Dogs are like human beings, too. They react to stressful and challenging situations, and they show their anxiety through changed behavior, by becoming acting out, clingy, or even withdrawing.
Opposite to humans though, dogs are unable to express their anxiety verbally.
It is up to their respective owners to pay close attention to both the behavioral and physical cues they exhibit.
The said cues then, are the owners’ bases of their response, to help their dog deal with stress.
If you’re new to pet raising, you definitely want to know how to calm an anxious dog.
How To Calm An Anxious Dog – Is It Possible For Beginners?
For beginners, they may be quite a challenge. Many times, it can even be intimidating.
If you can relate to feelings, worry no more. After learning the tips here, you will realize that having a dog is such a fulfillment.
It’s like parenting from which, you find joy in seeing every progress of your child and at the same time, sadness in noticing his unusual behaviors and moods.
This article will teach you how to calm an anxious dog in three easy ways!
Taming the Anxious Dog
You don’t have to go through professional training to be perfect in learning how to calm an anxious dog.
You don’t even need to spend much to ensure your pet is generally okay.
All it takes is to follow these easy steps to calm your pet down:
Cuddle
This is one of the most effective ways if you really want to know more about how to calm an anxious dog.
Dog experts claim that contact and touch help both dogs and humans relieve fear, stress, and anxiety.
When your dog feels cut off from you, its anxiety level potentially increases.
More so, if it is physically hurting, simply being close to you will help keep it calmer.
Meaning, cuddling your pet helps take away your dog’s anxiety.
Pay your vet a visit
If your dog appears excessively anxious and often, or can’t seem to calm down or relax, it might be a perfect idea to take him to your vet.
Share all your observations with your vet.
And, even if he does not have any injury, or, if you don’t find any sign of illness in him, take him to the vet still, as there may be something else he can spot that you may not be aware of.
Use dog toys
A stressed dog has a tendency to act out by turning too destructive. He doesn’t know how to express that energy.
All he can show you is that something’s not right. One of the best things you need to learn about how to calm an anxious dog is to give him a good chew toy.
This way, your pet has something to focus on. Meaning, it will be less likely of him to destroy either your personal belongings or household items.
If you think these three are not enough and you need to know more and really learn how to calm an anxious dog, there are many other ways to discover helpful tips.
Aside from online articles, you can also seek help from online videos, self-help books, and even other dog owners like you!
You can share knowledge and experiences with your pet with your fellow dog raisers.