Is your dog anxious? Financial strains on pet owners can impact dog anxiety

According to RSPCA’s Kindness Index Report 2024, an overwhelming majority of pet owners (78%) say it’s become more expensive to look after their pet in the last year.

Almost half (49%) of pet owners are worried about being able to afford their bills and one in five (21%) are worried about feeding their pets. There’s also been an increase in the proportion of people who’ve stopped insuring their pets (from 6% in 2023 to 9% in 2024), leaving them at risk of receiving unexpected bills.

According to a recent Scientific Reports study, long-term anxiety in humans directly influences their dogs, leading to heightened stress levels and potential behavioural issues.

This Pet Anxiety Month, Jimmy Bratley, Veterinary Practitioner at Adaptil has provided insights into how our emotions can impact our dogs, highlighting the signs of anxiety to look out for and how to help your dog feel less anxious.

The sensitivity of dogs to human emotions

Dogs are incredibly skilled at sensing and interpreting human moods. They do this using a variety of senses including sight, sound, and even smell, and can sense six basic human emotions: happiness, sadness, fear, anger, surprise, and disgust.

Visual senses

Just one of the ways dogs can read human emotions is by watching our facial expressions. They’re so attuned to our faces that they can even tell the difference between a happy and angry face just from looking at a photo. Similarly, they can also spot changes in our body language such as how we move or in our posture.

Sense of smell

A dog’s sense of smell is so acute that they can detect chemical differences dependent on the mood a human is experiencing. For instance, studies have found that dogs exposed to sweat samples from people who watched scary movies showed higher stress levels than when exposed to samples from people who watched happy films.

Auditory cues

Dogs process the emotion in our voices like humans, with positive tones processed on the left side of the brain and negative tones on the right.

How to recognise signs of anxiety in your dog

In dogs, common signs of anxiety or fear include:

• Barking/whining
• Pacing
• Scratching
• Chewing
• Drooling
• Panting
• Urinating and defecating in the house
• Shaking
• Digging

How to help your dog feel less anxious

First, it is always a good idea to talk to your vet to rule out any potential medical issues. With that done, here are some simple tips and solutions to help reduce anxiety in pets:

• Spend more time together: If possible, and don't hold back on physical contact. Physical contact helps both humans and pets relieve anxiety.
• Change the environment: It may seem obvious, but if you can identify the stressor and can remove it, do so!
• More exercise: Walking, playing, running...whatever can get some energy out and get the blood flowing.
• Safe spot: If possible, create a quiet and safe space (like building a den) in an interior room that can serve as an escape from problem stimulations.
• Get professional help: Speak to your vet for the best guidance
• Try dog anxiety products that are proven to help

If you’re wondering how you can boost the connection between humans and dogs, there are a number of activities you can take advantage of. Shared activities such as training, exercise, and play can be a highly effective way of having a meaningful experience together.

These not only provide mental stimulation and physical exercise for your dog, but also offer opportunities for positive interactions, enhancing the emotional connection.