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A large-scale study carried out in the United States suggests that fear and anxiety may be far more common in dogs than many owners assume, with more than 84% showing at least mild signs of distress in everyday situations.
According to findings reported by the Daily Mail, behavioral data from more than 43,000 pets across the country were analyzed, making it one of the most comprehensive datasets to date on fear and anxiety in dogs.
The study was led by Dr. Bonnie Beaver, a behavioral professor in the Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences at Texas A&M University's College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.
After leaving out learned fears linked to grooming routines such as nail trimming and bathing, the research found that a large majority of dogs displayed at least mild fear or anxiety in regular day-to-day settings.
Among the most frequently reported triggers were unfamiliar people and other dogs, situations many pets come across on a routine basis.
Beaver pointed out that short-term fear is something both humans and dogs go through, but warned that repeated or long-lasting stress can begin to weigh on an animal's overall well-being.
The findings also highlighted the possible long-term effects of ongoing anxiety. Extended stress has been linked to negative outcomes involving dogs' immune systems, as well as their overall quality and length of life, making early recognition particularly important.
In more severe cases, repeated exposure to stressful experiences without support may cause fear to intensify over time. Beaver recalled seeing dogs so overwhelmed during storms that they attempted to chew through brick walls in an effort to get indoors.
At the same time, Beaver stressed that the findings should not be interpreted as evidence that most dogs suffer from a clinical anxiety disorder. Instead, the research offers a broader picture of how often fear and anxiety may show up across a large dog population in real-life settings, based on owners' observations rather than clinical diagnoses.
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