As pet owners, it breaks our hearts to see our dogs always shivering, pacing, whining, or aggressively destroying things. Even more heartbreaking is realizing to see an anxious dog, but we don’t know how to help.

Dog anxiety is more common than you think. More than 70% of dogs display at least one anxious behavior. So, let’s explore the signs of anxiety and understand ways to relieve pet stress. 

How To Calm An Anxious Dog

Helping your dog with their anxiety requires patience, consistency, and lots of love. Even though the behaviors of dogs under anxiety are overwhelming, as a loving pet owner, you have to find the root cause of your anxious dog so that you can provide a reasonable solution to such anxiety. 

Recognize Signs of Anxiety

The first step in calming your anxious dog is recognizing the signs of anxiety. Sometimes, it’s hard to tell if your dog is anxious or just excited. If your pooch usually copes with distress through quiet or subtle ways like increased lethargy, excessive licking, or shallow breathing, then owners may not notice it easily. 

Although, some of the common signs of anxiety in dogs include 

  • Excessive barking and whining
  • Turning on destructive and hostile mode
  • Trying to hide and find a safe space 
  • Restlessness and pacing
  • Trembling 
  • Loss of appetite
ky 17 1 How To Calm An Anxious Dog: Proven Technique For Stress Relief

Try to Find Out the Reason for Anxiety

There are various reasons which can trigger anxiety in dogs. It can be due to changes in the environment, health issues, or past traumas. Some of the common causes of dog anxiety are loud noises like firecrackers or thunderstorms, separation anxiety when left alone, or lack of socialization. 

It is impossible to help your dog without finding out what is the real cause that is triggering their anxiety and stress. First of all, you need to watch your dog and observe their behavior. Then, slowly, you will notice their anxiety triggers. 

Create a Safe Space for Them

When dogs are anxious, they usually tend to seek a safe space when they are overstimulated. So, one of the techniques for calming dogs can be creating a safe space for them to settle. You can select a spare bedroom or laundry room that is away from loud noises. 

Make sure those places are airy and clean with dim lighting to soothe their stress. You can place a crate or bed with cozy blankets and other familiar items to make them feel protected and secure. 

Create and Maintain Consistent Schedules

When dogs encounter unfamiliar and uncertain situations, a state of confusion and stress can develop in their mind. Irregular feeding, sudden change in their owner’s schedule and environment, or interaction with unfamiliar people can stimulate their anxiety.  

Since dogs create predictability in their daily lives, it is better to establish and maintain a routine for their meals, exercise, sleep, and playtime. Maintaining a consistent routine can avoid uncertainty, which will help create a safe and secure atmosphere for your lovely fur babies. 

Playing Music or White Noise

Incorporating some music or white noise seems to be an effective method for separation anxiety and anxiety due to loud noises. Music genres like reggae and soft rock are useful for relaxing dogs, while classical music helps the dog to calm down in stressful and overstimulated situations. 

Canine Lullabies and Through a Dog’s Ear are two of the most popular recordings for anxious dogs. Moreover, you can find various playlists on YouTube that are specially curated for stressed dogs. 

Moreover, the white noise machines can create neutral sounds like rain and ocean waves, which will help to mask loud external noises like firecrackers or thunderstorms and provide a comforting environment for your fur babies. 

Hence, music therapy can distract your dogs from their anxiety cause and provide relaxation. Since dogs have a broader hearing range, detecting frequencies from 40 to 45000 Hz, so make sure that you play music at a certain level keeping in mind their sensitive hearing. 

Physical Touch and Massages for Dog Anxiety 

One of the quick methods of pet stress relief is physical contact. Cuddling and petting your fur baby will release oxytocin, which can somewhat reduce stress and anxiety.

Moreover, gently stroking their ears and rubbing their belly slowly can provide them with a sense of comfort and relaxation in the chaotic mind and environment. Likewise, canine massage can lift their mood by relaxing the tense muscles and easing out the areas where they hold tension, like shoulders, neck, etc.

