Part one: Dogs

Animals in general very much reflect our energy. Their auras and energy channels are open to receive outside energy and feel it. Their response is based on their instincts in general, but their environment can have a huge impact on them, in the same way that we are shaped in many ways by our environments.

In the last two decades I have seen an increasing number of owners who report, complain, or struggle with the increased stress and anxiety of their dogs.

The most common things that we see in the beginning of increased stress levels are: increased panting, pacing, pupil dilation, increased redness of the conjunctiva of the eyes, and increased warmth in the area of ears and head.

Externally or emotionally, we see decreased concentration on commands, not being able to settle, increased self-grooming, hiding in different places, changes in habits and appetite, excess barking, excessive self-grooming, and digging in many different places in the house or yard.

What follows when stress in our pets does not get addressed? Similar to stress in humans, cortisol becomes unnaturally elevated and stays elevated, which propels pets into more stressed and anxious conditions, thus creating a domino effect of negative effects.

In general, stress creates a buildup of internal heat in the body and its expanding force, manifesting outwardly affecting the skin in different areas. The most common manifestations are the recurrence of ear infections, skin disorders such as dermatitis, dryness, hair loss, licking paws, ending up with itching all over the body.

Internally, heat attacks mainly the bladder, stomach, spleen, and other parts of the GI system. The heat in the bladder creates bladder issues and inflammation, often diagnosed as UTIs.

Heat in the stomach, spleen, and other parts of the GI system creates inflammatory changes manifesting in different types of maldigestion. These symptoms often do not respond to medicine, recur, and are difficult to diagnose.

The increased level of cortisol caused by stress leads to a decreased performance of the immune system, resulting in many unsolved and hidden immune and autoimmune disorders, recurrence of infections, and inflammations in different areas of the body.

Studies have confirmed that dogs' personalities do indeed affect their stress levels, but not as much as the stress levels engendered by the personality and stress levels of their owners or environment. These conclusions were based on measuring the elevation of the stress hormone, called cortisol, in dogs in correspondence with the increased stress level of the owner.

New studies are exploring whether different breeds show differences in stress elevation in the same situations. Also, how different breeds, being used for things other than leisure and companionship, react to the stress level based on their strong bonds with the masters. This applies to obedience-working class dogs, service dogs, hunters, and herd dogs.

Even if the environment and owner personality & stress play one of the main roles in the stress level of dogs, one should also pay attention to the fact that dogs have been living in a domesticated zone for a long time.

Believing that dogs are used to our lifestyles and many times are treated as human beings does not always create their internal “happiness”. Dogs are still animals, following their genetic and natural rules, which are to be free and to reproduce themselves.

Therefore, in some cases, neutering dogs prematurely creates an internal imbalance of their natural milieu, leaving them possibly feeling that something is missing, and this may create stress in the long run.

When dogs spend too much time in a closed apartment and/or in the yard, resulting in social isolation and do not get the proper exercise and time to be “free,” and essentially not being able to be dogs: to smell, to wander freely etc., this can also potentially create stress.

There is no one medicine for dog stress; it is a complex of solutions, so let us not forget to look at ourselves first and look at our surroundings as a first step to help our dogs and ourselves too. By looking into ways to handle our own stress we can better help our dogs.