hour for solo, off-leash play or doggie playdates.
鈥淚t鈥檚 sad when you can鈥檛 take your dog to a dog park,鈥� Vanniasinkam says. 鈥淪o, this option is really nice.鈥�
She says that while it was initially difficult to navigate Roo鈥檚 anxiety, he is loving, family-oriented and worth the effort.
鈥淚t鈥檚 hard having an anxious dog, but you can figure it out,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just important to understand your dog, so you鈥檙e set up for success.鈥�
Cedar Burnett, The Associated Press
