You may think that life as a dog is pretty relaxing, however, from time to time dogs can show signs of being stressed out. Stress can be a common issue in dogs, and it can manifest itself in a number of ways.
Much like how it can affect people, stress can cause some negative issues in the health of your dog, and it is important that you identify it quickly and seek help from your vet.
To help you to make sure that your dog is in the best health possible, we have put together the 5 signs that could show that your dog is feeling the strain.

Digestive issues including constipation and diarrhoea
There are, of course, a number of reasons why your dog may be showing digestive issues. One of the most common being a disease or food intolerance. That said, some gastrointestinal issues can also be the sign of stress or anxiety. This is particularly true if it is severe, has lasted longer than 24 hours or if it contains blood.

A decrease in their appetite
When you own a dog, you quickly realise that they love nothing better than eating. Therefore, if they are showing a decrease in their appetite levels, then chances are that something is wrong. Stress is one of the causing factors of weight loss and a decrease in appetite, and you may not even realise it, but dogs can also get anorexia too.

Preferring isolation
Dogs, just like us, enjoy a bit of space every now and then. But if you are finding that your dog is regularly seeking out isolation, or seems to want to stay away from other dogs or people rather than interact, then you may want to seek professional advice.

Sleeping more
As time goes on, we all become aware of the times when our dogs are more likely to sleep vs the times when they will be awake. Therefore, if you notice that your dog is sleeping more, or seems particularly lethargic then you may want to take them for a check-up. Not only is this a possible sign of stress, but it can also be a sign that something more sinister could be happening.

Aggression
Any aggressive behaviour, whether towards an animal or person is never a good sign. If your pet is showing any out of turn signs of aggression, then you need to make a rather swift appointment with the vet before the problem gets any worse. Aggression, whether or not it is related to stress can be helped with management techniques which will help at times that your dog feels anxious or angry. Any treatment should be focused on ensuring that the risk of injury to your dog, to any other dogs and to people are minimised.
You might not know why your dog is showing signs of stress or anxiety, but as an owner there are ways that you can try your best to treat them. Hopefully, in no time at all, you will see a change in your dog.