Man's stressed friend! More than 84% of dogs now suffer from ANXIETY

"Researchers from Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences examined the behavioural responses in more than 43,000 dogs. Their results show that more than 84 per cent of pups show at least mild signs of fear or anxiety in everyday situations. Signs your dog is anxious include whimpering, whining, freezing, trembling, or attempting to escape or hide. You may also notice your pet crouching or cringing with their tail tucked between the legs, according to the researchers."

"To get to the bottom of it, the researchers analysed data from 43,517 dogs, enrolled by their owners in the Dog Aging Project. The owners were asked nine questions to assess the levels of anxiety and fearfulness in their pets. Overall, the results revealed that 91 per cent of the dogs show at least mild signs of fear or anxiety. However, when the researchers excluded nail trimming and bathing - which are both learned fears - the proportion dropped to 84 per cent."

"'Fear and anxiety are related emotions that can be associated with a variety of situations considered threatening by a dog,' the researchers explained in their study, published in Veterinary Research Communications. 'Physiologically, most anxiety is short-term, lasting minutes or hours, but an animal's health can be negatively affected when anxiety becomes stressful and is experienced over long periods of time.'"

Researchers assessed behavioral responses in 43,517 dogs using nine owner questions about fear and anxiety. Overall, 91% of dogs showed at least mild signs of fear or anxiety. When nail trimming and bathing were excluded as learned fears, the proportion dropped to 84%. Common anxiety signs included whimpering, whining, freezing, trembling, attempting to escape or hide, and crouching or cringing with the tail tucked between the legs. Fear and anxiety were described as related emotions linked to situations a dog considers threatening. Short-term anxiety typically lasts minutes or hours, but health can be negatively affected when anxiety becomes stressful and persists over long periods.

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