Clean Run - June 2011 - 20

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triggers his stress. Casey has become so deeply tuned in to signs that agility is about to happen that he has also begun to notice things that didn’t matter to him before. He notices when the letter carrier is turning toward the house and when she leaves, when the neighborhood cats are having a fight, and when the raccoon in the tree in the yard is out hunting. Over time, these small events become magnified for Casey and he reacts with equal alarm to them all, barking and racing from window to window.

we see them when stress is acute and the result of danger. Consider Little Lucky, a Papillon belonging to Mike. Mike works Lucky from a power wheelchair, and Lucky regularly gets under foot and sometimes under wheel. Lucky and Mike came to agility for fun and to try to overcome some of Lucky’s fears.
© Karen hocKer photography

The Signs of Stress
The earliest signs of stress in dogs are subtle. They manifest in missed jumps and contacts, knocked bars, popped weave poles, and refusals. They are the meals that the dog picks at, and soft but formed stools. Some dogs drink more than they should or than is appropriate for their level of activity or the heat they are dissipating. Stressed dogs pant when they are not hot and sleep poorly, always on alert for the signal that tells them their stressor is at hand. Context is essential for identifying the more subtle signs of stress in any given dog. Is the dog panting because he is hot or because he is stressed? Did he knock the bar because you directed him wrong or because he was worrying about the ghost in the corner of the arena? Did he sleep poorly because he is anticipating going to the trial the next day or because of the ruckus that was created when the kids came home from a late date? We cannot ask the dog, so it is important to know what normal looks like, not just for dogs in general, but for your dog in particular. Quantifying your dog’s malaise in the early stages can be difficult, so it is important to recognize “normal” for your dog. It is a good idea to get in the habit of taking your dog’s resting heart rate and recording it, along with a log of your dog’s regular eating habits, exercise regime, and working heart rate. Knowing your dog is slightly off is helpful, but being able to measure it and compare it to a recorded norm gives you data you can use to effect change in your dog. The bigger signs of stress begin to manifest when the dog is beyond the point of just being a little off. These are the signs that we are more familiar with because

This dog is “tonguing,” sticking his tongue out and then back in like a snake flicking its tongue.

Lucky is afraid of things that move, heights, new places, and most other dogs. Although Lucky was likely genetically predisposed to be nervous, his fears are mostly acquired. As a small dog he is often at risk of being stepped on, and he was attacked by another dog at the vet’s office when he was a young puppy. Lucky spends a good part of his time in distress or the stress that comes as a result of being in danger. When Lucky is on Mike’s lap, his eyes are often half closed; he is so tired from all of his distress that he can hardly keep them open. Lucky rides on Mike’s lap often because running alongside Mike’s chair is potentially dangerous; he has been rolled over in the past and suffered a painful paw injury. He also has to negotiate through a forest of feet and legs belonging to people who may not see him but who may trip over him or step on him. When he is resting, people often pick him up (small cute dogs are very tempting). Life for a small dog is full of situations that are either dangerous or disruptive to their well-being. Distress is the kind of stress that we experience when we anticipate bad things happening. It is uncomfortable and does things to us that are not good for our bodies.

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Clean Run - June 2011

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