When we think of dogs, we often think of fun, playful little creatures that are always ready to go for walks, eat snacks, and cuddle.
But the truth of the matter is that dogs are actually a lot more complicated than that.
And just like humans, dogs can also experience anxiety.
Now, the thing that people often misunderstand about anxiety is that while it is unpleasant, it’s also a pretty normal and healthy emotion.
All dog breeds can feel anxious at times—and each individual dog may respond to anxiety a little bit differently.
With that being said, even though anxiety is a naturally occurring emotion for dogs, it can also become a bit of an issue if it’s left unchecked and becomes disproportionately destructive in your dog’s life.
It can lead to multiple different types of behavioral issues—and can just, in general, be a nuisance to deal with.
So in this post, you’re going to learn five tips for how to help your dog overcome their anxiety.
1. Exercise With Your Dog
Exercise can help a dog’s anxiety levels in a variety of different ways. For example, a leading cause of anxiety in dogs is separation anxiety.
Exercising with your dog (taking a walk together) will not only give you an opportunity to spend more time with them and bond with them, but it’ll also help your pet to relieve excess energy.
This physical activity is really good for a dog’s emotional state of mind. For best results, take your dog for a walk at least once per day.
2. Initiate Physical Contact With Your Dog
As a dog owner, you probably already know that dogs literally live for their owner’s touch.
If you notice that your dog is feeling anxious, one of the best ways to help counteract it is to physically engage with them.
Pet them, pick them up and cuddle them, set them on your lap, and just in general give them a lot of love, attention, and affection.
This can really help to soothe your dog’s anxiety.
3. Give Your Dog Some Alone Time
Sometimes, dogs get anxious for exactly the opposite reason.
Maybe your dog is tired of humans right now.
Or maybe there’s just been too much excitement—and now your dog’s nerves are getting frayed and stretched to the maximum.
In such cases, it may be a good idea to give your dog a space where they can be alone.
Consider setting them up in a comfortable bed in the back bedroom where they can retreat for a solitary ‘time out.’
Sometimes, peace and quiet is the best way to soothe your dog’s anxiety—especially if that anxiety is caused by human contact.
4. Give CBD Oil A Try
A lot of people wonder if CBD oil can be a benefit to dogs suffering from anxiety—and the answer may surprise you.
The truth of the matter is that CBD is already well known to be pretty beneficial for helping dogs who suffer from anxiety.
Of course, it depends on the dog specifically, but giving it a try certainly won’t hurt anything.
This is especially true if your dog tends to suffer from anxiety caused by things like loud noises, travel, going to the vet, etc.
CBD can basically help your dog to feel more calm and relaxed, which is just the ticket for a high-strung dog who’s suffering from a particularly difficult bout with anxiety.
Some people also fear that CBD may get their dogs high.
But this isn’t a possibility.
Veriheal, who maintains a very useful blog about all things cannabis-related, says it exactly like this:
“Although some pet parents refrain from using CBD products on the premise that they may get their pets high, this fear is unwarranted. While CBD is technically a psychoactive compound, its effects are not intoxicating like those of the cannabinoid tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).”
Conclusion
There you have it.
Four methods for helping your dog to overcome their anxiety.
Dogs are complicated creatures. And they’re a lot more human-like than a lot of humans give them credit for.
Of course, there’s definitely a communication barrier. So it also pays to pay attention, to be attentive to your dog’s needs, and to anticipate their need to be calmed, soothed, etc.
This can go a long way toward helping your pet to be maximally happy and healthy for the long term.
