1、55AbstractWhat causes some animals to bark excessively,to roam theneighbourhood,to cause damage to property or even toattack approaching people? In some cases,anxiety!While most companion animals live stress-free lives,certainindividuals suffer from anxieties,fears or phobias. Thesemay range from mi
2、ld whining or crying behaviours to full-scale panic attacks and result in a variety of behaviouralproblems that owners and society have to deal with.Most fears and anxieties can be prevented by appropriatesocialisation of young animals. Curing existing problemsinvolves understanding animal behaviour
3、 and seekingprofessional help.A Dogs LifeOutwardly most pets appear to have an easy life,most beingpampered,well-fed canines or felines living in luxury withinour homes. Some individuals develop behavioural problems aggression,roaming the neighbourhood,barking,destructiveness and often it is conclud
4、ed that theseproblems are caused by boredom or over-assertivenesswhere the animal takes over the family and neighbourhood.In many cases,however,anxiety is the underlying root of the problems.Anxieties,fears and phobias are actually quite common inour companion animals and solving behavioural problem
5、soften requires an understanding of these stress-relatedconditions.Scary StuffStorms,fireworks,sudden noises or an unexpected touchare common triggers of fear in our pet canines. Other dogsmay be terrified of children or men,of cats or eveninanimate objects such as umbrellas! Cats and pet birdstoo m
6、ay fear the unexpected or unknown. If an animal hasnever encountered a toddler before,can you imagine howscary it could be to find one crawling alongside you,tryingto eat your dinner or pull your tail? Chances are next timeyou saw one you would feel a little anxiety. Even simpleprocedures around the
7、 home like bath time or using abroom can set some animals off on a trembling or droolingepisode. Getting into cars or visits to the vet can beterrifying for some animals.Wesensible,rational humans know that there is no dangerpresent but to the animal it is real. The animal actuallybelieves she will
8、be harmed and must try to escape or toattack the frightening stimulus; otherwise her life is in danger.When these fears become obsessive and persistent,theanimal has a phobia.Fight or FlightWhen your life is potentially in danger,the best survivalstrategy is to flee the scene. Most animals will aim
9、to keepawayfrom skateboards or vacuum cleaners if these aretheir particular fears. When this is not possible,then it maybe necessary to put up a fight. A dog bite or attack maywell be the result of a fearful dog; a cat scratch the resultof a petrified pussycat.This “Fight or Flight response“ occurs
10、as a result ofadrenaline surging through the body. Adrenaline preparesthe body for action,to run or to defend ourselves. The heartbeats faster,breathing speeds up and all other bodilyreactions,such as digestion,slow down or cease. This iswhy it is difficult to get dogs to accept food treats whenthey
11、 are stressed.A frightened or anxious animal may demonstrate other signsof stress. Trembling,dilated pupils,panting,drooling,sweating through pads,vocalisation such as barking orwhining,unusual toileting behaviours and a tense body areall common symptoms of stress. These symptoms do notalways signif
12、y anxiety so the whole situation must be takeninto account before a diagnosis can be made.Compare the two postures in the Figs 1 and 2 below.Approaching the frightened dog may well result in the dogfleeing or,if unable to escape,attacking.Fig 1: Frightened canine postureFig 2 : Relaxed canine postur
13、eIs Anxiety a Problem?Try asking yourself:square6Could that dog roaming the neighbourhood actually befleeing from the noise of the thunderstorm or anxiouslytrying to relocate her owner because she has been left alone;square6Could the cat thats toileting all over the neighboursgarden be anxious at di
14、sturbance in his environment;square6If I approach this dog and corner him,could he be fearfuland bite me;square6Is the dogs barking cause by separation anxiety when heis left alone?Dont worry,be happy: Managing anxiety,solving behaviour problems in our petsDr Joanne Righetti,Animal Behaviourist54Not
15、esUrban Animal Management Conference Proceedings 2004 - Text copyright AVA Ltd - Refer to Disclaimer5756J Righetti: Dont worry,be happy - Managing anxiety,solving behaviour problems in our petsThese are all common behavioural problems which may beanxiety-based.PreventionPrevention is better than cur
16、e when it comes to mostbehaviour problems and anxiety is no exception. For petowners,the best way to prevent problems arising is byadequate socialisation of puppies. Repeated positiveintroductions to all sorts of situations will reduce thechances of anxieties developing in the future. For instance,i
17、f every time you encounter an animal control officer,theybring you tasty treats,then chances are your associationwill be a positive one. If,however,the owner becomes tenseon the officers approach,then a little of the owners anxietymay be transferred to the pet!It is almost impossible for animals to
