How to Help a Stressed and Anxious Dog

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How To Help A Stressed And Anxious Dog – Collaboration

As a dog owner I really love my pets Yoda and Casper and seeing my dogs happy and content is really important to me. However, there are certain times when my dogs can become stressed and anxious and knowing what to do to help my dogs is really important.

It appears I’m not the only one to have dogs who get anxious and stressed. According to The National Dog Happiness Survey carried out by natural supplement company Lintbells in September 2016, almost 2000 dogs owners rated their dog’s happiness at 6/10 or less.

Triggers That Stress Dogs

Lintbells identified three major triggers of stress for dogs. These included moving house, having a new household member join the home and the stress of firework noise. Such challenges can cause significant stress and anxiety for our furry friends and with firework season approaching this can be a worrying time for dog owners.

Also, there’s one more reason that could make your dog become anxious and that is separation anxiety. You can learn to train your dog and help them become less stressed by using a dog crate. We used a crate when Yoda was a baby and he handles separation a lot better than Casper who becomes more anxious when we go out.

The Lintbells vet James Howie says there are ways to reduce the stress of fireworks season and other fearful events,

“The first thing to understand is that noise phobias don’t get better with time – in fact in most cases the fearful reaction will become worse year on year.”

James advises pet owners to seek help from accredited animal behaviourists or vets,

“There are techniques that can be used to help support your dog through fireworks season Using supplements and other aids can help keep dogs relaxed enough to accept these techniques without feeling too anxious”.

How can we help an anxious dog remain calm during firework season?

There are numerous things we can do to help our dogs to remain clam this firework season and here are some top tips for pet owners this firework season. There are also calming treats available in the market that are proven safe and effective on clearing out pet’s anxiety like these natural dog calming treats by KarmaPets. The ingredients used are purely organic and healthy to ensure the safety of our pets.

Keep Your Anxious Dog Indoors

1- Keep your dog safe indoors and ensure they have identification. 37% of dog owners from the Lintbell Dog Happiness Survey said there dog is likely to run away as a reaction to stress. Making sure your dog is microchipped and has a collar can really help in this event. Try giving your dog DIY dog toys to play with and keep them busy.

Act Calmly Around Your Dog

2- Act calmly and normally. If you are too fussy this could reinforce your dogs anxiety and cause them to feel they need to be afraid.

Create a Restful Environment

3- Create a safe and restful environment. If your dog does react in an uncharacteristic way then being safe and secure in the home will really help to protect them.

Keep the Curtains Closed

KEEP THE CURTAINS CLOSED

4. Draw the curtains and blinds to help muffle and noise and flashes of light from the fireworks. You could also add extra layers of material to the windows to further reduce noise or cover your dog with a puppy blanket to make them feel secure and safe.

Walk Your Dog

5. You could take your dog for a long walk during the day to help them use up their energy stores and feel more restful and sleeping in the evening.

Give Your Dog Calming Supplements

6. You can use a supplement of other aids to help your dog to feel calm and relaxed during times of stress. this week I was sent a lovely pamper package for Yoda and Casper for the Firework season which includes the dog supplement YuCALM Dog.

Made from natural ingredients, this calming compound can calm down a dog during a stressful period dampening the effect of stressful events such as firework night.

Ask Your Vet for Advise

7. You could ask your Vet or an animal behaviourist for advice for long term training to help your dog be less anxious when exposed to stressful triggers.

Helping Dogs Stay Calm

So this week we received a fabulous Dog care package in the mail for Yoda and Casper.

The package included some fantastic food and dog treats for our pets, an exercise ball launcher and dog bone toy to encourage exercise and play.

We also received a comfort blanket and a pack of YuCALM to help our dogs on firework night.

We will also be using the YuCALM in 3 weeks time when we move house to help reduce Yoda and Casper’s anxiety as we move to our new family home.

I’ve talked to a few specialists recently including a friend who is a dog specialist and she recommended we find a calming product to help our dogs, so when offered the chance to test out YuCALM on our dogs, I did not hesitate to say yes.

YuCALM has a unique formula made from natural ingredients. I would not want to give our dogs something which is not natural.

By using YuCALM this will provide Yoda and Casper with more dopamine, the “feel-good” chemical messenger and help them to feel more relaxed during this turbulent month.

If you would like to purchase YuCALM from your Veterinary practice, pet shops and online retailers. For further information you can visit Lintbells Online or ring 01462 416866 to speak to an experienced advisor.

Our dogs will be much more relaxed this year and happy. Will yours?