Dogs face anxiety and show destructive behavior for several reasons, such as sudden changes in routine, loneliness, unfamiliar people, loud noises, fears, and medical problems. In such cases, you have to treat your dog cautiously.
You should use different relieving techniques for your anxious dog, such as the following:
1. Understand Your Dog’s Problem
As a pet parent, you must understand your dog’s language. Dogs can’t speak, but they reflect their anxiety through some actions, such as the following:
- Dogs can’t settle and show destructive behavior during anxiety.
- They bark, howl, or whine repeatedly.
- The dog’s tail is lowered or tucked.
Signs of anxiety may vary from dog to dog, but you can easily observe that something is disturbing your dog. When you see any of these signs, it should be your first job to resolve the disturbance of your dog. In this state, only a familiar person should come near the dog.
2. Give Your Dog a Massage
When you have resolved the disturbance, you should give your dog a massage to calm him. As in anxiety, the whole body comes into a flight state and puts pressure on the muscles. Through massage, they will feel safe, and their body will relax.
However, dog owners don’t know the right way to give their dog a massage, so they can follow this step-by-step guide:
- Massage your dog with a flat palm to stroke softly on the neck and shoulders of your dog.
- Now, give long strokes on the spine.
- Then, move your hand in a circular motion, putting a little pressure on the chest, belly, and shoulders.
- Press the legs to relieve the muscles.
When you do massage repeatedly, you can easily spot the relieving spots of your dog.
3. Try Calming Drugs
When you are in public places and don’t have enough time to relieve your dog, you can use calming drugs. These drugs have certain chemicals that can stimulate their mind to calm down and release stress. However, you have to make sure that these drugs are non-invasive. At the same time, you don’t have to make your dog addicted to these drugs.
The most common calming drugs have the following chemicals:
- Melatonin
- Thiamin
- Chamomile
- L-theanine
- L-tryptophan
Additionally, you can use pheromones that are diffused in the room to relax the dogs. You can use gels, capsules, or calming chews for dogs to relax them.
4. Take Your Dog for Exercise
Exercise is another way to release your dog’s stress. At the same time, exercise will keep your dog fit and control its weight. If you need clarification about which exercise is best for your dog, you should try different exercises. Then, observe which your dog enjoys the most. Here are some of the most common dog’s exercises:
- Walking
- Jogging
- Running
- Fetching
- Swimming
- Climbing stairs
You have to add it to your routine to go for exercise at least 15 minutes a day. This will fulfill the requirements of socialization and entertainment.
