Observe a study on anxiety in dogs

ANDI HORVATH: Welcome to the University Veterinary School. Anxiety has been important for human survival, but also canine survival. But how do we manage it in the 21st century context? Well, we have to ask the question, how do we measure anxiety? So we've come to explore the new dog anxiety study.

DENNIS WORMALD: Anxiety hasn't always been a problem. Back when survival was a real issue and there were real threats that were coming at us every day-- you know, like hunter-gatherer people and dogs living in the wild-- anxiety might have played a really good selective advantage to help keep those dogs alive. Because that would mean that they'd be more alert and on guard. And they'd be better able to defend themselves and caught less off guard. Now we're bringing them inside, we're using them as pets rather than guard dogs. And so anxiety in those dogs is a real issue. Rather than helping with survival, it is impairing them and causing behavior problems like aggression, and separation anxiety, and other things like that.

HORVATH: So what does anxiety in a dog actually look like?

WORMALD: In the vet clinic we have anxious dogs come in all the time. And they do things like, they'll yawn, they'll lick their lips, they might cry, and shake and quiver. So there are some common signs of anxiety that people might see in their own pets.

HORVATH: Prescription drugs similar to Prozac are used for dog anxiety. Whilst these drugs do help, there are also concerns about over-prescription and getting the right dose for the right conditions.

WORMALD: Our anxiety study will aim to measure anxiety on a scale, which is something that's very important for science. You need to be able to measure things on the scale if you want to investigate them properly. When we test these dogs, we need two groups, either dogs that are very well-behaved, or dogs that have got lots of behavior problems. First of all, we put the dog into a large open room, an open field test. And they're allowed to wander around as they see fit. Whether they explore or just wait at the door, that's up to them. And then we place some noise tones to them to see their response to the noise. And then after that there's another small five-minute test, where they're able to go in a separate room and can choose whether or not to walk on a strange, unfamiliar plastic floor. Or just a normal concrete floor that they would have encountered on the footpath many times.

TRACY DOUGLAS: I knew that Dr. Wormald was looking for relaxed dogs and anxious dogs. And funny enough, he's actually had a little bit of trouble finding more relaxed dogs. So I knew I had one at home and so I thought Kona would be perfect for the study. It would help him, and also, of course, help science and help us understand dog anxiety better.

HORVATH: This trial will conclude in early 2015. And at the time of filming, Dr. Dennis was still looking for canine participants, especially calm ones. You know what they say in the classics, never work with children or animals, because even the simplest tasks go wrong.