We love our pets. When we bring a pet into our family, he becomes part of our family. We provide trips to the veterinarian for preventative care. We feed them, give them water, and we consider his needs and adapt our lives to include them.
Our pets are the most loyal member of our family in some cases. He can’t wait for us to come home. He watches for us and welcomes us every single time. When we feel ill, he will often stay close to us until we feel better. He will guard us and protect us with his very life. Our pets love us and we truly love them.
Communication
We manage to communicate with our dog very well. Dogs are smart. They learn basic commands easily. But, their ability to communicate with us, is limited. It is up to us to know our pet well enough to know when something is wrong. We have to be able to read his behavior, notice physical signs that he is under stress or experiencing pain.
What would cause your pet to get stressed out?
Many pet owners are surprised to find out that their beloved dog can get stressed out. From our point of view, they have a great life. They have a home, food, and a family that loves them. But, according to pet experts, there are many things that can cause stress in a dog. Below we have listed a few reasons that a healthy dog can begin to stress. Just like people, sometimes it is hard to know why you feel stress, But, that doesn’t make it any less of an issue.
- Changes in the home
- Any kind of change in the home can cause your dog to become stressed. The change may be one that will make your dog’s life easier, but until he has adjusted to the change, he will be stressed. One example is moving. Perhaps you moved from an apartment, where your dog had to be taken outdoors on a leash, to a home with a fenced in backyard where he can just be let out on his own. This is a good change. But it is unfamiliar to the animal. He is also outside without a family member for the first time.
- New members of the family
- Perhaps you have a baby. This will change everything in the household for all of you for a while. He may not understand why he is scolded for barking at times or why his access to certain areas has been restricted. He will also sense your stress.
- Bringing another pet into the home is equally stressful to your dog. He is not used to sharing his space or his family with anyone
Signs that stress is affecting your dog’s health
- Loss of appetite (loss of weight)
- Diarrhea or constipation
- Excessive chewing on non-food items
- Licking themselves to the point of causing problems with their skin
- The dog may show signs of colds or infections due to a compromised immune system.
- He suddenly starts misbehaving and not obeying you
- He begins to urinate indoors and sometimes on objects. You may notice your dog urinate on the baby’s toy or play mat or on toys that belong to the new pet
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