Good walking habits for anxious dogs

Many dogs suffer from anxiety and fear, which can seriously impact their quality of life as well as be emotionally draining for pooch parents.

Here are some signs that your dog may be experiencing anxiety during walks:

1.     Lack of focus: Whilst common (particularly when dogs are over-excited or stimulated), if your dog is unable to focus on you or any commands, this is a sign that they are feeling anxious

2.     Being reactive: If they lunge, bark or bare their teeth at strangers, kids, other dogs or bike riders it’s likely that they are feeling stressed

3.     Body language: Anxiety can be observed through body language such as flattened ears, having their tails tucked in and raised hackles.

4.     Hyperalert: When they are constantly scanning, looking to their side or  displaying an overreaction to loud and unexpected noises

5.     Freezing: Dogs may constantly freeze for no particular reason or lay down and refuse to budge

The good news is that there are ways to reduce their stress levels and eventually desensitise them to the things that are triggering their anxiety. If you have an anxious walker, here are some techniques you can try on your next outing:

1.     Identify their triggers and refocus them: Shift their focus from what is triggering them with treats, a toy or something interesting for them to sniff. Try and anticipate the trigger in advance (eg. if a bike rider or stranger is coming towards you) as it will be difficult to refocus them once they are already fixated and freaking out.

2.     Create a positive association: Dogs can be easily ‘bribed’ by treats and praise. Be generous with treats which is a great way to calm down anxious dogs. Try throwing treats ahead of you every 5 - 10 seconds to encourage them to keep moving forward. If you’re concerned about their weight, you can replace tasty treats with kibble.

3.     Let them explore: Let your pooch make the call on where they'd like to go and when they want to stop to sniff/explore further.

4.     Experiment with duration and time of day: Confidence is built over time, so try changing it up and gradually building a routine rather than setting a predetermined routine.

If all else fails, you can seek professional help from a canine behaviouralist who may be able to identify and treat triggers that you may not be aware of.