My dog used to destroy blinds. Not chew on them - destroy them. Full-on ripping them off the window, bending the metal rods, tearing the fabric. It happened every time I left the house. I tried everything from bitter spray to crate training before someone finally said the word I hadn’t considered: anxiety.
Dog anxiety is far more common than most people realize, and it looks different than you might expect. An anxious dog isn’t always shaking in a corner. Sometimes it’s the dog that barks nonstop when you leave. Sometimes it’s the one that destroys furniture. Sometimes it’s the one that licks their paws until they’re raw, or pants heavily for no apparent reason, or becomes aggressive with other dogs seemingly out of nowhere.
The frustrating part is that there’s no single fix. What works depends on the type of anxiety, the severity, and your individual dog. But there are evidence-based approaches - both products and training techniques - that genuinely help. This guide covers all of them.
Important disclaimer: Anxiety in dogs can range from mild and manageable to severe and debilitating. Severe anxiety may require veterinary intervention, including medication. If your dog’s anxiety is causing self-harm, aggression, or significant quality-of-life issues, please consult your veterinarian or a veterinary behaviorist. This guide is informational and is not a substitute for professional veterinary or behavioral care.
Types of Dog Anxiety
Not all anxiety is the same, and identifying the type your dog is experiencing determines the approach.
Separation Anxiety
The most discussed and often the most destructive form of dog anxiety. Separation anxiety is triggered when the dog is separated from their primary attachment figure - usually the owner. It’s not about being “spoiled” or “velcro dog” behavior. It’s a genuine panic response.
Key signs:
- Destructive behavior that happens only when you’re gone (chewing, digging, scratching at doors and windows)
- Excessive barking, howling, or whining that starts when you leave and continues until you return
- House accidents in a dog that’s otherwise perfectly housetrained
- Escape attempts - some dogs with severe separation anxiety will injure themselves trying to escape crates, rooms, or houses
- Drooling, panting, and pacing that begin as you prepare to leave (they learn the cues - picking up keys, putting on shoes)
Separation anxiety ranges from mild (whining for 10 minutes after you leave, then settling) to severe (eight hours of continuous destruction and distress). The severity determines the treatment approach.
For a detailed, training-focused guide on addressing separation anxiety specifically, see our dog separation anxiety training guide.
Noise Phobia
Thunderstorms, fireworks, gunshots, construction sounds, and even appliances can trigger intense fear responses in some dogs. Noise phobia is one of the most common anxiety triggers and tends to worsen with age.
Key signs:
- Trembling, hiding, panting during storms or fireworks
- Trying to escape (bolting through doors, jumping fences - this is a major safety concern)
- Seeking proximity to owners or hiding in small spaces
- Destructive behavior during noise events
- Refusing to go outside after a noise event
Noise phobia is notable because the fear response can generalize. A dog that starts out afraid of thunder may eventually become afraid of rain, then of dark clouds, then of any change in barometric pressure. Early intervention prevents this escalation.
Generalized Anxiety
Some dogs are just… anxious about everything. New environments, unfamiliar people, car rides, the vacuum cleaner, other dogs, novel objects. Generalized anxiety is a persistent state of unease that isn’t triggered by one specific thing.
Key signs:
- Hypervigilance (constantly scanning the environment, ears forward, body tense)
- Startling easily at ordinary sounds or movements
- Reluctance to explore new places
- Chronic stress behaviors: excessive yawning, lip licking, paw licking, whale eye (showing the whites of the eyes)
- Digestive issues (stress affects the gut - chronic diarrhea or decreased appetite)
Generalized anxiety is often rooted in genetics, lack of early socialization, or traumatic experiences. It’s the hardest type to “fix” because there’s no single trigger to address - but it’s absolutely manageable with the right combination of approaches.
Age-Related Anxiety
Senior dogs can develop anxiety as cognitive function declines. A dog that was confident their whole life may suddenly become anxious at night, confused in familiar spaces, or clingy in ways they never were before. This often overlaps with canine cognitive dysfunction.
For more on cognitive changes in aging dogs, see our senior dog care guide.
Recognizing the Signs: The Anxiety Checklist
Dogs can’t tell you they’re anxious, but their bodies communicate clearly if you know what to look for. Here’s a comprehensive list of anxiety signals, from subtle to obvious.
