6 ways to deal with anxiety in your family dog
If you have struggled with anxiety in the past, you know it is not a pleasant feeling. What if I told you that your pet dog can suffer from anxiety too? In dogs, anxiety can be evident from whining, shivering, barking, and even whimpering. Some dogs can become destructive or hostile when anxious.
This article lists tips you can use to calm your dog down:
Exercise the dog
More often than not, exercising has been verified to be a good stress reliever for human beings. It is the same for dogs. Exercising motivates the creation of serotonin, a feel-good chemical that humans get when they hike or work out. This chemical confiscates all the repressed tension and energy that can aggravate anxiety.
When you play a game of fetch, hike with the dog, or run, it goes a long way in decreasing the anxiety that comes with separation issues.
Photo by Robin Jonathan Deutsch / Unsplash
Offer a massage
The purpose of a massage is to calm and relax. Massaging will help relax a nervous dog and reduce tension. Ensure that you start in the region around the neck and then work in a descending manner with long strokes. Keep one hand on the dog as the other hand massages it.
If you notice where the dog is holding the stress, then work on that specific part. Put into use circular movements of the hands and fingers over the dog’s body. This type of massage is used to stimulate the purpose of the cells and to rouse cellular intellect. As a result, the dog will be relaxed.
Give the dog time out
Dogs can act out because of anxiety, so it is best to give the dog some time out. For instance, separating your dog into a quiet yet safe place helps to calm down its nerves. You can include calming music whenever you isolate your dog and provide low lighting.
Song therapy
Playing music has been said to be valuable to both dogs and human beings. Music can be relaxing and calming. It can ease sensitivity to noise by blocking out scary noises or noises from the street that disturb some of our dogs and stimulate anxiety.
It is said that most dogs have a preference for classical music. Music from the harp, which is mostly played in hospitals, is said to be a natural tranquillizer. Most of the time, pet owners leave their television sets or radios on when they have dogs in the house.
Soothing t-shirts or coats
These soothing t-shirts or coats spread constant but mild pressure on the dog’s torso, calming the dog’s nervousness. It is an excellent choice for any dog going through anxiety that has been brought about by separation, travelling, strangers, or noise. These t-shirts are well-fitting and wrap around your dog, especially the area around the tummy.
However, there is no scientific evidence that proves that these soothing t-shirts and coats work. Some owners of dogs have sworn by it, while some say that it does not help much. Its efficiency depends on how it is used and the time or period it is used. Thus, this technique can be helpful if combined with another natural solution, for instance, combining it with exercising.
Induce physical contact
Touch or physical contact is soothing to our dogs. Cuddle the dog and pet it. Petting a dog also helps your nerves calm down; therefore, everybody wins. Making sure that there is physical contact between yourself and your dog is one of the oldest techniques used in the treatment of nervousness.
Remember…
The best way to help your pet is to pay attention to their behaviours and note when they start acting strange. The above tips can act as starting tips to help deal with a pet that has anxiety. However, whenever you can and if the situation gets out of hand, get the help of a professional dog handler or a vet.
