Anxiety is among the most common welfare problems in companion dogs and is often inadequately diagnosed and treated.
Canine anxiety causes significant and chronic suffering in millions of pet dogs. Common anxiety disorders — separation anxiety, noise phobia, generalised anxiety, and social fear — cause a quality of life impairment that owners often fail to recognise because dogs mask pain. Signs including destructive behaviour, house soiling, excessive vocalisation, and self-trauma are often punished rather than treated, worsening the underlying anxiety. Effective treatment combining behaviour modification and when necessary medication dramatically improves welfare.