Reducing stress in dogs is essential for their overall health and well-being. Dogs can experience stress due to various factors, including changes in routine, separation anxiety, loud noises, or unfamiliar environments. Bonne Beerda at Wageningen University & Research explains that behaviors that indicate a stress response are-
- Lip/snout licking
- Paw lifting
- Trembling of the body
- Yawning
- Auto grooming
- Vocalizations
Here are several effective ways to help reduce stress in dogs:
Create a Suitable Environment for Dogs
Provide your dog a quiet, designated space. This could be a crate, a specific room, or a cozy corner in your home. This place is very important for a dog to take rest. Soft bedding and toys or blankets can make this area feel safe and comforting. Ensure that the space is free from clutter.
Using calming music or pheromone diffusers can also promote tranquility. Make the environment avoid of loud noises, like fireworks or thunderstorms, which can cause stress.
Lastly, offer gentle petting and positive reinforcement to reinforce a calm and secure atmosphere.
Help Them Exercise
Regular exercise help reduce stress in dogs. Here are some ways to incorporate exercise into your dog’s routine:
Daily Walks: Aim for at least 30 minutes to an hour of walking. Taking your dog on daily walks is an effective way to reduce stress. Walking promotes physical exercise and introduce dogs to new smells and sights. This stimulates dogs and tire them out.
Playtime: Engaging in interactive play, such as fetching a ball, playing tug-of-war, or using toys, helps your dog burn energy in a fun, low-stress manner. Active playtime also helps strengthen the bond between you and your dog.
Agility Training: Setting up an agility course or participating in agility classes provides both physical and mental challenges for your dog. This type of exercise helps with focus and problem-solving, which can be very beneficial for reducing anxiety.
Mental Stimulation: Incorporating puzzle toys or treat-dispensing toys during exercise can combine physical and mental stimulation. These activities keep your dog engaged and help them work through stress in a healthy way.
Swimming: Swimming is a low-impact exercise. It provides excellent physical exercise without putting strain on joints.
Make Routine a Habit for Dogs
Making a routine and follow it consistently is key to creating a sense of security. This helps to reduce stress. Dogs with tress thrive on consistency. A predictable daily routine helps them feel safe and confident. Here’s how to establish a routine that becomes a habit for your dog:
Set Consistent Feeding Times: Feed your dogs at the same time each day. This habit help regulate their digestion and prevent anxiety around food.
Fix a Regular Exercise Time: Just like feeding, set a fixed time for walks, play sessions, or other forms of exercise. For example, you might take your dog for a walk every morning before work and play fetch in the evening. This routine along with physical activity helps keep your dog healthy, reduces stress, and promotes better sleep.
Create a Sleep Schedule: Set a specific time each night for winding down and going to bed. Avoid disruptive activities close to bedtime, and make their sleeping area cozy and quiet, so they associate it with relaxation.
Training and Mental Stimulation: Incorporate regular training sessions into your dog’s daily routine. Consistent positive reinforcement helps reduce behavioral issues. Puzzle toys, treat-dispensing toys, or scent games provide mental stimulation, helping your dog stay mentally engaged.
Socialization: Introduce socialization into your dog’s daily routine. This could involve visiting dog parks, meeting new dogs, or having playdates with other pets. Regular socialization helps dogs feel comfortable in different environments and reduces anxiety in new situations.
Dr. Brad Hinsperger at Kingsdale Animal Hospital says, “Socialization helps dogs to feel more confident when they are exposed to new people, places, and experiences. This can help to reduce anxiety and stress in unfamiliar situations.”
Time for Relaxation: Make sure your dog has quiet, downtime every day. A consistent “rest time” where your dog can retreat to their designated quiet space for a nap or simply relax is vital for reducing stress and balancing energy levels.
Introduce Desensitization and Counter-Conditioning
Desensitization is a process aimed at reducing a dog’s emotional response to a specific trigger by first introducing it in its least intense form. Over time, the intensity of the trigger is gradually increased in small, manageable steps, allowing the dog to adjust without becoming overwhelmed. This method ensures that the dog is only exposed to the trigger at a level they can comfortably tolerate, preventing stress and fear responses.
