There are times when a dog might become stressed out, panic, over aroused or just anxious and it can be hard to calm them down when this happens. Dogs can get worked up over different things. Maybe they heard a distant noise that spooked them or maybe it’s storming and your dog is scared. When they appear to be scared or stressed out sometimes it can be hard to know what you can do to help with calming them down and relaxing them.
Here are 10 Ways To Calm Your Dog Down
10. Move around slowly – watch your steps
When your dog is feeling anxious then sudden movements can cause them to become even more scared or anxious. Don’t move or get up very fast or walk around fast. Do things in slow motion. When things approach to them at a fast rate such as a car or a bicycle they might get spooked out, so approaching them slowly can help to calm them down.
9. Try placing yourself between the problem and the dog
Figure out what’s causing your dog to be scared. Put yourself between the problem and your dog but only if it is safe for you to do it. There are times when you just need to remove the dog from the entire situation itself in order for your dog to be calm again. If your dog is feeling anxious over a person then sit between the dog and the person.
8. Keep your attitude and emotions in check
A dog can pick up when you are feeling scared or anxious and sometimes they start to act anxious and copy your behavior. Try to calm yourself down. Take deep breaths and work on meditation to help you. Your dog needs for you to try and be calm. Speak quietly to your dog and reassure your dog. When your dog sees that you are scared it makes him/her feel vulnerable and that’s another reason as to why you need to try and remain calm around your dog.
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7. Calm your dog down with calming music
You can now buy music that will help to relax your dog regardless of whatever situation your dog might be in. Music can be very helpful even when your dog is suffering with separation anxiety. One highly recommend album is Music To Calm Your Canine Companion Vol. 1. You just need to leave the music on a low level but enough to where it helps to drain out the sounds that might be around him.
6. Yawn in front of your dog
Believe it or not, yawning in front of your dog can help to calm them. It’s almost like a relaxing signal to them. Yawning is contagious with humans. When you see someone yawn it makes you want to yawn and it helps to calm you down almost right away. It also has the same effect on dogs as it does with humans and it helps to calm them down almost the same way. Try to not react to your dog being afraid, instead yawn first and see what happens.
5. Flick your tongue
A lot of people don’t stop to think about this but flicking your tongue is something that can help to calm your dog down. It sends out a message that helps to calm them down when you flick your tongue or do lip licking. People who have been trained with taking pictures of dogs have learned this secret and know that sometimes it might be the only thing that can calm them down before a picture.
4. Avoid direct eye contact
It can be hard not to look straight into the eyes of a dog when they are stressful but sometimes when you look into their eyes it can cause them to worry more, so try to avoid looking them directly into the eyes. It also helps to gain a dogs confidence when you don’t look them in the eye and it can relax them. Maybe it’s some sort of distraction for them but regardless, not looking them in the eyes really seems to works on worried dogs.
3. Sit down and softly talk to them
Try sitting down and just softly talk with them. Don’t raise your voice when they are anxious. Talk gently almost at a whisper. Lying down can also sometimes help so if you’re able to lay down somewhere instead of just sitting, it can relax them and they can sometimes become playful again. During a play session with a dog, some dog owners decide to sit down and play with their dog because of the way it calms them down.
2. Try to distract your dog
If you see your dog is anxious try and distract your dog by giving your dog something to do. If you’re out walking or traveling and your dog gets anxious or scared, a backpack adds some extra weight on your dog and they have to focus with carrying the backpack instead of getting distracted by sudden noises such as cars or animals nearby.
1. Aromatherapy helps dogs as much as it does humans
Did you know that aromatherapy can help with calming a dog down just like it does humans? Us humans tend to relax whenever we smell lavender. A dog can relax when they smell certain things. Talk with your vet or with your holistic professional and see what smells might help to calm a dog down. You might also see if there are any smells that could be bothering your dog that you need to get rid of in order to help them not feel anxious. A smell can calm a dog down but a smell can also cause a dog to become scared. Check your home to see if there might be any new smells around that could be scaring your dog.
Conclusion
If your dog continues to be afraid or being anxious then you might want to consider talking to your vet and seeing if there’s a way for your vet to help with calming your dog down.