Vet Talk: What pet owners should know about fear and anxiety in dogs

Behavioural issues in dogs are often dismissed as misbehaviour, but these problems typically stem from fear or anxiety with underlying causes. What might appear as simple reactions to thunderstorms or separation from owners are potentially serious issues that can significantly affect a dog’s well-being.

Behavioural problems can be complex to solve, needing both professional help and consistent owner commitment.

Fear and anxiety frequently occur together, as they involve overlapping emotional responses. Fear manifests as an immediate reaction to present threats, while anxiety emerges as a state of anticipating future dangers.

These ongoing emotional states can lead to serious health issues, including a weakened immune system, hormonal changes and gastrointestinal issues. The prolonged stress also harms the animal’s mental state. 

Key signs include: 

Here are some common disorders that can manifest through fear and anxiety. 

Separation-related behaviours (SRBs): Dogs experience significant distress when separated from their owners. Symptoms usually appear before the owners leave (picking up keys, wearing shoes, getting ready to go) and include excessive whining, howling, pacing, inappropriate urination and defecation, and destructive behaviour (excessive chewing or scratching at furniture or doors). 

Resource guarding (protective behaviour): Warning behaviours (growling, snarling) emerge when other animals or people approach any valued possession (such as toys, food bowls, chews) or people they protect, potentially escalating to aggressive reactions (lunging, snapping, biting). 

Territorial aggression: Dogs may lunge, growl or snap at people, animals or passing vehicles near their perceived territory (fences, doors and windows are common trigger spots). They may begin to bark when passers-by approach these areas. This rarely happens away from home.

Fear aggression: This emerges when dogs feel trapped in situations they perceive to be scary. Signs include increased heart rate, sweaty paws, a tucked tail, pinned-back ears, raised hackles, whale eye (showing the whites of eyes) and attempts to escape. Aggression such as biting may be their last resort. 

Noise phobia: While a quick jump to a loud sound is a normal startle reflex, dogs with noise phobia show severe, prolonged reactions towards loud sounds and remain distressed long after the trigger has stopped. This can include thunderstorms and fireworks.

Generalised anxiety: A constant state of heightened reactivity and alertness interfering with normal life, often without clear triggers. Signs include muscle tension, palpitations, apprehension, restlessness, hyper-vigilance, increased irritability and an inability to rest. 

In all cases, it is important to first rule out medical causes, as some of the signs may have underlying health reasons.

Schedule a consultation with a veterinarian for specific recommendations. In complex cases, consulting a veterinary behaviourist may be necessary. 

If underlying medical issues have been ruled out and a behaviour disorder has been diagnosed, behavioural modification is key but must be tailored to your dog as there is no one-size-fits-all approach.

Working with your veterinarian and a trainer will significantly increase the chances of success. The National Parks Board’s website has a list of accredited trainers in Singapore. These trainers are committed to ethical training approaches and meet international standards of competency.

Your veterinarian and trainer may advise that the first step is to avoid situations that trigger your dog’s anxiety, followed by desensitisation (gradually exposing it to triggers at very low levels) and counter-conditioning techniques (teaching it to associate triggers with positive experiences).

Using the least intrusive, minimally aversive (Lima) approach to training with consistency is essential, while punishment often worsens anxiety and fear. 

Having a predictable daily routine with consistent times for meals, walks, play and rest gives dogs a sense of control. Anti-anxiety medication may be prescribed in severe cases, but requires professional veterinary monitoring due to potential side effects. 

Do not use online remedies or other pet owners’ solutions, as these issues are often highly specific. 

What appears to be a nervous dog may be one struggling with an underlying medical condition or a behavioural disorder.

Take time to observe your pet closely and understand the triggers and underlying causes of their stress. Professional veterinary care and training is necessary to help pet dogs live a more confident, happy and fear-free life.