Objective To compare the biological characteristics of several different anxiety rat models established by different methods of stress at different time points and provide experimental basis for the most appropriate modeling methods. Methods 60 rats were randomly divided into normal, empty bottle stress, chronic emotional stress (CES) group, restraint stress for 3h, 6h, and modeling respectively. In the experimental 7 d, 14 d, 21 d, elevated plus maze and fear condition system was used to test anxiety-like behavior in rats, open field test to study anxiety or depression-like behavior, forced swimming test was used to detect depression-like behavior in rats, and using the Elisa test kit to detect the contents of 5-HT, DA in the hippocampus in rats. Results Anxiety-like behavioral test results showed that rats in empty bottle stress, CES, 6 h restraint stress group started to have anxiety-like behavior since 14 d, then anxiety-like behavior was becoming increasingly apparent. Forced swimming test results showed that immobility time in 6 h restraint rats was significantly increased in the first 7 d(P<0.05). Meanwhile, compared with control group, hippocampal 5-HT, DA contents in empty bottle stress and CES rats increased significantly since 14 d. Conclusions Among several stress methods established anxiety model, anxiety-like behavior in 3 h restraint stress was not obvious; 6 h restraint stress exhibited a depression-like behavior in the forced swimming test might be due to prolonged stress. Empty bottle stress and CES can successfully establish the anxiety rat model, and the anxiety behavior of the rats have some differences. Corresponding model methods can be selected according to different experimental purposes.