How to Calm an Anxious Dog

Is your dog acting all weird out of the blue? Is he acting not normal somehow? He must be suffering from anxiety. The cause of anxiety can be anything like a bad experience, hard life, or simply loving the owners so much that they don’t want to be away for even a single moment. But don’t worry, there’s nothing serious about his health, and you can calm your anxious dog at home.

So, if your fur baby is suffering from anxiety, this blog is a must-read for you. But, first, let’s look at causes of anxiety in dogs, following some amazing tips to calm an anxious dog.

Anxiety in Dogs

Anxiety in your dog can be seen in multiple ways. Is your dog barking, whining, whimpering, or shivering? Is he breaking things around the house? If you see any of these, this is a red flag, and you have to take care of him until it’s too late and he becomes the dangerous buddy in the house. 

It’s also seen that dogs with anxiety may act weird behaviors like chewing household items, drooling, pacing, and lip licking. In addition, anxious dogs exhibit aggressive behaviours, including poop around the house and breaking everything in sight. So, keep your sight broad to take action at the right time.

Exercise Your Pup

Almost every dog with separation anxiety couldn’t accept their owners leaving the house. They often act out in panic, and that’s not a good thing, obviously. To help your dog overcome this fear, give your dog plenty of exercises. You will bond more with your dog, and he won’t get as worked up. 

If you’re planning to be away from home for a while, don’t forget to take your dog on a long adventure first, it’ll help them digest your leaving for a long time.

You can never go wrong with exercise, right? It will help your dog be in a good mood because of the release of endorphins after exercise. 

Give Your Dog Some Alone Time

You cannot put anxiety in the category of bad behavior. It’s a normal thing, and your dog should be treated right. And to ensure good treatment, give your dog some time when they are acting all weird. Put him in a safe place with no irritating sounds. It will help to calm.

Use Dog-Appeasing Pheromones

When dogs are little pups, their mother releases pheromones when the puppies are around to provide them a feeling of trust, comfort, and security. But the good news is, you can find collars, and sprays for your dog that contains pheromones, isn’t that great? Using pheromone by any medium can help provide a soothing feeling by biological cues to your dog that he is in a safe place and everyone loves him. 

Use a Soothing Touch

When you see your dog is acting out, your first reaction should be petting and massaging them to help calm their nerves. The soothing touch from their owner works wonders and helps them reduce fear and helps with anxiety as well. So, look out for your fur buddy and assure him that you are here no matter what. A good and long petting session can do that. 

Utilize Doggie Attire

There’s nothing more adorable than seeing your pup in a cute sweater. But how is that related to the anxiety of your dog? Well, let me tell you. First, the sweaters act as a comforting shield for your dog by keeping the loud noises away. Also, the dressing-up session will make you too close and attached. Thus, your dog will trust you, and the anxiety attacks won’t be more often.

Play Music

There are so many studies that show that different genres of music may help your fur baby relax. The list starts with classical music and ends with some harp music. Both are particularly effective in providing your dog a rhythm and calming sound to relax and let go of their anxiety. In addition, it’s been seen that the cadence of these songs can really help with the stress. So, why not?

Make the Dog Visible

Your embarrassment and hiding your dog’s anxiety are not helping your dog. Instead of being ashamed and hiding it from people, make your dog visible. Put a ribbon or some sort of tag on your dog saying “nervous” or “stay away.” Of course, you will be telling people not to yell and come close because your dog is not doing okay. But, trust me, you will be making lives easier!

Hire A Professional Vet

You cannot do everything on your own. There, I said it! At some stage, you may need to call for help. Your dog’s anxiety may be too much to handle that you couldn’t do it on your own. This is the time when you hire a professional vet to take care of your fur baby. The specialist knows what they are doing because they have been doing it for years. They will help you figure out the cause and medication or cure of anxiety in your dog.

All in All Summarising

The most common thing that makes your dog anxious is fear of being alone, traveling, new people, and abandonment. So, try to avoid these things and help your buddy be anxiety-free!.