Try Playing Calming games or Engaging in Light Exercise

Games and light exercises can be useful methods to reduce stress and distract your dogs from their anxiety triggers. It is better to choose games with mental stimulation and less energy burn-off. For example, you can try scattering their treats all over the floor or hiding their favorite chew toys under the furniture. Likewise, simple fetching or gentle walking can help them relax and distract their mind. 

Making Dogs Occupied

As dogs tend to be around and attached to their owners, when they separate from their owners, it can trigger separation anxiety. To deal with separation anxiety, you can keep your dogs surrounded by their favorite chew toys or puzzle toys to keep them occupied. Likewise, you can give them long-lasting treats to shift their focus while you are gone. 

Avoid Punishing or Reinforcing Anxious Behaviours

You should neither punish nor reinforce your dog’s anxious behaviors. They can associate your punishment or rewards with their anxiety or stress. For example, when you come home, you find your dog chewing on your precious furniture. On the verge of anger, when you punish your dog, it can worsen their anxiety and can lead to negative consequences. 

Likewise, if you reward them while they are whining or barking aggressively, then they will take it as good behavior. So, keep in mind while rewarding your dogs during anxiety.

Use of Oil or Aromatic Diffusers

When dogs are on the edges due to anxiety, using aromatic diffusers like lavender, chamomile, and adaptil gives them great help. Many dog owners have found these diffusers effective since they provide a calming effect on soothing dogs anxiety.

 Additionally, using oil diffusers is game-changing for calm dogs at night as they enhance their sleep and keep them at ease. 

Use anxiety wraps or weighted vests.

Dogs have different coping mechanisms with stress and anxiety. Some dogs respond to pressure when they are overstimulated, so you can dress them in anxiety wraps like thunder shirts or overweighted blankets as if you are swaddling the baby. These wraps can work like magic during car rides, thunderstorms and many more. 

Teach Your Dog to Settle

Teaching your dog to settle on your command is a common practical grooming part of emotional self-control. However, you have to teach this behavior before any anxiety triggers.

At the time of an anxiety spike, your dog’s ability to comply with the command can be low, but it can provide a moment to calm your dog. This behavior will be helpful while you are on a walk with your dog, a guest arrives, or the dog gets agitated due to firecrackers. 

Professional Support

If your dogs anxiety becomes severe and you cannot treat it at home, you can ask for the professional help of a veterinarian. They can help you find the root of anxiety and use desensitization and counterconditioning methods. Moreover, they may recommend anti-anxiety medications and supplements that will help your precious pets with their anxiety. 

Conclusion

Your patience, understanding, and consistent effort in helping your dog with anxiety truly show your love and care for them. Anxiety that occurs during uncertainty can be quickly resolved, while anxiety due to past traumas can take time to heal. Moreover, you have to understand that every dog is different and that the method worked for one dog might not be effective for another. 

So keep patience and use the right approach to make your furry friend live a happy and healthier life. For more insights on understanding and caring for your furry friends, stay connected with Little Fur!

FAQs

  1. How can dogs with separation anxiety be treated?

You can try gradual desensitization, where you leave your dog for a short period and evaluate how they will react in those situations. You can reward them if they remain calm and slowly increase the time to make them habituated.

  1. How can an anxious dog in a car be calmed?

You can bring a crate along with their favorite toys, like chew toys, during your car rides. Moreover, putting them on wrapped blankets or thundershirts can help them to calm down during car rides. 

  1. How to calm an anxious dog at night?

You can stick to the regular dog’s routine at night. However, make sure you include a cozy blanket in their crate or bed to create a safe space. Likewise, playing soft music can help soothe their anxiety at night. 

How can I calm my dog down instantly?

Showing physical affection like cuddling or soft petting can help them calm down instantly. Likewise, using oil diffusers and playing music can also lift their anxious mood to a calm mood. 

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