How can I reassure my dog when it’s scared?

Whether it’s in response to loud noises, changes in the environment or unfamiliar people, your dog may become frightened or stressed. In this article, we’ll look at the signs of fear and stress in dogs and share six practical tips for calming your faithful companion.

What’s the difference between fear, stress and anxiety ?

Fear is an emotional state triggered by an immediate and identifiable threat. It is accompanied by physiological reactions caused by the immediate release of adrenaline, such as an increase in heart and breathing rates, which prepare you to fight or flee.

Stress is a physiological state that occurs when the dog is exposed to a stimulus or environment that is not necessarily threatening, but is characterised by its unpredictability and uncontrollability. In particular, this exposure activates the production of glucocorticoids, which appear later and act more slowly than adrenaline but have longer-lasting effects and can eventually exhaust the body.

Note: Emotions and physiological responses are closely linked, but they are not synonymous. Fear can be the cause of stress, but a dog can be stressed without necessarily being afraid.

Anxiety results from the cumulative effect of genetic factors (certain breeds of dog are predisposed to it), environmental factors and learning. It manifests itself in intense stress reactions to situations that are unusual for the dog, even those that seem harmless to the owner.

Learn to recognise your dog’s fear and stress signals

How can I reassure my dog ?  When you spot fear or stress signals, try to understand what triggers them and try to reduce their impact.

Here are six practical tips for calming your faithful companion.

1. Create a safe environment: make sure your dog has a place to retreat to when he’s feeling scared or stressed, with familiar things like his bed, a toy or a blanket.
2. Avoid exposing your dog to situations that frighten him rather than forcing him to face his fears. Avoid crowded, chaotic places. If you can’t avoid frequenting noisy places, opt for gradual habituation rather than sudden immersion.
3. Establish and maintain a consistent routine: try to be regular with meals, walks and playtime. This will give your dog a sense of predictability.
4. Be reassuring in your posture: your dog is very sensitive to body signals. Use a calm tone of voice and gestures to communicate with your dog. It is sometimes advisable not to pet your dog in stressful situations, such as a visit to the vet. This advice has no scientific validity; on the contrary, one study showed that dogs petted by their owner at the vet were less stressed during the consultation1 (Csoltova et al., 2017).
5. Give your dog enough exercise to let off steam. Exercise is essential for your dog’s emotional balance. A study2 (Tiira & Lohi., 2015) indicates that the most important risk factor for noise sensitivity and separation anxiety is insufficient daily exercise.
6. Use soothing products: There are also natural soothing products specifically formulated for dogs, such as complementary foods, which can be useful to help them relax in situations that stress them out on a daily basis.

If your dog is showing high levels of stress or signs of anxiety, don’t hesitate to seek professional help. Your vet or a veterinary behaviourist will be able to assess the situation and recommend a suitable behavioural therapy or pharmacological treatment.

You can find this advice and many other tutorials on our YouTube channel.

My dog is scared of fireworks

Bibliography :

1. Csoltova E, Martineau M, Boissy A, Gilbert C. Behavioral and physiological reactions in dogs to a veterinary examination: Owner-dog interactions improve canine well-being. Physiol Behav. 2017 Aug 1;177:270-281. doi: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2017.05.013. Epub 2017 May 10. PMID: 28501556. 
2. Tiira K, Lohi H. Early Life Experiences and Exercise Associate with Canine Anxieties. PLoS One. 2015 Nov 3;10(11):e0141907. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0141907. PMID: 26528555; PMCID: PMC4631323.