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Just like us, even our furry friends suffer from anxiety that can get triggered by different factors. Separation anxiety, loud sounds like fireworks or thunder are some of the reasons behind dog’s behavioral issues. As dog parents, it is important that we know how to calm them before their stress turns into hyperactive, dangerous, and destructive behaviors.

In this article, we will discuss some of the easy ways that help in reducing anxiety in dogs.

How to find out if your dog has anxiety

If your dog displays the below symptoms, it is most likely that he is suffering from anxiety.

• It barks or howls when left alone.
• It experiences panting, shivering, cowering or pacing.
• It tries to escape, dig excessively, or try to destroy the fencing in your yard.
• It chews and destroys furniture and other objects when left unsupervised.
• It shows signs of self-harm, such as over-licking or chewing its fur or paws.

Tips for calming anxious dogs

If your dog suffers from anxiety or depression, re-consider its routine and ways that can help you eradicate the symptoms.

Let’s look at a few effective ways that can help you reduce your furry baby’s anxiety:

Create a Safe Space

While a dog is facing anxiety, a comfortable bed or crate can provide it comfort and a sense of safety.

Exercise

Similar to humans, a good workout session works wonders for dogs as well. If your dog is experiencing anxiety, you should offer it more opportunities to exercise. A trip to the dog park, a long walk, or a game of fetch can work wonderfully. Dogs who simply require exercise during the daytime to get rid of evening hyperactivity can benefit from a daycare or dog sitter.

Offer Physical Contact

In an anxious moment, love and care from a trusted human can help reduce stress in an anxious dog. Dog massages, good brushing, and snuggles can help a dog get distracted and easily make them feel safe and at ease.

Provide Toys

There are mentally stimulating toys in the market that distract dogs going through anxiety, boredom, and hyperactivity. You can go for chew toys that offer a variety of sensory textures or sounds and puzzle toys that release treats when placed correctly. These can provide a lot of entertainment to your dog. Offering these activities to your dog in times of stress will not only act as positive reinforcement for good behavior during anxiety but also help fix their behavior in the long term.

Play Music

When you can’t be around your dog while it is anxious, music may just be the key to calming it down. You can get your hands on calming music. Besides helping with anxiety, music fights loneliness, boredom and hyperactivity. You can introduce your dog to music as a sensory solution and it will act as a soothing mechanism during anxiety.

Dress Your Pet

You can invest in calming coats and anxiety vests that are greatly effective when it comes to comforting dogs during times of anxiety. The effect of a tightly fit garment is of the same concept as that of swaddling a baby. If the jacket fits your dog properly, it offers constant pressure to the torso of the dog, thus comforting it.

Effective Anxiety Supplements

If the above-mentioned home remedies do not manage to de-stress your dog, you can opt for any of the following supplements that effectively control stress and anxiety in dogs.

Anxitane Chewable Tablets

Anxitane (L-Theanine) Chewable Tablet keeps dogs calm and stress-free and also relaxes them in challenging situations. It is highly effective during the festive season, fireworks, long drives, and vet visits.

Learn more

Scullcap and Valerian Tablets

Designed to de-stress your dogs in a natural way, this supplement calms, relaxes, and reduces anxiety. It is useful in challenging situations such as loud noises of fireworks or thunderstorms, canine cognitive dysfunction, separation anxiety, relocation, traveling, moving to a new home, or during a false pregnancy.

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Zylkene Calming Capsules

It is a calming supplement that relaxes dogs in stressful situations like loud noise, vet visits, home alone, meeting new people or animals, or moving to a new home. It reduces anxiety in dogs both inside and outside the house.

Learn more

Wrapping Up

The above recommendations are only meant for informational purposes. If none of the strategies succeed in calming your dog, you should seek help from a veterinarian who will prescribe oral treatments based on your dog’s specific needs.