Excessive panting, pacing and dilated pupils are among the subtle signs your dog may be stressed, a vet from The Blue Cross has warned.
The animal welfare charity fears some dogs may struggle as lockdown restrictions tentatively lift, especially when owners head back to work. We might be ready for normality, but the charity is urging owners to spot and tackle signs of stress before they worsen.
"Signs of stress can be easily missed or misunderstood. For example we might think a dog who yawns is just tired, or if they're not eating that they're just not hungry," Karly Smith, an animal behaviourist at The Blue Cross, tells MailOnline. "In fact both of these can be signs that your dog is anxious about something."
Last year, the charity received over 500 calls to its dog behaviour lines as owners struggled to understand how their dogs were feeling. As well as this, the Blue Cross also fears more pups may be abandoned as a result of restrictions lifting.
Claire Haynes, also an animal behaviourist at The Blue Cross, added: "Dogs like routine and the new normal may be confusing and stressful for them. With routines set to change again, this could come as a shock and lead to more stressed out pets and behaviour issues if the signs aren't spotted early and handled correctly."
If your dog is stressed, you may begin to notice some behavioural clues that they are feeling anxious, fearful or out of character. From panting to excessive yawning, take a look at the subtle and more obvious signs your dog is stressed...
8 subtle signs your dog could be stressed
- Yawning if your dog isn't tired
- Excessive panting (often with a curled tip of their tongue)
- Pacing around back and forth
- Licking lips when they are not eating or drinking
- Ears pinned back, perhaps with their head down or turning away
- Dilated pupils or red around the eyes
- Whites of eyes showing (whale eye)
- Lifting up their paw
7 more obvious signs your dog could be stressed
- Hiding or backing away from someone
- Loss of appetite or not showing interested in food
- Diarrhoea or increased bowel movements
- Shrinking down or crouching
- Trembling or shivering when they're not cold or excited
- Agression
- Tail tucked between their legs
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Lisa Joyner is the Deputy Daily Editor at House Beautiful UK and Country Living UK, where she's busy writing about home and interiors, gardening, dog breeds, pets, health and wellbeing, countryside news, small space inspiration, and the hottest properties on the market. Previously, she has written for Conde Nast Traveller, House & Garden and Marie Claire magazine. Lisa studied at University For The Creative Arts, where she completed a BA in Fashion Journalism.
