Recently, social media has become a barrage of mental health awareness posts. I can’t help but speculate that there’s a heightened urgency behind these posts due to Covid-19 . Now, perhaps more than ever, it seems that anxiety levels are increasing in response to the current state of affairs. 

Despite the positivity of these encouragements, they do seem a a bit exclusive to humans. I can’t help but ask: what about our pets? 

Out of all the pithy epigrams that surely exist about the bonds between dogs and people, I’m going to stick with the classic: ‘A dog is a man’s best friend.’ So, why don’t we treat them with the same consideration that we would show our human best friends. Sometimes we get so caught up in our own feelings and emotions that we may forget those of our furry friends. Now more than ever, it’s easy to neglect the stress levels of our dogs . . . we do have a lot of new stressors to distract us, after all. What we can fail to realize is that while we’re busy biting our nails with anxiety, our dogs may also be displaying signs of anxiety. 

Though it may seem ludicrous, it is true; so true, in fact, that a recent study found that roughly 70% of dogs suffer from anxiety. So, with such a surprisingly high number of dogs suffering from anxiety, it’s important to know what to look for, why your pets may be anxious, and how to help them be less anxious.

Like humans, dogs have a myriad of bad habits that rear their heads when the dogs become anxious. Some anxiety induced habits for people may include yelling, crying, nail-biting, not eating; the signs your dogs might display are not that different. For example, if your dog(s) suffer from anxiety you may experience an up-tick in their barking or whining, naughtiness (i.e. eating your wireless headphones and getting in garbages, speaking from personal experiences), house accidents, panting, a loss of appetite, and even fatigue or disinterestedness. 

After knowing the signs, it is just as important to understand the why the doggo may be displaying them. Some things that could be contributing to your dogs anxiety may include, neglect, loneliness (for more on this click here), loud noises, and new environments. A few studies have also speculated that anxiety in your pups could be breed specific. There are even studies that link your dogs increase in nerves to your own.  Similar to how your best friends can easily empathize with you, your dog(s) are also incredibly perceptive of how you are feeling. One study found that “dogs truly recognize emotions in humans and other dogs”. With that being said, it’s not unreasonable to figure that our moods affect our dogs, as well. 

Though dogs may not be as overtly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, quarantine may prove to be adversely affecting the mental health of your doggo(s), just as much as your own; so, be sure to check the symptoms.

Now, don’t get anxious. There’s good news— there’s almost as large an array of treatments for anxiety in dogs as there is for anxiety humans. Many vets recommend 1.) regular exercise and, with the weather warming up, now may be a good opportunity to start implementing walks. Additionally, it’s really important to have 2.) consistent physical contact with your dog . . . Show ‘em some love and give ‘em a cuddle. Vets also recommend 3.) playing classical music or 4.) “time-outs” (if not our best friends, our dogs are certainly like our children). 

If these couple suggestions don’t help, try any of the products from our pet boutique; linked here. A personal favorite is the Thunder Vest, because nothing mellows a dog like a fashionable vest. In all seriousness, though, my aunt’s dog suffers from epileptic induced seizures and this vest helps him calm down following an episode. 

There is no question that quarantine has proven to be a challenge, but it may not be a uniquely human challenge. So, I challenge you to check in with all your friends, but especially make sure to check in with your doggo(s). Covid-19 can be just as stressful for four-legged pals as it is for us. Even if they don’t have to worry about taxes, our dog(s) do worry, which can be taxing in its own right. 

#bullyfambam #dogblog