Dogs are some of the biggest stress balls out there. They have a lot on their minds, not just what’s for dinner! You may have seen that dogs often suffer from many of the same mental health issues as people do and one of the main problems of them is anxiety.
There is nothing to worry about if your dog is stressed out or anxious sometimes. You can take steps to make your pup feel good by teaching him coping skills and providing an environment with low levels of stressors.
There are many ways to find success with your pup’s anxiety management plan, including medication, training classes, behavior modification techniques like clicker training or desensitization therapies like using scent-based hides for calming purposes, and calming chews for dogs.
But here, we will discuss anxiety in dogs, its symptoms, and how calming chews can help cope with anxiety in dogs.
What Is Anxiety In Dogs?
Anxiety is defined as an emotional problem that dogs can experience. Other animals and Loud noises often trigger it, and it manifests in different ways for each creature.
There are different reasons for anxiety in dogs
Fear-related anxiety
It is a common mental health problem for pups, even though it’s usually not talked about. Generally speaking, fear-related problems are less prevalent in large breed and more prevalent in small breeds. Large breeds have been selectively bred to fear less over time. Fear-related problems cause stress in dogs, which may lead them into acting out with submissive or aggressive behavior towards people they perceive as threats.
Separation anxiety
This problem occurs when your pup can’t stand to be away from you. It’s very common and usually starts around the age of 6 months, but it does progress throughout their life depending on how often they’re left alone or with a pet sitter.
Make sure that you don’t just ignore them once separation anxiety has set in because this will only make things worse! If not correctly cared for, it might cause problems such as chewing up your furniture, etc., so try some obedience training if all else fails.
Age-related anxiety
Dogs experience age-related anxiety, too. The idea of getting old is a scary one for many pups, but it’s also something that they have to come to terms with. Although the incidence of anxiety is higher in younger dogs, but this type of anxiey can affect any dog at any time during their life.
The anxiety related to age may occur in 5 to 10 years old pups, and it becomes more common as the pet ages.
Dog Anxiety Symptoms
There are many important symptoms to look for in dog anxiety
- Aggression in dogs is usually caused by anxiety. This can be due to fear, separation from owners or other pets, and loud noises such as fireworks which startle them.
- When a dog is anxious and can’t find an appropriate place to relieve himself, he might end up urinating in the house. This often happens when there isn’t enough space for them outside or if they are not allowed inside during certain day hours.
- When dogs are worried, they drool. When dogs are anxious and scared, they sometimes begin to drool excessively, which is sometimes dangerous.
- Dogs can experience depression under certain circumstances. One of these is when an owner leaves the pet behind, which may be due to anxiety or some other reason for their absence.
- When dogs are unable to express themselves in other ways due to anxiety, excessive barking becomes their way of communicating with owners or people around them.
- Dogs pace due to anxiety because they feel nervous about something.
Treatment Of Anxiety In Dogs
There are certain things that you can do like training, medication, and calming chews for dogs. Calming chews can keep your dog busy and also provide them a nourishing treat.
Training
You can help your dog overcome anxiety in many ways and one of the best ways is by training them. Training can help your dog prevent from separation anxiety and it is often included in treatment plan for combating separation or noise-related anxieties, but it will require lots of time and effort on both ends to have a successful outcome.
However, training each dog individually requires a customized plan depending on what triggers your pet’s distress (travel, loud noises, etc.)
Medication
Some people think to take their dog out for walks, but this might not help much during those busy times when there isn’t time or energy to give your pup their regular exercise routine. Anti-depressants are now available, reducing the amount of cortisol produced by an animal’s body due to stress, resulting in less anxious behaviors such as barking too often at strangers who visit your home, etc
Calming chew treats
Chewing is a natural behavior for dogs. However, some dogs chew out of anxiety or boredom, which can lead to destruction in your house and even injury if they swallow something dangerous like rocks. Calming chews for dogs is an excellent way to calm them down by giving their chewing instincts purpose while keeping them safe from harm at home.
Chew treats are explicitly designed to allow your dog to feed some of his daily food intake through them and provide him hours of pleasure while he chews on them. The main ingredients involve in the hip, and joint chew treats are glucosamine, chondroitin, and omega 3 oil. All of these ingredients are natural and helps dogs in overcoming different issues related to hip and joints.
Conclusion
Anxiety is a common problem in dogs, and it can be challenging to know how best to help your dog. There are many ways to approach anxiety problems, from medication to behavioral training, but one of the most natural approaches may be calming treats for dogs. For those with anxious pets, these snacks might provide an easy way for you and your pup to find some relief from everyday stresses together. If your pet has any such problem, don’t wait to order their chew treat now.
