What could be stressing your dog out - seminar points

[runlikethewind]

Hi there

I thought I'd get some notes together on a recent talk I went to on dogs experiencing stress. They are very rough notes so I hope they make sense.

Dogs experiencing stress of any kind will do the 4 F's - fight, flight, freeze or fiddle about
There are many many sources of stress for a dog - diet, training or lack of, pollution, owner and other dogs
Living with fear and uncertainty is stressful
Too much play and being bullied and intimidated by other dogs is stressful
Leaving dogs tethered up outside shops - not only silly but also stressful
Dogs need to lie flat to sleep properly - so they need a big enough bed to be able to do so
Dogs do polyphasic sleep - meaning they wake up and move to different places throughout the night. This is normal and it must not be limited. Try to offer different areas for your dog to sleep
Over use of crates and the bad advice from some vets to restrict space in a tight crate to help with toileting - this is incredibly bad advice and very stressful for the dog/pup
Too much playing, chasing, leading to guarding responses, aggression and ball obsessions
Equipment can be stressful - examples are the Elizabethan collar. There is NO NEED to wear one of these when the dog is outside and does not have the need to itch or bite etc. It messes up the dogs's ability to communicate with other dogs and causes stress. Some vets bad advice again.. sorry.. the vets are getting a rum deal. Put it back on at the end of the walk.
Clothing - silly fashionable clothing does not allow a dog to communicate. Coats with hoods are a good example...
Coupler leads are stressful for dogs. Dogs want their own space even if they get on. Dogs to NOT naturally walk together.
Doggie perfumes... need we say anymore....
Being overweight
Isolation - very stressful, dogs are social mammals like us
Lonliness
Lack of stimulation
Living in cities where the dog is treated like a toy - the dog is bought as a toy for the children, it only know the nanny and not the owners. Very stressful. No routine. Apparently, it's a common thing in London right now
Being kept TENSE on the lead... when there is no need for it at all. Transmits tension and stress
Too many demands on the dog - anger, shouting
Not having a CHOICE and a mind of their own - not being able to stop and sniff
Watching OTHER dogs being shouted at -- the dog finds this stressful (I know mine does)
Too much training, being too competitive
Flyball and agility - too much hyper behavoiour. Excessive barking - stressful for the dog. Too much salivation is a good sign the dog is stressed
Shows
Lack of toileting and sniffing opportunities
The owner controlling EVERYTHING a dog does - when it eats, sleeps, poos, plays, walks, etc etc. MUCH LIKE THE NILIF PROGRAMME..... stressful for a dog
Being carried about
Wearing punishment collars and I would include haltis myself in here.. just to be controversial!
Lack of social skills
Not being understood... and being punished for trying to be understood.. By this point I was in tears... because the trainer was showing us very specific and sad example of stress.
Dog walkers pushing dogs together in vans without separation.


Anyway..after that long list, we then went into signs of stress.. I'm sure you know them. dilated pupils, shaking, yawning, licking, head turning, growling etc...
And then we went into stress management and I didn't take any notes of that but I just thought it would be an eye opener for some readers to actually realise what is stressing their dogs out.

[ladybug1802]

Really interesting - thank you!!

ONe thing I have wondered is, do dogs yawn when they are tired?? I knew yawning was a sign of stress....but do they ONLY do it when stressed, or could it be done like humans, when they are alittle bit sleepy??

[Noobs]

I asked that question a long time ago, ladybug... and if I recall correctly the answer was basically "context clues."

[runlikethewind]

My dog yawns when he's getting ready to go out.. he yawns and shakes his head. eg after I have put the collar on
He yawns sometimes when other dogs are barking or being hyper around him
He yawns when he wakes up...loads
He yawns if I massage his forehead and he looks all sleepy.. at least I think that is a relaxed yawn...
I haven't seen him yawn when we're stressing him out.. he just growls...

[ladybug1802]

Well yeah thats what I was thinking....Dylan yawns when I do calming massagy cuddles with him.....but he looks all sleepy at the same time so he sure isnt stressed!!!

[runlikethewind]

Other signs can be bad skin, bad digestion, runny poos, etc etc (as long as there are no other phyiscal reasons for it)

[runlikethewind]

Too many rules as well.. forgot that one

[Nettle]

Sounds a good course who was teaching?

[runlikethewind]

Winkie Spiers - she's brill. Have you heard of her? She comes down South sometimes to give talks. She's a big fan of Turid Rugaas

[emmabeth]

I shall move this to the Articles section - thankyou for posting it!

To add to the list though they may be covered by slightly different wording:

Over stimulation - that of the very competitive owner training and working a dog to a high level OR that of a dog living in a very busy noisy bustling household
'Winding up' - overstimulation with no outlet - ie, dog constantly watching very exciting things through a window such as people or animals whizzing about
Unpredictable people = those sorts of people who go from silent, near comatose, to suddenly shouty or grumpy or aggressive in some way with very little warning.
Door slamming!


I think a point worth making is that this list of things, is things to be aware of and attempt to reduce or take into account - rather than a 'list of things you must never do' because its dependant on the dog, and co-dependant on the other things you do with that dog.

So for example, I am sure my dogs are to a degree, stressed by being put into the van all together as it has no seperations. However two of them would be even more greatly stressed by being crated in there, and the amount and length of time it happens for, and the fact it only happens so they can go to places they get to burn off energy and de-stress, means I think its ok.

Its a balancing act, and realistically thats as good as we can really get or none of us would own dogs! But it IS something people need to be aware of, it actually astonishes me that people do not realise things like slamming doors or shouting at another dog or human in the house will upset the dogs (and other animals!).

[wholisticdogtraining]

Thank you so much for posting this!

Let me add if I may, "loud erratic noises". Interestingly, loud unexpected sounds are one of a rare group of hard-wired fears in all mammals. It's adaptive to survival and people all "jump" when startled. Some dogs have what we call a startle reflex at a low-threshold, but dogs' hearing is so acute, they live in a different intensity world than we do.

The polyphasic sleep mode particularly interests me as I need research material to prop up my adamant distaste for crating dogs. I'm being candid here, but I've never approved of crates except for over-night use in house training a puppy. I believe dogs should be taught to accept crating in case of an emergency need to transport or otherwise, but to confine a dog to a small space and call it "nesting" has been one of my personal "pet" peeves.

Indeed, I have incorporated my own version of Dr. Dunbar's x-pen set up photographed in , Before You Get Your Puppy, into my general house training protocol. Now I have a new word I can use to support the method...polyphasic

Also, I've also never understood why stress signals were named, "calming signals". Using nervous behaviors to reduce stress may be a calmative technique dogs present with that may indicate stress, but the label of calming signals seems to confuse the issue. I still call them stress signals. My clients understand that and so do I.. but that's just me.

Warm woofs,
Linda Michaels, MA Psychology, CPDT-KA
SoCal Coast
Happy Victoria Stilwell Trainer

[runlikethewind]

Yes I agree we can't possibly protect them from all sources of stress. I don't know why they are called calming signals - I have not fully understood whether they mean to calm the person or dog down they are directed at or to calm themselves down but yes either way.. it's a stress signal I guess.

[Mattie]

Bumping this up