November 6, 2019 is National Stress Awareness Day

What is Stress?

“Any intrinsic or extrinsic stimulus that evokes a biological response is known as stress”  – Yaribeygi, H., Panahi, Y., Sahraei, H., Johnston, T. P., & Sahebkar, A. (2017) – so let’s be realistic, everyone has stress in their lives.  However, if stress is having a negative impact on our behaviour or our wellbeing, we need to identify and reduce the triggers.

The Effects of Stress

Stress may induce both beneficial and harmful effects.  Some stress is good for us as it helps us to respond to changes in life, preserving homeostasis of cells, leading to continued survival of the species.  However, severe and prolonged stress causes harm to our mental and physical health and to our relationships.

It appears that bBeing exposed to stress can cause pathophysiologic changes in the brain, and these changes can be manifested as behavioral, cognitive, and mood disorder. (Li et al., 2008).  Past studies demonstrated that high concentrations of stress hormones can cause declarative memory disorders and that stress also has negative effects on learning. (Yaribeygi et al., 2017)

Identify the Triggers

I highly recommend that we all try to identify the causes of stress in our lives and our pets’ lives so that we can begin to eliminate or reduce the stressors that may be adversely affecting our, or their, mental or physical wellbeing.   Identifying the triggers – those stimuli such as a smells, sounds or sights that provoke feelings of fear, anxiety or stress –  also means that we are better able to prevent trigger-stacking and thus avoid the very negative impact of cumulative stress on both our wellbeing and our behaviour.

Recommendations for Reducing Our Pets’ Stress

– If your pet demonstrates signs of fear, anxiety or stress, try to resolve the problem and make them more comfortable.

– Deliver tasty bite-sized pieces of food to help your pet create positive associations with situations, people or other animals.

– Work at a distance from the ‘stressor’/at a level where your pet feels comfortable.

– Avoid putting your pet in situations which you know cause a fearful response.

– Contact an accredited force-free trainer/behaviour consultant who can conduct a functional assessment and implement a behaviour change programme.  A combination of management strategies and operant and respondent conditioning protocols, such as systematic desensitisation and counterconditioning, can be used to change the pet’s behaviour and emotional response to a stimulus.

– In some cases, medication may be advised – please consult your veterinarian.

Stress Reducing Tips for Both Humans and Canines

– Help reduce anxiety levels by incorporating more daily exercise – go for a walk or run; a hike in the woods; a stroll on the promenade…

– Spend time enjoying the company of friends and family.

– Fuel your body with a balanced diet.

– Use natural scents to promote calmness and relaxation (pet pheromone products come in various forms, including sprays, plug-in diffusers, wipes, and collars).

– Get enough rest.  Crate training can be of particular benefit to a dog providing them with a cosy retreat.  Your bedroom and your pet’s should be a safe haven.

Engage in Fun Activities

Do something fun every day. This could be anything from a game of ‘fetch’; a stroll around your favourite shop; a ride in the car; a walk on the beach; a get-together with friends; a puzzle game – a crossword or jigsaw for you and an interactive toy for your pet; listen to music – calming background noise like classical music can be soothing for both of you; read a book (while lovingly stroking your pet, of course).  Anything you both enjoy!

Learn to Recognise Canine Signs of Stress

Here are a few telltale signs that a dog may be experiencing fear, anxiety or stress.  Some may be ongoing, others will be specific to the stress-triggering event:

• abnormal/excessive urination or defecation
• destructive behaviour
• dilated pupils
• ears pinned back
• excessive barking/whining
• excessive grooming
• excessive panting
• excessive shedding
• freezing
• lip licking
• mounting
• moving away
• pacing
• paw raised
• skin and coat problems
• tail between legs
• tension in body and face
• trembling/shivering
• turning away
• yawning when not tired…

Avoid Trigger-Stacking.

Is your dog stressed when you take him to the vet?  Is you dog stressed when you clip his nails?  Does your dog dislike wearing a muzzle?  Is your dog stressed by the presence of children?

 

Work to resolve the problematic response associated with all of these fear or anxiety provoking triggers separately, and always avoid situations where trigger-stacking  may take place – Your dog is muzzled for a visit to the veterinary office. On entering the clinic there is a a young child chasing around in the waiting room.  After a lengthy wait you go into the vet’s office where your dog will be given a nail trim…  One trigger on top of another and your petrified dog feels he has no option other than to growl, snap, bite…

Whenever Possible, Give the Pet a Choice

Allow the pet to have some control over the situation; foster collaborative care; use consent tests; give your pet a voice.  “Understanding the many uses for and learning how to teach essential collaborative care behaviours will help pets happily cooperate in their own care. Collaborative care skills lead to a reduction in stress and anxiety for you, your clients and their pets. These important skills help everyone to remain calm in what could otherwise be fear-provoking situations” – DogNostics Career Center

A recent study published in the journal Scientific Reports, examining the factors which reduce the effects of stress, concluded that the ability to control the source of stress diminishes its effects and could reduce the risk of later developing mental disorders. (Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, 2019).  “Despite the fact that being exposed to situations of stress has short and long-term negative effects on behaviour and physiology, there are several factors which could mitigate its impact. We have observed that one of these factors is the possibility of having control over the source of stress,” affirmed Roser Nadal.

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National Stress Awareness Week is run by the International Stress Management Association (ISMA) with the aim of raising awareness, publicity and profile of stress and its impact; reducing the stigma often associated with stress, and  promoting the importance of well-being and stress reduction for individuals and organisations.

