How to Help Your Dog Heal From Emotional Trauma

Dogs can do a lot to reduce our stress and anxiety. Sometimes they’re service animals — other times, they're emotional support animals. But usually they’re just our best friends. We know that having a dog will ease anxiety, but what happens when a dog shows signs of anxiety or depression themselves?

Dogs are susceptible to trauma-related behavioral changes just like us, and recent research has even established that dogs can develop PTSD. If your dog becomes traumatized, it’s important to know what that may look like, how to help, and how to avoid worsening their trauma in the future. 

TL;DR: When you rescue a dog, they may come with past trauma. Signs of this include hiding, trembling, resource guarding, separation anxiety, and reactivity. You may experience issues with house training, destructive tendencies, hypervigilance, avoidance of touch, and unpredictable or outsized reactions. 

Can dogs get PTSD?

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychological condition that occurs after a significant, negative event. People exposed to violence, natural disasters, and other painful events can develop PTSD. Instead of showing signs of stress and anxiety immediately after the event — then processing it over the following days, weeks, and months — they are still negatively affected by the event six months to years later. Exposure to similar experiences or triggers can cause significant distress and an inability to separate their current reality from the initial traumatizing event.

We have known for a long time that many behavioral difficulties in dogs develop as a result of past traumas. Over time, research has shown that dogs can exhibit all the specific signs of PTSD as well. 

Some of the most common causes of canine PTSD-like symptoms include veterinary visits, negative reinforcement training (marked by punishment or force), animal attacks, fireworks, storms, and natural disasters. We often don’t know if a rescue dog has been abused, made to fight, or attacked — or if they’ve had a comforting environment during scary weather or loud-noise seasons, such as the Fourth of July weekend.

Symptoms seen in traumatized dogs

A dog who has experienced trauma may exhibit the following symptoms:

• Excessive barking

• Excessive yawning

• Excessive licking

• Excessive startling

• Extreme reactions to noise

• Avoidance of touch

• Hiding

• Pacing

• Whimpering or crying

• Fear of people or animals

• Resource guarding

• Restlessness

• Difficulties settling, especially at night or before sleep

• Destructive behaviors

• Fear of new objects

• Separation anxiety

• Hypervigilance

• Reactivity

• Unpredictable reactions that may include sudden biting

• GI sensitivities and a tendency towards diarrhea

• Trouble sleeping, possibly signs of nightmares

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What causes trauma in dogs?

Events that frighten a dog, cause them pain, or force them to be helpless can traumatize a dog. Trauma in dogs is more common than most people realize — and often, it comes from places you wouldn’t expect. 

Vet visits and groomers

One of the most common sources of trauma for dogs isn’t neglect or abuse from a past home, but unfortunately, negative interactions with animal professionals who handle them. Potentially traumatic experiences include veterinary visits, which are overwhelming in both smells and sounds, can cause pain, and may include the pet being held immobile against their will.

Other causes of trauma with animal professionals include grooming appointments (isolated from pet parent, loud noises, may be held immobile, may experience pain), and negative reinforcement training methods. Attempts to dominate a dog, cause them pain, or force their compliance can cause trauma.

Because these experiences can leave lasting marks, there’s a growing movement of fear-free and force-free professionals who are working to change the way dogs are handled, making care less frightening, less forceful, and far less likely to traumatize them.

Animal attacks

Animal attacks, usually dog fights, are traumatic altercations that cause stress triggered when a pup sees or approaches another dog. This can also result in fear of people and areas similar to where the attack occurred. After an attack, you may have a dog who is scared to go outside, wear a collar or leash, go on walks, go to the park, and so on — all of which can point to PTSD symptoms. 

Loud noises

Dogs can also be traumatized by loud, scary noises that they can’t escape. Thunder and fireworks are the most common culprits, but things such as construction, gunfire, or even a neighbor’s leaf blower can cause panic. The fear from these unexpected sounds can build into something much bigger, with some dogs shaking, pacing, drooling, or hiding, while others may try to break out of the house or yard to get away.

Abandonment

Dogs with a fear of abandonment may have separation anxiety, which can appear as pacing, licking, destructive behaviors, hiding, and a lack of trust towards new people and environments. These pups need time to establish trust and safety, and may take a while to show their real personalities when coming into a new home. But they are also usually worth the wait.

Undersocialization

Although specific traumatic events can cause lasting symptoms in dogs, a simple lack of exposure to various aspects of life from a young age can lead to a dog being anxious, fearful, and easily traumatized.

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How to help a traumatized rescue dog

Helping a traumatized dog feel safe is important for their overall health. Here are some important pet-parent considerations while their pup is on the road to recovery.

Do

• Use positive reinforcement training: Reward behaviors you want from your dog with treats, praise, toys, and play time.

• Keep them active with walks, play, and exploration: Provide sources of non-stressful physical exercise and mental stimulation, such as puzzle toys, too.

• Give your dog a cozy space: Create a comfortable, safe space for your dog, in an area chosen by them. Usually, this will be a kennel, closet, under a desk, or a similar burrow-type area. 

• Manage and treat your own stress: Dogs pick up on our emotions, so if you’re anxious or stressed, they’ll feel it, too. This can make their anxiety worse.

• Reach out to a professional if needed: A veterinary behaviorist, certified dog trainer, or certified fear-free pro can help you come up with a plan to support your dog.

Don’t

• Never punish your dog: Punishing negative behaviors, especially with shouting, handling, or harm, can worsen their PTSD instead of improving it.

• Respect their limits: Avoid repeated exposure to your dog’s stressors. Let them approach scary situations at their own pace, so that their trust and confidence can grow.

When to seek professional help

A traumatized dog may need medical or professional training to overcome their trauma responses. If providing a safe, consistent environment at home — with positive support of the behaviors you want to see — isn’t helping your dog adjust, it’s worth speaking to a professional. 

Specific training techniques, such as counterconditioning and desensitization training, can be attempted alone. But unfortunately, they come with the risk of worsening a dog’s trauma. Seeking a behavior-certified trainer is the best way to make sure your dog receives the support they need. 

For a dog who suffers from anxiety throughout the day (and not just when they encounter specific triggers), medication can significantly improve their quality of life. Veterinary behaviorists are also trained to interact with your dog in a non-traumatizing manner and make medical recommendations spanning not just generalized anxiety, but also to overcome triggers.

What if none of this works?

If you’ve done all you can, it’s important to remember that pets are individuals, and your home might not be the right fit. If you’ve considered finding a new home for your pet, check out Rehome. It’s a safe, simple program that helps pet parents adopt out their pets to reliable pet parents. This enables dogs to find new, loving homes without entering a shelter.

Commonly asked questions

Why is my rescue dog scared of everything?

A rescue dog may be scared of everything due to past traumas, lack of socialization at a young age, or anxiety inherited from their parent. 

How long does it take an abused dog to adjust?

The adjustment period is specific to the dog. Although a dog who hasn’t undergone trauma may adjust to something in days, it can take an abused dog three to six months (or more) to adjust to a new environment, new people, and so on. 

References

Alupo, Caroline. Canine PTSD: an Inquiry Study on Psychological Trauma in Dogs. SLU/Dept. of Animal Environment and Health, 2017, www.academia.edu/121679230/Canine_PTSD_an_inquiry_study_on_psychological_trauma_in_dogs.