Just like humans, dogs can also experience stress and fear, and quite often, this stress comes from different sources. Some of the most common signs of stress are constipation, diarrhoea, shivering, shedding, drooling, barking, destructive behaviour, etc. If you’ve noticed that your furry pet feels agitated for different reasons, here’s what you can do to help it calm down.
Ways to Relieve Stress in Dogs
Identify the Trigger
The first and most important thing you should do is recognize what triggers anxiety and stress in your pet. Even though this could take some time, you should be patient and identify the potential causes. The triggers can be environmental, physical or social, so observing your dog will help you find out the root of their behaviour. Once you find out what it is, you should remove your dog from the stressor, whether this is the presence of other dogs, children, crates, etc.
Go for Walks and Let It Exercise
Going on regular walks and keeping your dog active is one of the most important things you can do for their health and well-being. That said, this is also one of the most effective ways to help your dog reduce feelings of stress and get rid of them over time. Just like humans, dogs can also benefit from exercising. That said, whenever your pooch is feeling anxious, make sure that you keep up with your daily walks and try to take it to a fenced-in dog park where it can run and play with balls, other toys and dogs. You can also take it to the beach or in your garden, where you can play with a frisbee.
Give It Suitable Medicine for Stress Relief
In case your dog shows severe and hard-to-tackle signs of stress, it would be better if you tried to treat the condition with adequate medications. The most popular medication for reducing stress in dogs is Adaptil which is known for its calming and relaxing properties. Adaptil is a synthetic version of the dog appeasing pheromones (DAP) used for managing stress, anxiety and fear-related behaviours.
These pheromones are chemical signals that dogs produce naturally for communicating with other dogs. The pheromone also helps in calming and relaxing dogs, making them feel more secure and calm, which is the reason for the appearance of synthetic pheromones which can help in calming and relaxing dogs when under stress. You can buy Adaptil in several forms mainly as sprays, diffusers and collars.
Speaking of collars, you should know that they look almost the same as any standard dog collar. Adaptil for dogs can also be used for dogs that experience stress and anxiety caused by separation. It can also be used for dogs that find it difficult to adapt to new environments. Thanks to this medication, your little furry friend can once again feel happy and relaxed when experiencing stress and anxiety.
Regardless of the type of medication you plan to choose and use on your dog, the benefits from it are the same – it can reduce anxiety and stress. This can be extremely helpful, especially in situations that can trigger nervousness, anxiety, and fear like noisy places, fireworks, thunderstorms, etc.
Medications of this kind won’t only make dogs feel relaxed, but they can also improve their lifestyle and well-being. And if you ask yourself ‘Are there any side effects to Adaptil?’ know that it is found to be completely safe to use by dogs of all ages.
Behavioural Training
For those of you who don’t seem to achieve any good results with exercising, walking and playing with your dog, and don’t want to give it any medications, then you can try behavioural training. The goal of this professional training is to allow professionals to change your dog’s response to stimuli that make it feel anxious and stressed.
You can also try training your dog on your own, especially when the stress and anxiety of your dog are caused by separation. You can do this by giving your dog treats or new toys that will keep it occupied and busy. This will give it less time to think of you and more to play. Another great trick is to speak with your normal voice when leaving and returning, not to make a great deal out of leaving or arriving at home.
In case your dog has stress caused by something else, you can try to gradually introduce it to its cause of stress/fear. Make sure to expose your dog to this gradually, and don’t forget about giving it a treat.
Create a Routine
The last thing you can do is to create a routine for your pet. Having a routine will give your dog peace of mind and will reduce the chances of stress caused by experiencing some unexpected stress. Making a schedule that you’ll follow strictly will help your dog become dependent on the routine and it’ll become more relaxed and worry-free.