18、experience everythingduring this short,sensitive period of socialisation,during theirfirst four months of life. For instance,most owners cantrecreate a thunderstorm! They can,however,expose theirpets to a variety of noises and flashing lights to help thembecome accustomed to the typical conditions o
19、f a storm (seeFirework 10 Point Plan). If a dog lives in a female-dominatedhousehold,then she should be exposed to males of allpersonalities and appearances from an early age.Fear of Fireworks?10 Point Plan1.Be prepared. Bring your pets inside or lock them upbefore the fireworks begin. Once they hav
20、e started itmay be too late.2.Put your pet in a small room or the laundry,or in acovered crate or cat cage where it will feel safe,especially if you cannot be there.3.Leave the lights on in the room so the flash of thefireworks is not startling.4.Turn on the television or radio so that the fireworks
21、blend with a noise the animal is used to.5.Dont make a fuss. Behave as if fireworks are ascommon as breathing air. Sitting there looking tensewaiting for the next one to go off will only tell youranimal it should be frightened. A reassuring pat or a fewwords are fine overdoing the attention will onl
22、y confirmthat something abnormal is happening.6.Provide a big juicy bone or tasty rawhide chews todistract the animal but remember some will be toostressed to eat.7.Keep the animal confined until daylight so that randomfireworks going off well after the event dont affect it.8.Get young animals used
23、to loud noises. Practice withnervous pets well ahead of time by banging potstogether or using party poppers. Use all the pointersgiven above to help your pets feel secure before youstart this process.9.Make sure that all pets have permanent microchipand/or external identification in case of escape.1
24、0.As a committed animal lover be proactive. When youknow a fireworks night is coming up,pop a copy of thislist in all the letterboxes in your street.Reproduced courtesy of Animal Welfare League NSWCureAnxieties can be overcome and phobias treated but thisshould be done with caution.Most owners get i
25、t wrong and actually reinforce their petsfears. The small dog who is scared of big dogs is picked upwhen a large dog approaches,confirming his fears that heneeds to be rescued. During a thunderstorm the cat isbrought on to the lap to stroke and comfort it. Next time thecat feels even more anxious.Th
26、e best reaction owners can have is to ignore the fearfulbehaviour and reward calm,unstressed behaviour withpraise and pats.A severe fear or phobia should not be ignored,however.Imagine how difficult it is to live with a fear of snakes or aphobia about men,especially if you have to encounter themon a
27、 regular basis! The animal needs help. Generally theowners vet,a behaviourist or an experienced dog trainer willunderstand the anxiety problem and may help work with it.The veterinary surgeon will often prescribe medication tocalm the animal down. This may be taken over severalmonths or immediately
28、before a stressful event. Not all fear-provoking events are easy to predict,however,and so anaccompanying behavioural treatment option is usually aneffective long-term solution for fears and phobias.A veterinary behaviourist or animal behaviourist will design a step-by-step treatment program,impleme
29、nted at theanimals pace. Exposing the animal to the fearful situationcan be traumatic and so is generally done in stages andwith a lot of patience. Just imagine you had a fear ofspiders or snakes and your therapist put you alone in aroom full of them!Many animals with severe anxieties are difficult
30、to live withand sadly can rarely be re-homed.Role of councilPerhaps the most effective role that council can take is:square6attempt to recognize when anxiety could be an underlyingfactor causing a behavioural problem;square6alert the owner to this possibility;square6refer for further help;square6be
31、patient with the behavioural problem while beingworked on;square6be aware of any potentially stressful situations arising egcommunity firework displays and have a preventative planof action or be willing to address the problem later.With time,patience and expert help,many canine fears andphobias can
32、 be overcome and all our pets can live a stress-free life and so can we humans.Joanne RighettiJoanne strives to educate,motivate & counsel the generalpublic & professionals on animal behaviour and the human-animal relationship,on the problems and the joys. Joanneunderstands relationships (specialisi
33、ng in the human-animalkind) and has a Ph.D specialising in Animal Behaviour fromthe University of New South Wales and a Certificate in TVPresenting. She has her own business dealing with pet,owner & community relationships,education,research andtreatment of behaviour problems. This includes acting a
34、s aconsultant to the NSW Animal Welfare League,co-hostingPets Music Talk radio show,working with local councils totrain staff in animal behaviour and develop informationservices for the public and pet loss grief counselling toappropriate individuals and organisations.Urban Animal Management Conference Proceedings 2004 - Text copyright AVA Ltd - Refer to Disclaimer
