“Stress” has become a bit of a trigger word. We are often told to avoid stress at all costs, to protect our dogs from anything challenging, and to shield them from adversity so they grow into successful adults. But stress in dogs is not the enemy.
What is stress in dogs?
There are actually two types of stress.
Distress is what most people think of when they hear the word stress. It is overwhelming, prolonged, and leaves the individual feeling out of control.
Eustress is positive stress. It is the kind that comes from challenges that feel achievable and motivating; learning a new skill, solving a problem, or navigating something unfamiliar with support. This type of stress builds confidence, resilience, and capability.
The difference is not the situation itself, but how it is experienced.
Stress has allowed every living organism to survive, adapt, and grow. Where stress becomes harmful is when it is constant, unmanageable, or when the individual has never learned how to work through it and turn it off by overcoming the challenge.
How can this help your dog?
Confidence comes from control. When you learn how to influence your environment and your own actions, you feel stronger. That learning only happens because manageable stress showed you that you were capable.
The same applies to dogs.
When we avoid all difficulty or step in too quickly to fix things for them, dogs do not learn how to cope. Instead, they learn dependence. Over time, this can create helplessness, which actually makes life feel more overwhelming.
The key is balance
For puppies and young dogs, carefully introducing small, achievable challenges and setting them up to succeed creates eustress. Each success builds resilience. When bigger challenges appear later in life, they already know they can work through them.
Stress is not something to fear. Unmanaged distress is the problem. Thoughtful, well-supported challenges are how confident and capable dogs are built.