Just like parenting children, caring for dogs and cats is an occasional uphill struggle.
Pet behaviour is fluid and can change with their environment, either the external or internal environment, or both.
This response to the environment and subsequent behaviour change is often attributed to stress.
And when budgets are tight, pet parents may feel overwhelmed or at a loss, wondering what to do, says Michelle le Long, COO of pet insurance specialist PD Insurance.
“But don’t despair, there is help at hand. We’ve called in an expert for some tips on DIY doggie and kitty behavioural help.”
Meet the expert
Maria Alomajan is an accredited dog trainer and certified dog behaviour consultant. She is the only local professional applying Canine Emotional Detox training in her work.
Maria says acute or chronic stress is a common cause of challenging canine behaviour.
“As we know from human examples, stress can be a killer. Negative things happen when a body is under chronic stress, and many of the dogs I see are in this state,” she explains.
“It’s not a criticism of their families, in fact, the opposite. People aren’t taught to look for stress in their companion animals. And the fact that someone has approached me means they know something is wrong and need help figuring it out.”
The outworkings of a stressed pet
Identifying stress in your pet is the first step.
Maria says there are multiple signs that a pup is not coping well. These can include one or a combination of the following issues:
· Constant or repeated pacing or shaking.
· Whining or barking. This is a biggie that can cause issues with neighbours. While some barking is normal, vocalisation can intensify when under stress.
· Panting without exercise or heat is another tell-tale sign.
· Changes in eyes and ears. Look out for dilated pupils and rapid blinking, and the whites of the eyes showing more than usual.
· Ears can be pinned back.
· Shedding. Nervous or stressed dogs can shed more than usual.
· Changes in bodily functions, such as refusing food, soiling the house (yikes!), or runny/frequent ‘pitstops,’ can indicate stress.
· Avoidance, hiding or escaping. When dogs exhibit any of these issues, like slinking, routinely escaping, or hiding, they might be stressed.
Professional destressing is best… but comes at a cost
Alomajan says in her experience, Canine Emotional Detox is the best protocol for reducing stress.
“It’s a three-day process designed to de-stress dogs and help their central nervous system return to neutral. Stressed brains can’t think, can’t learn and can’t process information, so de-stressing the dog first, before implementing a behaviour modification plan, makes sense.”
Of course, a three–day course costs money and time, and not everyone has those resources available.
DIY tips for addressing stress and behavioural challenges
Reducing a pet’s stress is good for everyone, says Maria, so she offers multiple tips for pet parents to work with their dogs.
Probably most important is identifying stress as the issue (see above) and then understanding why your pet is under strain.
When it’s not medically related, it may be something simple like inadequate stimulation, either in the form of physical exercise, mental challenges, or both.
“I’m very realistic with people, and I appreciate that we all live busy lives and that getting out enough can be a challenge,” she says.
However, the de-stressing process does start with you: “Helping a dog means starting with the human first. When a person understands how behaviour works and how to help their dogs, things flow easier,” she continues.
If you’ve noticed your pet has experienced a “big emotion”, ask yourself if they have had the chance to complete the stress cycle. When this happens with my dog, I do a few simple things:
1. Remove them from the stressor as fast as possible, even if this means turning around halfway up the road to end your walk.
2. Treats rain from the sky – food and seeking food contradict the stress process; if they can’t take food, you know things are awful for them.
3. Give them a chew. Chewing helps release stress.
4. See if they will engage in a low-arousal fun activity – puzzles can be great for this or any enrichment-type activity.
5. Make sure they are satiated at dinner. Hungry dogs are not happy dogs.
6. Give them some time at home for the adrenalin and cortisol to leave their system; sometimes, this can be an hour or take up to 3 days. Doing this means your dog is better prepared to face the world again.
Importantly, don’t let them go straight to bed to sleep – they will be processing the negative experience they just had and locking in some long-term memories from that, which you don’t want to happen, Alomajan advises.
“If they don’t complete the stress cycle, you may end up with a trigger-staking situation that leads to chronic stress.”
There are some great Facebook groups for low-cost DIY enrichment. Dognition.com is a fabulous way to get started on some brain games.
“Massage, if your dog likes being touched, and low-arousal sniffy walks also help stressed-out dogs, along with time in nature. If this all sounds familiar from those mindfulness posts that pop up on your feeds, it is. It also relates to animals.
Chatting with your vet about possible short or long-term pharmacological help for your pet may also be helpful,” she says.
A note on cats
While it may be more evident in dogs, cats can be stressed, too. Signs to look for are
· overgrooming
· changing in toileting habits, spraying inside
· changes in eating habits
· hiding, not going outside
· scratching furniture
· avoiding social contact
· excessive vocalisations
You can use the techniques mentioned for dogs to help cats too. Pheromone spray and room diffusers are another option.
Check out the neighbourhood for any new cats on the block.
“Sometimes, this can be very stressful for cats, and you may need to adjust their environment, such as using a cat door with a chip so other cats can’t invade their space and eat their food.”
Keeping your cat safely indoors overnight will prevent nasty catfights.
“Unlike dogs, who revelled in having humans at home all day during the pandemic, cats did not. It was the opposite for them. Answers are mostly found by looking at any changes in your routine and or environment,” says Maria.
Finally, Le Long says that with the cost-of-living crisis, everyone is feeling the pinch.
“If that’s rubbing off on your pets, look for ways of solving the problem without big expenses. Help is out there and can make life much more rewarding for you and your fur babies.”
