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5 Calming Tips to Help Stressed Dogs
In human beings, stress manifests itself in various ways. An individual is likely to show emotional, behavioral, physical, or cognitive symptoms like agitation, lack of appetite, nervousness, or poor judgment. Just like people, dogs experience tension, too. They also get stressed and they display certain unpleasant traits. For example, growling, biting, whining, and shivering are some of the common signs something may be pressuring your pet canine.
Reduce Tension For Your Dog
Several factors could cause stress to your dog. For instance, breeds like American Staffordshire, Golden Retriever, and Poodle might be some of the most social pet canines known to man. If left alone for long, it could cause them separation anxiety. Other elements that could distress your dog are loud noises, changes in the environment, and new routines.
Fortunately, calming your tamed canine isn’t a difficult task. This article will guide you on the measures you could take to relieve stress for your dog. Most of the steps highlighted below are inexpensive and quite simple. However, in case of severe anxiety, it’s advisable to visit a certified veterinarian.
Some of the activities that could help restore calmness to your dog include:
1. Physical Contact
Physical touch from the owner could be one of the simplest ways to rejuvenate your pet. Lethargy, defined as a lack of enthusiasm and energy, is the easiest way to spot a stressed dog. Most of them will lay in their dog beds for extended periods. Therefore, if you notice this, pick them up, cuddle with them on the couch, or place them on your lap and spend some quality time with them.
Physical touch could be quite beneficial for your dog. This measure may help in relieving stress, reducing fear, and soothing pain for your pet. In addition, it can also help to strengthen your bond.
2. Soothing Music
Playing soothing music to your dog could help lower stress and reduce anxiety. Loud noises outside your house like fireworks or gunshots can cause tension in a pet canine. However, soft tunes can help block out those harsh noises and restore calm for your dog.
Music could also be used to calm your domestic canine when you’re away or busy with other errands. In case you’re preoccupied, you can leave some soft melodies playing in the background. However, if you’re away, ask the companion left in your house to have the television playing some soothing tunes, so your pet doesn’t feel lonely in your absence.
3. Massage
Humans widely use massage sessions as a means to help ease mental or physical tension. To pet canines, this may also apply. In properly massaging your dog, start by petting them, then begin working from the neck, and move downwards to the shoulders. Next, get to the chest and forelimbs, followed by the back, then finalize with the hind legs. As you soothe your tamed canine, be keen to establish which parts hold more tension than others. If you identify such points, work on them longer than the other relaxed parts.
Dog massage could be beneficial in several ways besides minimizing stress. It may also help enhance blood flow, improve mental alertness, and boost your dog’s general well-being.
4. Dog Yoga
Dog yoga, or doga, is a recent trend that has gained popularity as an effective way to calm pet canines. It’s believed yoga could help relieve stress for individuals, improve the quality of sleep, and enhance body strength and balance.
Similarly, doga may aid in lowering dog anxiety and in boosting mental and physical stability. Additionally, it could also help improve blood circulation and it may be an efficient form of exercise for obese or injured dogs.
5. Dog Exercises
Regular exercises could significantly help in improving your dog’s overall well-being. If your tamed canine doesn’t keep fit, their mental, physical, and emotional health may be compromised. This means your dog could accumulate excess weight, which could lead to illnesses like diabetes, hypertension, or heart disease. Additionally, lack of physical activity may also cause lethargy, agitation, anxiety, or boredom.
Therefore, ensure your pet is getting sufficient exercise to reduce such risks. There are various types of activities you could try to reenergize your pet. For instance, simple jogs, playing fetch, climbing stairs, hide and seek, and treadmill workouts could help your tamed canine stay fit.
Conclusion
Stress in dogs can be quite unpleasant. It could manifest in various ways like frustration, loss of appetite, and destructive behaviors such as biting and destroying furniture. To calm your pet canine, identify the cause of the stress first, then proceed to do necessary measures in assisting and reducing discomfort.
Some stress relievers could be in the form of physical contact, doga, soothing music, dog exercises, and massage. If your tamed canine doesn’t respond to any of these techniques, consider professional help from certified veterinarians.
