Calming Tips for Stressed or Anxious Dogs
At the time of writing this, Hawke’s Bay has experienced devastating floods following Cyclone Gabrielle and many people and animals have been displaced or worse. The incomprehensible grief and stress that we feel as humans, is also something that impacts our beloved animals. Hopefully this blog post helps to alleviate a bit of that stress for your pets (and yourselves) during these challenging times.
All of these ideas are great for dogs of all ages to reduce daily stress levels, improve mental stimulation and overall wellbeing. They’re also great for us humans too as there’s nothing better than making your dog happy.
NOTE: While the post below is specific to dogs, a lot of it is relevant to cats and other domestic pets too! Look up ‘enrichment’ for your pet for more ideas and info.
CALMING FOODS
Sniffing, chewing and licking is calming for dogs so meal times, treats or long-dwell chews can provide a great opportunity to de-stress as well as providing much-needed mental stimulation for dogs of all ages.
You can read my full blog post about ‘Ditching The Bowl’ at mealtimes here and there’s a good video here featuring lots of different puzzle toys and ideas in action with meals or treats.
There are plenty of great DIY ideas like scatter feeding, rolling food up in a towel, putting biscuits in a plastic bottle and more which can be done indoors if needed too.
Sniffing is so rewarding for dogs and especially for those busy brains who need a ‘job’ to do! We sometimes do a ‘Treasure Hunt’ at mealtimes using enrichment toys (which can be DIY ideas like egg cartons etc) with food hidden inside so they get twice the sniffy challenge – my dog Storm LOVES this!
Long-dwell chews like cow hooves (you can stuff and freeze these too), pigs ears and bully sticks are also great ways to give them something to release a bit of stress through too.
CALMING PRODUCTS
Natural calming products like Adaptil (which mimics the calming hormones of a mother dog for her puppies) are great, and they have a plug-in option to use around a crate or in a room to help them get some good relaxed rest during the night as well.
Sleep is SO important for dogs so make sure they are getting opportunities to rest undisturbed if possible (see some ideas for helping with any environmental noise issues below)
There is also an Adaptil calming spray that can be used on bedding (great for travel in the car as well) or you can use it on a bandana around their neck.
I also use BioPet Relax for my dogs (just a few drops which they’re happy to lick off my palm) and there are also a wealth of other homeopathic options that may work for your dog.
Lavender oil can also help, using a few drops on bedding or a bandanna (note - some dogs do not like lavender however so you might want to check)
CALMING MUSIC
Spotify and YouTube are full of great calming playlists for dogs struggling with anxiety or stress.
Studies have proven that classical music is calming for dogs but there are many different options if you can’t cope with that style of music yourself!
Here are some to check out
If you’re in a busy, noisy environment even something like white noise can help to reduce stress levels as well (just like human babies!)
CANINE MASSAGE
There are some simple techniques that you can do with your dog using touch to help calm and relax your dog (and they’ll be good for you too!)
One of the most important things I learnt about canine massage is to only use as much pressure as you would if you were touching your own eyeball – keep it nice and gentle, they don’t need a lot of pressure.
This is a great post covering several touch techniques which includes drawings from the amazing Lily Chin.
Always keep an eye on your dog’s body language to make sure they are actually enjoying it (see my blog post about body language here)
CALMING COMPRESSION OPTIONS
A Thundershirt or the DIY version (see instructions below) can also help dogs feel calmer in stressful situations, or just as an overall support for de-stress each day or following a stressful event.
You can also use a calming spray on these like Adaptil to further aid the relaxing effect (Thundershirts are usually sold with this as part of the package).
Some people use this in specific situations (Guy Fawkes, going to the vet, guests arriving etc) or alternatively you can just start using it for a few minutes a day (or more if they appear to benefit from it) to aid an overall de-stress over time.
Kmart also has a cheaper option that I have used called a ‘Cuddle Vest’
Just be careful with either option however, especially for long-haired / furry dogs, as they have a lot of velcro and if your dogs is worried about that sound or feeling, it could just add more stress to the mix! The DIY calming wrap may be a better place to start.
DECOMPRESSION WALKS
These are walks where dogs can just enjoy nature, being a dog and sniffing without stress (on a long line is best) that can help to reduce daily stress. Great for humans too!
The aim of these is ‘trigger-free’ walks where they don’t need to worry about anything else and they are able to start relaxing more outdoors, as well as helping with an overall reduction in their stress levels over time.
Just remember that many dogs prefer just their human’s company, or just that of a few close, known dog friends. Getting together with a whole lot of other dogs to ‘tire them out’ may actually have the opposite effect for stressed or anxious dogs.
Normally in Hawke’s Bay (whether off leash or on the longline) I would recommend some of the cycleway walks (we often go through the trees and bush below rather than walk along the cycleway), or along the river banks.
At the moment a lot of those areas are unsafe so even if you can just find a quiet neighbourhood or visit parks at a quiet time of day, that will help as well.
New sniffs have an amazing impact on your dog from being both interesting, calming and even tiring because those amazing canine brains have to ‘catalogue’ all those new smells!
Taking them to new places, even just a new neighbourhood park can have a wonderful effect.
Again keep an eye on that body language just to make sure they’re not overwhelmed by anything in the environment. Stressed dogs will tend to be more sensitive to things like loud noises or busy environments so quiet, natural settings are often best if you can access them.
DIY CALMING WRAP INSTRUCTIONS:
