How to Calm Down an Anxious Dog?

How to Calm Down an Anxious Dog? - Being the owner of a dog, we all have come through a situation where our dog seems to be in distress and anxiety. It usually happens due to some changes in its surroundings, unpleasant sounds, and there can be many other reasons behind your dog's anxiousness.

It's a most common problem that every dog owner faces which causes trouble to both the pet and the owner. So now, how to calm a dog down? Aromatherapy, some good music, soothing your pet, and a little bit of exercise could be the best choice.

Know no one will be able to handle your pet better than you, So go through the article to master calming your dog down.

How to Calm Down an Anxious Dog? - What are the Causes Behind Your Dog's Anxiety?

An undisciplined manner in your dog's daily routine can be the major reason behind your dog's anxiety. For example, if the pet does not get food on time, doesn't get a regular walk, and has to sit at home for a whole day, then obviously, it will cause anxiety to your dog.

What are the Hormones Responsible for Dog's Anxiety?

Now coming upon the hormones which are released when the dog gets anxious, some specialized hormones play an important role in several kinds of anxiety-like illnesses related to fear issues and many others.

The different types of hormones responsible are

Thyroid Hormone

If your dog is suffering from hair fall issues, anxiety, weight gain, and fear issues, then the release of thyroid hormone is the reason behind this. If the thyroid gland in your pet's body is not releasing enough thyroid hormone, it can cause these types of diseases, referred to as Hypothyroidism.

Thyroxine and Triiodothyronine

Problems like indigestion and sleepiness cause anxiety in your dog, which can be due to a slower metabolic rate of the body. The excessive release of thyroxine and triiodothyronine hormone by the thyroid gland causes this disease named thyrotoxicosis, also known as Grave's disease.

Vasopressin

The major reason behind your dog’s anxiety could be the inflammation of the brain tissues and its swelling, which can also make your dog aggressive sometimes.

It can be caused due to some fungal, bacterial, or parasitic infections and is referred to as encephalitis.

The swelling of brain tissues occurs due to the reduction in the release of the hormone vasopressin by the posterior pituitary gland.

Progesterone 

If your dog is getting thirsty and getting fatty daily, and you can see the appearance of cataracts, it can be pre-diabetes, which also causes anxiety. This disease can be caused due to the excessive release of progesterone for two months in the body during the time of the estrus cycle.

If you recognize this kind of behavioral change in your pet, you should discuss it with your veterinarian, which will help your dog get a quick recovery.

How to Identify if Your Dog is Getting Anxious?

Now we are going to discuss the signs that will help you identify if your dog is going through anxiety or not.

1. Dogs used to bark all the time when they were left alone at home, which is a sign of their anxiousness.
2. If your pup gets anxious, then it will try to destroy the things that it will find by its side and try to chew the home's furniture.
3. Will used to run unnecessarily and dig excessively in the ground to give his master a sign that he was getting anxious.
4. The dog might also try to harm himself by biting his paws and crawling unnecessarily here and there on the ground.
5. You can also identify your pet's anxiety through the timing of its urination. If your pet is urinating more frequently, then it is also a sign of anxiousness.
6. If your dog is panting and pacing even in the winter season without getting near a hot place, then it's the most common sign of anxiousness.
7. Ignoring and refusing food for days is also a sign of anxiousness, and you should consult with your vet during this condition.
8. As per scientific research, some dogs also try to give their owner a sign about their anxiousness by lifting one of their paws.

What are the Types of Anxieties in Dogs?

As per the studies done, the dogs used to go through two types of anxieties as follows.

Separation Anxiety 

Not all dogs suffer from separation anxiety. This anxiety usually occurs when the owner gets away from their pet for some time; it happens because the dogs are hyper attached to their owners.

Illness-Induced Anxiety

Dogs suffering from certain health problems like fungal infections, bacterial diseases like brucellosis, and orchitis are generally used to develop illness-induced anxiety.

Some dogs also develop anxiousness as they get older. This is because, along with the time, your pet's body develops new types of confusion and fears that occur because of a syndrome named cognitive dysfunction syndrome.

This is a very well-known medical issue in dogs, which can range from pulled muscles to the different types of thyroid conditions that can cause harm to the body.

How to Calm an Anxious Dog: Tips and Tricks to Follow

We suggest that if you cannot deal with your dog's anxiety, and it seems to be related to health, you should consult with your vet to take the proper medication for your pet.

 Further, you can also go for the following steps to have control over your anxious dog.

Removal of Triggers Causing Anxiety 

If you can identify what is causing anxiety to your dog, then removing that thing from the surrounding could be really helpful.

Like some dogs get anxious by other dogs and get surrounded by unknown people, to avoid these, you can just skip going out with your dog to a crowded place.

Using Synthetic Pheromones  

You can also use synthetic pheromones like dog appeasing pheromones in some cases. These are used by the vets during the birth procedure of a female dog to calm them down to reduce anxiety and pain.

So using these pheromones in a needed situation will be a great choice. You can also go for some others like collars, sprays, and diffusers as per your consultation with the veterinarian.

Workout with Your Dog 

The anxiousness of your dog is also responsible for the release of an excessive amount of energy in its body. The release of that excessive amount of energy will help calm your pet, so having some exercise with your dog is the best option to choose here.   

Giving Them a Personal Space 

Dogs are very sensitive and get scared of little things like the bursting of crackers, the appearance of guests at home, and loud music sounds.

This all causes them anxiety, so giving them a space where they can feel safe and secure without any stimulation at the time while all this is happening outside will help calm the dog's anxiety. 

Using Some Anti-Anxiety Medications  

You can also go for the use of anti-anxiety medications, but only after consulting with your pet's veterinarian.

The veterinarian will suggest the proper anti-anxiety medication containing anti-hormone-releasing extracts which will balance the excessive release or less release of hormones like triiodothyronine and thyroid hormone to reduce the level of anxiety in your dog.  

Behavioral Modification 

Rather than following all the anti-anxiety medications, etc. The owner can simply get some changes in his or her behavior as sometimes the pet only needs a little bit of attention and care from the owner.

Hence spending some time with your pet and giving them the proper care can reduce their anxiety to a very large extent.

Using Aromatherapy

As per the studies done on the medical effects of essential oils on the animal body by the scientific researchers of France and Germany. Aromatherapy was proved to be the most effective process in calming dogs. It is efficient in reducing the excessive amount of hormone released and maintains your pet's health and well-being. 

Music Therapy

Melodious music is not only effective in reducing the stress level of humans. It can also reduce the stress of the pets to a very large extent, So playing melodious music while your dog gets anxious will be helpful as it will control the heart rates, cortisol levels, and other factors responsible for the stress of your dog.

Giving a Job to Your Pet

Engaging your pet in a job to balance the excessive energy released in its body due to anxiety is a good choice. It is effective in reducing the hyperactivity in dogs which are caused due to a deficiency in physiological needs.

Going for a Walk

This could also be one of the best options to choose for pleasing your dog. If your dog has an abundance of energy, then finding a way that can reduce its energy level to a very large extent will help to please them. In this case, nothing could be better than having a walk with your loved one.

These are the steps proven fruitful for controlling your dog's anxiety, as per the experiments done by the scientific authorities. You can go with anyone and can get effective results while calming your dog.