Today, we are going to help provide you with the tools you need to relax your dog. As a loving, responsible dog owner, it’s your job to ensure that your furry friend is taken care of. Of course, this means providing them with the correct water and food necessary to nourish them.
But it also means taking care of your pet’s emotional needs. Therefore, it’s crucial to have various methods you can utilize to help your dog relax. We firmly believe that every dog owner should have a basic knowledge of these tactics if your dog is suffering from anxiety.
We will begin by sharing why it’s so important that your dog is relaxed. It’s important to go over some signs or symptoms that your pet might be struggling with anxiety or is feeling tense so you can start helping them feel better daily.
Although there are several causes for dog anxiety to occur, there are also many ways you can help alleviate it. Let’s dive in.
Why Is It Important That Your Dog Is Relaxed?
There are several reasons why it’s essential that your dog is relaxed. First off, it’s important to note that when your dog acts in any manner, they’re responding mainly to the emotional energy in the world around them. As a result, if they can tell that you are anxious or stressed, they will likely become this way, too, as some pets tend to mirror their owners.
In addition, your dog must be relaxed to manage its energy in a healthy, effective manner. For this reason, a physically tense dog will often look for a way to expel this built-up tension or energy.
Many ways that it could get released are dysfunctional, such as destroying the furniture in your living room or jumping on guests. Therefore, having the ability to help your dog relax can be crucial to ensuring that they don’t engage in any “bad dog” behaviors.
What Are Some Signs Your Dog Is Tense or Struggling With Anxiety
Now, let’s discuss some signs or symptoms that your dog is experiencing anxiety or tension. Of course, every dog is unique. Be sure to pay attention to the ways your dog’s behavior has changed.
These signs are key to help you understand if your dog is struggling with your anxiety.
It’s also important to note that anxiety or tension in dogs is difficult to notice. This is because it’s often more subtle. On the contrary, your dog’s symptoms of anxiety might be glaringly obvious; it just depends on the dog and what they typically behave like.
Watch for these signs:
- Barking excessively
- Restlessness
- Pacing
- Destructive behaviors your dog doesn’t typically exhibit
- Aggression
- Urinating or defecating inside of your house, despite being housebroken
- Panting
- Drooling
- Depression
- Behaviors that seem either repetitive or compulsive
What Are Some Causes of Dog Anxiety?
If you notice that your dog seems anxious, tense, or needs to get relaxed, several causes could be at play. To figure out how to solve the anxiety, you’ll need to figure out what is causing it.
Take note of when your dog is experiencing anxiety. What do these situations have in common? Does your dog always need to be relaxed after they hear a loud noise? What about when they watch you get ready to leave the house? These are two common causes of dog anxiety, among the many other reasons your dog could be anxious.
Once you identify your dog’s anxiety triggers, you can take steps to ensure that you catch them before your pup gets more anxious, or beware that you’re going to have to take steps to calm them down.
Some of the most common reasons dogs suffer from anxiety are separation, aging, or fear. Let’s investigate each of those more deeply.
Separation Anxiety
Separation anxiety occurs when your dog cannot find comfort when they’re away from their family members. This particular type of anxiety impacts approximately 14% of dogs, so it is relatively common.
Often, dogs that suffer from separation anxiety will engage in undesirable behaviors such as excessive barking, ruining furniture, or going to the bathroom in the house despite being housebroken.
Aging
Aging also causes anxiety for your dog. This typically impacts older dogs and is associated with cognitive dysfunction syndrome. When dogs are suffering from CDS, your dog’s learning, perception, memory, and awareness can start to decline.
Fear
Finally, some dogs can suffer from fear-related anxiety. This includes tension brought on by various triggers, such as loud sounds, unknown visitors, unfamiliar environments, or visual stimuli.
While some dogs only have quick reactions to these sorts of stimuli, you’ll want to be sure that you intervene to help your dog calm down, especially if your dog tends to be anxious.
What Are Six Methods Every Dog Owner Should Know For Relaxing Their Pup?
Let’s discuss how you can develop an ability to sense what your dog is feeling. Pay attention to their frenzied state and what “normal” is for your dog. By better understanding how your furry friend acts, you can tell when something is wrong.
If you know how your dog acts when they’re anxious, you can tell when there are signs of tension popping up. Then, you can intervene faster to help your dog calm down. As a responsible dog owner, your job is to notice when your dog is acting unusual.
You have to take steps to bring your dog down to a reasonable level before their anxiety escalates.
We also want to emphasize the importance of being a calm dog owner. Your dog picks up on your energy, so relax!
- Play outside with your pet, and try to keep any indoor activity to a minimum. This is essential because it will help your dog differentiate between playtime and time to relax. That’s why you must do play and training, as well as most of your dog’s activities, outdoors.
- Touch your dog with smooth strokes along its back, neck, chest, and sides. Be sure your touch feels mindfully deliberate. Think of yourself as your dog’s personal massage therapist--you want to help them get their physical tension out! Just be gentle.
- Run with your pup. Exercise is a great way to boost positive neurochemicals in your dog’s brain. Walking can even help to relieve stress. If you find your dog is tense, get them moving.
- Incorporate treats. Dogs like eating, and using treats can be an effective strategy in getting your dog’s attention if they’re in an intense situation.
- Give your dog the gift of verbal praise. Keep in mind that tone matters more than words, so be sure it’s relaxed, medium pitch, and even, too. Use your positive phrases when your dog is in a high-tension situation.
- Give them WINPRO Pet’s Calming Supplement. Crafted in the United States with clinically proven animal blood proteins, this supplement can reduce your dog’s anxiety levels, maintain their mental alertness, and improve their levels of mental calmness. It’s also non-drowsy and all-natural!
Remember: Your Dog Picks Up On How You Act
Now you know how to calm down your dog successfully! Just keep in mind: it’s most important to remember that your pets can pick up on your anxiety levels, so keep the stress in check!
Sources:
Dog Anxiety: What Dog Owners Need to Know | AKC
Dog Training: How to relax your dog | Natural Dog Blog
Signs of anxiety in dogs (and what to do about it!) | Animal Surgical
