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IN BRIEF Stress can cause physical as well as behavioral problems including but not limited to: hyperactivity, vomiting, anorexia nervosa, compulsive eating, self mutilation, compulsive shaking, hysteria paralysis, epileptic like convulsions, asthma like bronchospasms and sympathy lameness. More often then not the animal will overeat or undereat, defecate and/or urinate on the bed and/or clothes and very possibly threaten and/or bite one or more of it's owners (or anyone else).
Social Stress
Lack of opportunity for exposure to people, places and situations in a teaching manner. This is necessary social introduction with the emphasis on "no meddling" and "mind your own business" for the dog, NOT GROUP HUGS. This type on social introduction exposure develops a heightened sense of discretion in dealing with both knowns and unknowns. The animal that has not learned his/her place has no respect for authority and no regard for the consequences of his/her actions and may show no mercy to subordinates. The unsocialized animal as with the unsocialized human is running the show, has the run of the house, may threaten or attack anyone they choose to achieve their self goal. The degree of an animal's reaction is closely tied to the degree of social instruction and natural parental guidance that has been ignored or reversed.
Tempermental Stress
Occurs when the animal's temperament does not match the environment -ie- a shy dog raised in a loud, confusing household, a dominate dog raised in a passive household, fast learners raised in slow moving households as well as slow learners raised in fast confusing households, etc. As with all forms of stress, this type of stress can lead to health as well as serious behavioral problems.
Environmental Stress
Occurs when the animal's environment is ruled by confusion. Human(s) interacting the way they want with little or no knowledge or regard as to what the animal needs are (step by step natural cause and effect learners). Sustained environmental excitement may cause both behavioral as well as physical problems. On again, off again interactive attention (at our convenience is extremely confusing and can force a take-over situation. The lack of consistency plus free roaming causes much confusion. This provides an extremely poor learning environment and can - very often does - lead to serious and potentially dangerous mistakes.
Frustration Stress
A dog brought from his/her natural environment (the wild) into ours must conform to many restrictions and what may be natural in the wild for a dog in most cases is not socially acceptable according to our human rules. Basic needs and desires may be so frustrated and repressed that he/she may literally be a prisoner (in the most clean, comfortable and loving of cages). Frustration stress is one of the most common cause for aggression in most species. Frustration is experienced on chronic, long term basis and pent-up build up behavior may be discharged out of the blue, for no apparent reason, by the most in-appropriate stimuli and under the most unexpected circumstances.