Sources

Yaribeygi, H., Panahi, Y., Sahraei, H., Johnston, T. P., & Sahebkar, A. (2017). The impact of stress on body function: A review. EXCLI journal, 16, 1057–1072. doi:10.17179/excli2017-480

Li S, Wang C, Wang W, Dong H, Hou P, Tang Y. Chronic mild stress impairs cognition in mice: from brain homeostasis to behavior. Life Sci. 2008;82:934–942. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona. (2019, February 28). Ability to control stress reduces negative impact. ScienceDaily. Retrieved November 1, 2019

Stapleton-Frappell, L.A. & Tudge, N. Fostering Collaborative Care Instructor Program.  DogNostics Career Center

This blog was authored by L.A. Stapleton-Frappell and first published by DogNostics Career Center on 02 November, 2019 with the title:  Stress Busting Tips for Humans and Pets!

Needed by All: Some +R Stress Reduction!

Long-term stress is not good for humans and it is not good for dogs!

Chronic stress can have wide ranging effects on emotions, mood and behaviour as well as effecting various systems, organs and tissues all over the body. Chronic stress is going to impact on an individual’s overall physical and mental wellbeing.  The stress response involves both physiological and psychological changes such as mood swings, irritability and difficulty concentrating. Chronic stress results in “wear and tear on the body and mind.” – Andrew Scott, 2012.

Listed below are fifteen common signs and symptoms of stress in humans, taken from a list of 50 Common Signs and Symptoms of Stress by The American Institute of Stress.  You can access the full list here.  Many of these symptoms are equally applicable to other species including our pet dogs:

1. Neck ache, back pain, muscle spasms
2. Unexplained or frequent “allergy” attacks
3. Heartburn, stomach pain, nausea
4. Sudden attacks of life threatening panic
5. Chest pain, palpitations, rapid pulse
6. Excess anxiety, worry, guilt, nervousness
7. Increased anger, frustration, hostility
8. Depression, frequent or wild mood swings
9. Increased or decreased appetite
10. Insomnia, nightmares, disturbing dream
11. Trouble learning new information
12. Increased frustration, irritability, edgines
13. Obsessive or compulsive behaviour
14. Social withdrawal and isolation
15. Constant tiredness, weakness, fatigue

Training using positive reinforcement can result in a reduction in stress for both owner/guardian and pet.

“Herron, Shofer and Reisner (2009) state that “reward-based training is less stressful or painful for the dog, and, hence, safer for the owner.” Rooney and Cowan (2011) suggest high levels of punishment may have “adverse effects upon a dog’s behaviour whilst reward based training may improve a dog’s subsequent ability to learn.” Deldalle and Gaunet (2014) found that “using a negative reinforcement–based method demonstrated lowered body postures and signals of stress, whereas dogs from the school using a positive reinforcement– based method showed increased attentiveness toward their owner.”” – Pet Training and Behavior Consulting: A Model for Raising the Bar to Protect Professionals, Pets and Their People, Tudge, Nilson, Millikan, Stapleton-Frappell (2019)

Using Positive Reinforcement and not training with force, fear, pain or intimidation, doesn’t just mean you increase the probability of seeing more of the behaviours you would like to see, and less of those that you might consider to be problematical; it also means that you and your pet are undoubtedly going to have lots of fun together, thus strengthening the bond you share, improving your relationship and helping to lower your stress levels.   Even those ‘problematical’ behaviours won’t seem quite so bad when you and your pet have a long, strong history of +R fun and learning in your bank account!

A tip to reduce your stress levels:

Instead of nagging at your pet for everything you believe they are doing wrong, try reinforcing them for all the things they are doing right!  You will be amazed at the difference it makes to your pet’s behaviour, your behaviour and both your stress levels.  And yes, it works for humans too – Just replace the word pet with the word of your choice (partner, child, friend…)!

Let’s always communicate in a happy upbeat manner, encouraging them to behave in the way we would like them to. Let’s ask them to do something specific instead of just saying “NO” – Niki Tudge and Louise Stapleton-Frappell. No, Isn’t a Behavior, one of The Top Ten Most Important Dog Training Knowledge Concepts For Pet Owners to Understand.

Watch this short video by Andrew Scott to learn a little more about the key stress-related concepts, including the HPA axis, fight-flight response & the role of cortisol in the stress response:  Stress and the HPA axis – VCE Pyschology.

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If you think your dog has a behaviour problem or may be experiencing chronic stress, please contact a qualified Dog Behaviour Consultant who has the knowledge and skills to evaluate, manage and modify a range of challenging canine behaviours elicited by the pet’s emotional state.  “Behavior Consultants are often professional dog trainers who can competently teach pet manners classes, obedience classes, day training, private training sessions, and board and train programs that focus on pet dog skills and manners. For the purposes of this book, a Behavior Consultant is defined as a behavior and training professional skilled in the application of science and artistic endeavor who delivers results through empathy and mutual respect for both client and pet. The Behavior Consultant is aware of their limitations in terms of ability to prescribe psychotropic or any other kind of medication and diagnose illness, as well as their ethical responsibility in such cases, and can refer to a Veterinarian or Board Certified Veterinary Behaviorist with greater academic and expansive knowledge.”  – Pet Training and Behavior Consulting: A Model for Raising the Bar to Protect Professionals, Pets and Their People, Tudge, Nilson, Millikan, Stapleton-Frappell (2019)