Anxious dogs can make life difficult for their owners. They are needy, jumpy, and afraid of the slightest inconvenience. Anxiety in dogs is common. Smart dog owners recognize this and know how to address it. If you are a dog owner, you must learn how to calm your anxious dog.
How to Calm Your Anxious Dog
The following are some proven ways that can help calm your anxious dog:
1. Create a Comforting Space
A dog that suffers from anxiety can perform better in a comfortable and safe space. Offer your dog a quiet space to rest, such as a kennel or an unused bedroom. Create a relaxing atmosphere by turning down the lights, filling the room with comfort treats, and scattering soft pillows.
2. Make a Routine
Anxious dogs fare better with routine and predictability. Plan your day so your dog has time to eat, exercise, play, and sleep. Your dog will feel more at ease and have fewer anxious episodes if their routine is consistent and predictable.
3. Use Calming Pheromone Products
To help calm your anxious dog, try using a calming pheromone product. Calming pheromone sprays, diffusers, and collars can help your dog unwind and feel at ease. A dog becomes more active and less anxious when it is comfortable and at peace.
4. Plan Physical and Mental Activities for Your Dog
Keep your dog busy. Your dog’s physical and mental well-being depends on him getting plenty of exercise regularly. Endorphins are the body’s natural feel-good chemicals. They are released when your dog engages in physical exercises like walking, jogging, or playing fetch.
On the flip side, one of the dogs’ most common causes of anxiety is a lack of interesting or challenging mental activity. If you want your dog to use his intellect, consider getting him a puzzle game or a toy to dispense food. It will distract them and help them feel calm.
5. Incorporate a Positive Reinforcement Approach
Try using positive reinforcement methods to calm your anxious dog. Positive reinforcement training can help you shape your dog’s behavior and boost his self-assurance. Avoid unpleasant approaches that could increase anxiety. Go for soothing exercises.
6. Go for Relaxation Exercises
If you can calm your anxious dog, it may be better able to handle stressful situations. The “sit and stay” or “down and settle” tactics can be useful. You can use rewards to train your dog to stay calm and relaxed for a long time.
7. Opt for Counter Conditioning
Using counter-conditioning, you can help your dog overcome its fears of certain triggers. If your dog is afraid of something, try exposing him to it slowly while rewarding him with treats and play to help him overcome his fear. Your dog’s anxiety levels will decrease as he learns to recognize the trigger with pleasant experiences.
8. Try Controlled Socializing
You can help calm your anxious dog through controlled socialization. You should gradually introduce your dog to new people, environments, and dog-friendly places. Take your dog on supervised walks to help your dog get familiar with its new home.
9. Seek Music Therapy
Playing calming music or using the white noise machine will help calm your anxious dog. Listening to calming music can alleviate stress and anxiety. Play this music or use a white noise machine when your dog is home alone or encountering stressful events.
10. Take Your Dog for a Massage Therapy
Massage and other forms of tactile treatment can help your dog feel calmer and more at ease. Use light, equal pressure when massaging their back, neck, and shoulders. You can calm your anxious dog and alleviate stress with massage therapy in two ways: by relaxing the muscles and releasing the body’s natural supply of feel-good endorphins.
11. Take a Veterinarian’s Advice
Consult your vet immediately if your pet is exhibiting severe anxiety symptoms. They will provide tailored care for your dog according to their requirements. They can also help calm your anxious dog by combining behavioral therapy and medically prescribed medicines.
12. Maintain a Calm Composure
Dogs are highly perceptive and can sense when their owner’s mood has changed. Therefore, projecting a constant, soothing demeanor around them is important. If your dog is acting anxious, try to keep your cool. Use soft words and touch to reassure them they’re in a secure environment. Your steady demeanor makes you a soothing presence that can help calm your anxious dog.
13. Put on an Anxiety Wrap
Thundershirts for your dog are like giving him a big, comforting hug. Many dogs experience anxiety when exposed to stressful conditions like thunderstorms or fireworks; however, if you wrap them in an anxiety wrap or a thunder shirt, you can calm them and provide them with a sense of warmth.
14. Use Natural Ingredients
Aromatherapists use chamomile and lavender to help calm your anxious dog because of their soothing properties. With these aromas, you can enhance your dog’s living conditions using essential oils or relaxing sprays. You can also use natural tranquilizers such as chamomile, valerian root, or CBD oil. However, you must ensure that the oils are diluted and tested to ensure they are safe for dogs. Get your furry little friend checked by a vet to determine the best supplement.
15. Use Dog Appeasing Pheromone (DAP) Products
Dog Appeasing Pheromone (DAP) products aim to simulate the calming effects of a dog’s mother’s natural pheromones. These items come in the form of sprays, diffusers, and collars. They can help you calm your anxious dogs.
Final Word
You need a patient, gentle, holistic approach to calm your anxious dog. Remember that your dog may take some time to calm down. With the right equipment and undivided care, your dog with anxiety may lead a happy, worry-free life. Contact The Grand Paw, dog grooming services Palm Desert to learn more.
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