The ultimate goal of desensitization is to help the dog become fully accustomed to the trigger, so they no longer react with fear, anxiety, or aggression. With consistent practice, the dog learns to associate the trigger with calmness and safety rather than stress, eventually reaching a point where the trigger no longer causes any significant emotional response.
Here’s how to do it:
- Gradual Exposure to Loud Noises
- Introduce New Environments Slowly
- Socialization with Other Dogs and People
- Desensitizing to Handling and Touch
- Desensitize to Changes in Routine
- Create a designated safe space in your home
- Reward your dog with treats, praise, or toys when they remain calm.
Introduce Relaxation Techniques
Relaxation techniques can significantly reduce stress in dogs. Here are some methods and their benefits:
Calm Handling and Massage: Gentle petting or massage soothe a dog’s nervous system. By using slow, deliberate movements, such as rubbing the ears, neck, or back, you can lower a dog’s heart rate and induce relaxation. Regular massages release tension and help dogs with muscle discomfort or anxiety.
Dee Ganley Dog Training Services explains that “You don’t need to be a professionally trained masseuse. You just need to understand a few basics about where and how to touch. It is the time spent making quality physical and emotional contact that will make the difference. Massage is a quiet, relaxing way to bond with your dog.”
Deep Breathing and Guided Relaxation: Some dogs respond to deep, rhythmic breathing or calming voice cues from their owner. This technique involves speaking in a slow, calm tone while encouraging your dog to settle.
Progressive Muscle Relaxation: This technique involves encouraging your dog to progressively relax different muscle groups, starting with their head and moving down to their paws. As each area of the body relaxes, the dog’s overall stress level decreases.
Use Calming Products
Calming collars: Synthetic calming pheromones, available in sprays, diffusers, or collars, mimic the natural scent a mother dog produces to soothe her puppies. These pheromones reduce anxiety and promote relaxation by triggering a sense of security in your dog.
G M Landsberg, at North Toronto Veterinary Behavior Specialty Clinic, showed that “The DAP (dog-appeasing pheromone) collar reduced the scores of fears and anxiety, and increased hide use in response to a thunder recording, possibly by counteracting noise-related increased reactivity.”
Dr. Joseph Turk, a veterinarian in The Vet Clinic of Palm Harbor, Florida, says, “This pheromone is released as mother dogs nurse their puppies very early in life. As such, it appears to aid in relaxation for some dogs.”
Pressure vests: These wrap around your dog’s torso and apply gentle, constant pressure that can help reduce anxiety during stressful events.
Louise Anne Buckley PhD at The University of Edinburgh found that, pressure vests may have a modest but positive impact on canine anxiety, and habituating the dog to the vest, ensuring comfort, and using it consistently may enhance its effectiveness. Various vests are available on the market, including the ThunderShirt, Anxiety Wrap, and Lymed Animal™ supporting garments.
Natural remedies: Some dogs may benefit from natural supplements like CBD oil, valerian root, or other vet-recommended calming aids. Always consult with a veterinarian before using any supplements.
Consider Professional Help
If your dog’s stress is severe or persistent, it’s important to consult a veterinarian. They may recommend a behavioral therapist or prescribe anti-anxiety medications if needed.
A professional can provide tailored advice and techniques to address specific stress triggers and help modify your dog’s behavior.
By taking these steps, you can help your dog feel secure, calm, and relaxed, improving their overall well-being.
Reference:
- The Importance Of Socialization For Your Dog’s Mental Health. Kingsdale Animal Hospital.
- Behavioural and Hormonal Indicators of Enduring Environmental Stress in Dogs. ResearchGate.
- Desensitisation and counter-conditioning. Dog’s Trust.
- Relaxation and Stress Reduction. Dee Ganley Dog Training Services.
- Dog-appeasing pheromone collars reduce sound-induced fear and anxiety in beagle dogs: a placebo-controlled study. PubMed Central.
- Are Pressure Vests Beneficial at Reducing Stress in Anxious and Fearful Dogs? Veterinary Evidence Online.
