The Associated Press has featured this piece and other coverage about pet anxiety. Cedar Burnett shares a good article on the reasons for pet anxiety as it relates to pet owner issues and expectations. “Dogs are incredibly responsive to our expressions, our body language and our scent, so when the owners are nervous, the dog gets nervous. Our cortisol levels rise and fall in tandem,” shares Frankie Jackson, RVN.
Source: AP, June 18, 2025. Link.
A lot of pet anxiety comes from changes in their households . . . We are asking our dogs to live in a world that isn’t made for them.” – Becky Peters, DVM
INSIGHTS: There is enough information in various media for pet owners to realize how they affect their animals’ peace. Veterinary teams presented with an anxious pet might start conversations with, “How much do you know about pet anxiety?” Then ask about any articles or shows they’ve seen. Those who watch Cesar Millan’s Dog Nation TV often see Cesar working with pet owners’ issues as much or more than he works with the dogs. The objective here is to identify some common ground about how their behavior or things going on at home will be a part of mediating the animals’ anxiety.
Also see: Our work stress is contagious to our dogs, Kinship, May 16, 2025. Link. A new study published in Scientific Reports found that it’s not just our human companions who experience our secondhand jitters and dread. Apparently, our work stress passes on to our dogs, too.
Image: Link.