How to Calm Dog Anxiety

As the 21st-century rolls on, mental illness is becoming normalized. Nowadays, people don’t have to feel ashamed if they suffer from anxiety, depression, or any other mental illness. The battle is hard but they have many supportive communities around them, and they’re not alone.

But what about dogs? 

While they’re very different from us behaviorally and genetically, man’s best friend suffers from many of the same afflictions we do. In fact, over 70% of dogs display symptoms of anxiety. 

If your dog suffers from anxiety symptoms, you may be wondering how to calm dog anxiety. 

And if you are — that’s already a good first step. Many people treat dog’s behavioral issues as just “how dogs are” as opposed to considering that the dog might have some sort of anxiety disorder. But with dogs inhabiting the same spaces as humans, they’re prone to many human emotions and stressors. 

So what can you do? How do you relax your furry friend?

Thankfully, there’s a solution. This article will walk you through all you need to know about dog anxiety, and what you can do to treat it. 

Dog Anxiety Basics 

It’s important to remember that anxiety is a mental and emotional affliction, and no two cases are exactly alike. That being said, let’s take a look at a few of the most common causes of dog anxiety. 

Visual Stimuli

You might have noticed your dog reacting adversely to certain things they see.

While we’re acquainted with the world of human things, and dogs spend a lot of time around humans, dogs don’t understand every part of our world. The world wasn’t built by them. Because of this, dogs might get anxious because of things they don’t understand. 

Your dog might get anxious about things as simple as the umbrella you’re taking with you on a rainy day, a hat on your head which changes your appearance, strangers, or new furniture. They can’t understand where these things come from or what they’re used for, and this stresses many of them. out. 

Loud Noises 

It’s no secret that human life is often a noisy affair. While there are scary sounds out in the wild — like thunder — dogs have unique proximity to all of the sounds of human life. 

One of the most common loud noises that cause anxiety in dogs is the beeping the fire alarm makes when it needs to be changed. While nobody likes this noise, and indeed it can hurt our ears, dogs are especially affected.

The noise that these machines make is extremely unnatural and has no equivalent out in the wild or in a dog’s genetic programming. These noises are designed to make humans uncomfortable so that we can’t ignore our fire alarms. However, our dogs don’t know the positives of the beeping, so they become very scared.  

Some other noises dogs are often scared of are sirens, truck horns, fireworks, and the dropping of large items. 

How to Calm Dog Anxiety

Just like humans, talking to doctors is the best way to learn what’s best for treatment. A trustworthy veterinarian will work with your dog’s personality to figure out a treatment plan that’s best for them. 

Let’s look at a few of the things the vet might suggest, or that you might do to help your dog before your appointment. 

Sanctuary Space

Giving your dog a space in the house where they can calm down and collect themself is very important.

You don’t need to set up a room for your dog — very few people have the space to make an entire room for their dog — but during high-stress events like thunderstorms, fireworks, and alarm beeps, you can clear a certain room that your dog likes of stimulants, and encourage them to go in there. If you do this often enough, your dog will get used to the routine, and understand that this is a place where they can go to be safe. 

On the surface, this space can serve to relieve your dog and calm down. In the long-term, your dog might be less anxious in general, knowing that they have an option they can go to when things get confusing. 

Medications

If the problem is bad enough, your vet might prescribe your dog anxiety medication. These SSRIs, anti-depressants, and if specific cases are bad enough, benzodiazepines. 

Don’t feel bad about treating your dog with medical products. Much of human medicine is used to treat the specific problems that befall us as a result of living in the modern-day world. Our dogs aren’t living out in nature, they’re living with us, so they deserve the same kind of treatment that we do.  

CBD Products

These days, many people are using CBD. It’s been found to treat everything from anxiety to chronic pain. Its high-benefit-to-low-side-effect ratio makes it one of the fastest rising products on the market today. 

But CBD doesn’t just benefit humans, it benefits dogs too. 

Our CBD products are organic, high-quality products that work specifically your dog’s body to help produce a calming reaction. Many people report not just an improvement in the anxiety, but a generally positive attitude change from their dogs. One happy five-star customer in our testimonials said that his dog was back to her “playful self.” 

Help Heal Your Dog 

The world is stressful for human beings. It’s even more stressful for dogs, who live in a world full of humans that they don’t quite understand. If you’re wondering how to calm dog anxiety — you’re not alone.

Once you know the basics of why your dog might get anxious, make use of sanctuary spaces, medications, and CBD products, you’re well on your way to helping your dog heal. 

If you’re ready to help heal your dog, check out our products today.