28/12/2025
DOGS CAN CONTINUE TO FEEL TIRED, STRESSED AND CONFUSED EVEN AFTER THE FESTIVITIES ❤️🐶
Stress can soon tire the body and affect behaviour this can last for days...
I really enjoy Christmas - spending time with family and friends. But even I get tired, stressed and confused.
I mean what day is it even???
Now let's imagine our pet friends - boxes out, visitors, humans rushing around, all these tempting smells, all these new strange 'gifts' in the house 🎉🎁👨👩👧👦
The festivities may be ending, but for our dogs, in fact all our pets, the added stress, the excitement or the confusion can last for days.
When a dog is not given enough time to recover from the triggers or get away from what is causing the stress while the body may learn to ‘cope’, at a certain point, the body will start to tire and exhaustion can set in (Hanne, 2015).
Just imagine how long the build up to Christmas lasts, for some families it starts at the end of November! Given the added stressful events - halloween, bonfire night. It all becomes far too much 👻⚠️🔥
A dog that faces prolonged periods of stress is likely to encounter various physiological and psychological problems.
Many which can result in behavioural issues, or a sudden change in character.
This can include:
– Diarrhoea
– Urination indoors
– Mood change including an increase in anxious behaviours
– Interference with learning and memory (which often looks like a confused dog).
🐾 So let's talk about trigger stacking
I compare trigger stacking to a kettle, one which doesn't automatically switch off and then eventually has to boil over 🔥🔥🔥
The interactions our dog has has had over the festive period including visitors, strange gifts, a change in routine may prolong stress.
Trigger stacking is defined as ‘Stress accumulating due to exposure of multiple triggers, either simultaneously or close enough in time that the dog’s reactivity has not returned to normal' (Grisha Stewart, BAT 2.0).
This can have an effect on their behaviour especially on walks..
Your dog seems out of character? 🤔
Pulling on lead when they are usually calm?
They've never once barked at next door neighbour's cat 🐱🐱🐱 but today they did?
🐾 What can you do to help?
Give your dog time to decompress, to calm down, shorter walks with minimal stressors. Increase enrichment inside instead and minimise visitors for the next few days.
Remember they aren't being naughty or bad, they are often just overwhelmed.
Manage the environment, prepare, a good routine and structure.
Just think how you feel. Bloated, tired, confused.
Now think about your dog.
Just slow things down for the next few days. Your dog will thank you.
Thanks for reading,
Helen