Subtle Signs (Easy to Miss)
- Yawning (when not tired)
- Lip licking (when there’s no food involved)
- Looking away or turning the head
- Showing the whites of the eyes (“whale eye”)
- Ears pinned back or flattened
- Tucked tail
- Low body posture (trying to make themselves smaller)
- Slow, deliberate movements
- Refusal to eat treats (a normally food-motivated dog that won’t take a treat is stressed)
Moderate Signs
- Panting (when not hot or exercised)
- Pacing or restlessness
- Excessive drooling
- Whining or whimpering
- Shedding more than usual (stress shedding is real - you’ll notice it at the vet)
- Seeking hiding spots or trying to get behind you
- Trembling or shaking
- Hyperattachment (following you from room to room more than usual)
Severe Signs
- Destructive behavior (targeted at exits - doors, windows, crates)
- Continuous barking or howling
- Self-harm (licking paws until raw, chewing on own body, breaking teeth on crate bars)
- Aggression (fear-based aggression - snapping, growling, or biting when cornered or overwhelmed)
- Complete shutdown (freezing, refusing to move, becoming unresponsive)
- Loss of bladder or bowel control
- Escape attempts that risk injury
If your dog is showing severe signs, this is beyond the scope of calming treats and ThunderShirts. Talk to your vet about a comprehensive treatment plan that may include medication.
What Causes Dog Anxiety?
Understanding the root cause helps you address it effectively instead of just treating symptoms.
Lack of Early Socialization
The critical socialization window for puppies is roughly 3-14 weeks of age. Dogs that don’t have positive, varied experiences during this period are much more likely to develop anxiety around unfamiliar people, animals, environments, and situations later in life.
Traumatic Experiences
A single frightening event can create lasting anxiety - a dog attack, a car accident, a loud explosion, abusive treatment, or even a bad experience at the groomer or vet.
Genetics
Some dogs are genetically predisposed to anxiety. Certain breeds are more anxiety-prone than others (Border Collies, German Shepherds, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Labrador Retrievers, and many herding and working breeds). This doesn’t mean every dog in these breeds will be anxious - it means they may have a lower threshold.
Changes in Routine or Environment
Moving to a new home, a new baby, a new pet, a change in work schedule, a family member leaving - any disruption to the established routine can trigger anxiety, especially in dogs that are already predisposed.
Medical Conditions
Pain, thyroid imbalance, neurological conditions, and cognitive decline can all manifest as anxiety-like behavior. If anxiety appears suddenly in a dog with no history of it, a medical workup is the first step.
Products That Actually Help (and Ones That Don’t)
The pet anxiety product market is massive, and most products make claims that outpace their evidence. Here’s what has real support and what’s mostly marketing.
Pressure Wraps (ThunderShirt)
How it works: Constant, gentle pressure around the torso - similar to swaddling an infant. The pressure activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which has a calming effect.
Evidence: Moderate. Studies show reduced anxiety indicators in some dogs, particularly for noise phobia and mild generalized anxiety. Not a cure, but a helpful tool.
Best for: Thunderstorms, fireworks, car rides, mild situational anxiety.
My experience: It works noticeably for some dogs and does nothing for others. At $30-$45, it’s worth trying. The dogs it works for tend to respond the first time.
Calming Supplements and Chews
The supplement market for dog anxiety is huge. Here’s what has evidence:
L-theanine: An amino acid found in green tea. Has moderate evidence for promoting relaxation without sedation. Found in products like Composure and Solliquin.
Melatonin: Can help with noise phobia and nighttime restlessness. Moderate evidence. Make sure the product doesn’t contain xylitol, which is toxic to dogs.
Casein (Zylkene): A milk protein derivative with some evidence for reducing anxiety-related behaviors. Generally well-tolerated.
CBD: The evidence in dogs is still emerging. Some owners report significant benefits, but quality and dosing vary wildly between products, and the market is poorly regulated. If you try CBD, use a product specifically formulated for dogs, from a company that provides third-party testing. Discuss with your vet first.
What probably doesn’t work: Lavender-scented collars, “calming pheromone” collars (DAP/Adaptil has mixed evidence - some studies support it, others don’t), and most cheap “calming treats” with undisclosed proprietary blends at homeopathic doses.
