Anxiety disorders are among the most common behavioral welfare problems in companion dogs. Understanding the range of anxiety presentations and evidence-based treatments is essential for effective welfare intervention.
Canine anxiety welfare is pervasive but often undertreated because owners attribute anxious behavior to personality or stubbornness rather than recognizing it as a welfare-significant condition requiring intervention. Dogs with noise phobias experience physiological panic responses (increased cortisol, heart rate, and ACTH) that are not merely 'being a bit scared' but constitute genuine suffering. Veterinary behavioral medicine has established that combination treatment - behavior modification with appropriate pharmacological support where indicated - produces better outcomes than behavior modification alone in moderate-to-severe anxiety. Early treatment prevents the establishment of increasingly entrenched fear responses.