How to help anxious dogs.

You may believe anxiety is something only humans suffer from, but you would be wrong. Dogs of all sizes and breeds can have anxiety. Separation anxiety is one of the most common. This is when your dog acts out whenever you leave them, because they feel attached to you. In this article we will outline various methods to assist a dog with anxiety, before it leads to serious behavior or health problems.

So, what causes dogs to have anxiety in the first place? Anxiety surfaces in response to fear or separation. According to the Merck Veterinary Manual, “It is estimated that ~14% of dogs have separation anxiety, or an inability of the pet to find comfort when separated from family members.” Leaving a dog home alone can lead them to misbehave: destroying furniture, getting into food, hurting themselves, etc.

The best way to combat separation anxiety is to leave you dog on their own when they are a
puppy. Otherwise, if your puppy spends every second of the day with you, they will have difficulty adapting to when you do start leaving them alone. Exercising your dog before leaving them, like thirty-minute walk, can help decrease their separation anxiety and calm their nerves. Natural remedies are also an effective option. CBD is a known calming medication for dogs. Talk with your vet about medication options for separation anxiety. If none of these solutions are working, you can always crate train your dog and leave them in there when you’re gone. Obviously, this is not the most ideal solution, but some dogs find their crates to be their safe place.

Other types of anxiety come from fear. Some dogs are afraid of loud noises like fireworks or thunder. A thunder vest is a tight sleeve you can put on your dog, and it is proven to help anxiety. Putting dog TV on or relaxing music can also calm nerves. If you’re home with your dog and able, you can even give them a massage. Dogs love massages just like we do. Or sometimes all they need is to snuggle up against you and receive some belly rubs.

Dogs experience anxiety the same way we do, and there are solutions similar to the ones we find for ourselves. It is important to look for the signs of anxiety with your pet and find ways that work for both them and you to fight it. Dogs can’t ask us to help them, or tell us what they need, so the responsibility to recognize and support them is in the hands of their owners

* image and references via AFK.