Puzzle Toys and Enrichment
Not a direct anxiety treatment, but enrichment is a critical piece of the puzzle. Bored dogs are anxious dogs. A mentally stimulated dog is a calmer dog.
What to try:
- Interactive puzzle toys that dispense treats
- Snuffle mats for meal times
- Frozen Kongs (stuff with peanut butter and kibble, freeze overnight)
- Sniff walks where you let your dog lead with their nose
- Short, positive training sessions (mental work tires dogs more than physical exercise)
Enrichment is especially important for dogs left alone during the day. A frozen Kong given as you walk out the door can create a positive association with your departure and occupy the first 20-30 minutes - often the peak anxiety window for separation anxiety dogs.
White Noise and Music
Studies have shown that certain types of music can reduce stress indicators in dogs. Classical music consistently performs best. Audiobooks and soft reggae also showed benefit in some studies. Heavy metal and pop music had neutral or negative effects.
For noise-phobic dogs, white noise or a fan can mask outside sounds that trigger anxiety. This is a simple, free intervention that’s worth trying.
Crate Training (Done Right)
A crate can be a safe space for an anxious dog - or it can be a prison that makes anxiety worse. The difference is entirely in how it’s introduced.
A properly crate-trained dog sees the crate as their den - a quiet, safe retreat where good things happen. A dog that’s been forced into a crate or locked in one as punishment will associate it with confinement and distress.
If your dog isn’t already crate trained, introducing a crate as an anxiety management tool takes time and patience. It’s not the right solution for every dog, and dogs with severe confinement anxiety can injure themselves trying to escape.
What Doesn’t Work
- Punishment: Punishing anxious behavior makes anxiety worse. Always. Your dog isn’t being “bad” - they’re panicking. Punishment adds fear on top of an already fearful state.
- Flooding: Forcing your dog to face their fear (holding them during fireworks, locking them in a room alone to “get used to it”) is the fastest way to deepen anxiety. Exposure needs to be gradual and paired with positive associations.
- Ignoring it: Anxiety doesn’t resolve on its own. Left unaddressed, it typically escalates.
Training Approaches That Work
Training is the most sustainable long-term solution for anxiety. It doesn’t work overnight, but it creates lasting change.
Desensitization
Gradually exposing your dog to the anxiety trigger at a low enough intensity that it doesn’t provoke a full fear response, then slowly increasing the intensity over time.
Example for noise phobia: Play recorded thunder sounds at a barely audible volume while your dog is eating or playing. Over days or weeks, gradually increase the volume. The dog learns that the sound predicts good things and isn’t dangerous.
Example for separation anxiety: Leave the room for two seconds. Come back. Leave for five seconds. Come back. Leave for ten seconds. Slowly build duration over weeks and months. This is painstaking work, but it’s the gold standard for treating separation anxiety.
Counterconditioning
Changing the dog’s emotional response to a trigger by pairing it with something they love.
Example: Your dog is afraid of the vet’s office. Start by driving to the parking lot, giving treats, and leaving without going inside. Next time, walk to the door and give treats. Then step inside the lobby and give treats. The vet’s office gradually becomes associated with good things rather than scary things.
Relationship-Based Training
Building your dog’s overall confidence through positive reinforcement training. Teaching new skills, practicing in various environments, and rewarding calm behavior all contribute to a more resilient dog.
This isn’t specific to anxiety treatment - it’s foundational. A confident dog with a strong bond to their owner handles stress better than a dog that’s been given no tools and no guidance.
When Medication Is the Right Call
There’s still stigma around medicating dogs for anxiety. I want to push back on that directly.
Medication is not “giving up” or “drugging your dog into submission.” For dogs with moderate to severe anxiety, medication is often what makes training possible. A dog in full panic mode can’t learn. Medication reduces the panic enough for the dog to engage with training, process their environment, and start building new associations.
Types of Anxiety Medication for Dogs
Daily medications (SSRIs/TCAs): Fluoxetine (Prozac) and clomipramine (Clomicalm) are the two most commonly prescribed daily anxiety medications for dogs. They take 4-6 weeks to reach full effect and are used for chronic anxiety conditions.
Situational medications: Trazodone, gabapentin, and alprazolam are used for predictable anxiety events (vet visits, thunderstorms, fireworks, travel). They’re given an hour or two before the anticipated trigger.
Sileo (dexmedetomidine): An FDA-approved gel applied to the gums specifically for noise aversion. It works within 30-60 minutes and provides calming without heavy sedation.
Working with Your Vet
If your dog’s anxiety is moderate or severe, schedule a dedicated appointment to discuss it - don’t try to squeeze it into a routine wellness visit. Your vet may handle it themselves or refer you to a veterinary behaviorist (a vet who has done additional specialty training in behavior medicine).
A good anxiety treatment plan combines medication with behavior modification. Medication alone doesn’t teach your dog new coping skills - it creates the mental space for training to work.
If medication and behavior modification are going to be part of your dog’s treatment plan, the associated costs are worth considering. Our guide to dog health insurance can help you determine whether insurance coverage makes sense for your situation.
Building an Anxiety Management Plan
Here’s a framework for approaching your dog’s anxiety systematically:
Identify the type and triggers. Is it separation? Noise? Generalized? Observe and document when anxiety behaviors occur, what precedes them, and how severe they are.
Rule out medical causes. A vet visit to check for pain, thyroid imbalance, or other medical contributors is always the first step.
Start with management. While you work on long-term solutions, manage the environment to reduce trigger exposure. Close blinds before storms. Leave the house for shorter periods. Provide a safe space.
Add enrichment. Increase mental stimulation across the board. Puzzle toys, training sessions, sniff walks, and social interaction all build a more resilient dog.
Try appropriate products. A ThunderShirt for noise phobia, calming supplements for mild anxiety, white noise for sound sensitivity. These won’t solve the problem alone, but they can reduce the baseline anxiety level.
Implement training. Desensitization and counterconditioning for specific triggers. Confidence-building exercises for generalized anxiety. Be patient - this takes weeks to months.
Consider medication. If steps 1-6 aren’t enough, talk to your vet. There’s no shame in this, and the relief it provides to your dog is real and meaningful.
Be consistent. Anxiety management is ongoing. It’s not a one-time fix. Maintain the routines, the enrichment, and the training long-term.
For more on all aspects of your dog’s health - physical and mental - visit our Dog Health and Wellness hub.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can dog anxiety go away on its own?
Mild anxiety may improve with time, especially if the trigger is removed (for example, a dog that was anxious in a previous home may settle into a stable new home). But in most cases, anxiety does not resolve on its own and tends to worsen without intervention. Dogs don’t “grow out of” anxiety the way some children outgrow fears. Early intervention - even for mild anxiety - produces better outcomes than waiting.
What breeds are most prone to anxiety?
While any dog can develop anxiety, certain breeds are statistically more prone. These include Border Collies, German Shepherds, Australian Shepherds, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Labrador Retrievers, Cocker Spaniels, Bichon Frise, and many toy breeds. Herding and working breeds, which were bred to be highly alert and responsive to environmental cues, tend to have higher anxiety rates. However, individual variation is significant - breed is a risk factor, not a destiny.
Is my dog’s destructive behavior caused by anxiety or boredom?
The biggest clue is when it happens. If the destruction occurs only when you’re away and targets exit points (doors, windows, crates), it’s likely separation anxiety. If the destruction happens whether you’re home or not and targets random objects (shoes, cushions, trash), it’s more likely boredom or insufficient exercise. A bored dog shreds for entertainment. An anxious dog destroys because they’re panicking. The solutions are very different - enrichment and exercise for boredom, desensitization and potentially medication for anxiety.
How long does it take for anxiety medication to work in dogs?
Daily medications like fluoxetine and clomipramine take 4-6 weeks to reach full therapeutic effect. You may see subtle improvements earlier, but the full benefit takes time. Situational medications like trazodone and gabapentin work within 1-2 hours and are given before a specific triggering event. Don’t judge a daily medication’s effectiveness until it’s been given consistently for at least 6-8 weeks. If one medication doesn’t work, others are available - finding the right medication and dose may take some adjustment.
Should I comfort my anxious dog or ignore them?
Comfort them. The outdated advice that comforting an anxious dog “reinforces” the anxiety has been debunked by veterinary behaviorists. You cannot reinforce an emotion. Fear is not a behavior that’s strengthened by attention - it’s an emotional state. Being calm, present, and reassuring helps your dog feel safer. What you should avoid is matching their energy - don’t be frantic or overly dramatic. Calm, steady comfort is what they need.