Anxiety seems to be as common in dogs as it is in humans. We often feel at a loss as to how to help our dogs because we can’t talk to them about how they’re feeling and find out exactly what they’re struggling with. That said, there is a LOT we can do to help calm an anxious dog! There are lifestyle factors that we can leverage to create a less nerve wracking environment and there are calming skills we can teach. Let’s talk about that.
Lifestyle & Anxiety
Often, a dog’s anxiety is egged on by too much freedom and too much decision making. I know that might sound strange, but hear me out. A dog who has full freedom in the house is making all his own decisions—and decision making comes with quite a bit of pressure. What should I do about the person at the door? How should I respond to that noise? What should I be doing right now? Where is the safest place to relax? What is my human doing? Should I follow her around? In the past you may have had a happy-go-lucky dog who handled all these decisions with ease, but that’s not the case for every dog. If your current dog has more of an anxious temperament, you can leverage two lifestyle factors to help her feel more at ease: structure and leadership.
Structure
A structured lifestyle means your dog has little-to-no free roaming in his daily life, which means your dog will no longer experience the burden created by all that decision-making. There is no more wandering the house, no more entertaining himself in the yard, and that means no more decision-making. At any given point in the day, you’ll determine whether your dog will be in his crate, in the place command, on a structured walk with you, or engaged in playtime with you. If you’re a compassionate human you might feel bad about this at first, but keep in mind that this change lifts a weight from an anxious dog’s shoulders. You will soon see your dog start to relax, and you’ll no longer doubt whether this is good for your dog. It will all be worth it.
Leadership
Someone has to make the decisions about what your dog will do with himself. If it’s not your dog, then guess what? It’s you! By taking on the task of decision making, you are taking on a leadership role with your dog. This is a huge relief for a dog with anxiety!! Dogs with anxiety feel like the responsibility to “handle” all the stimuli in their environment falls on them. When you make it clear that you will be handling everything from now on, your dog will start to relax. He’ll also start to trust you. When you consistently advocate for your dog by assuming this leadership role, your dog starts to associate you with safety and comfort.
Calming Skills for Anxiety
Unfortunately calming skills for dogs are widely misunderstood. There are all kinds of products, medications and supplements that promise to help but few, if any, deliver results. Thankfully, it’s not nearly as complicated as the retailers make it out to be! In particular, there are two key skills to teach your dog that will work wonders for their anxiety.
The Place Command
When the place command is fully and properly trained, it becomes associated with relaxation. Your dog knows that when it’s time to go to place, it’s time to relax. The place command also comes with boundaries. Not only is your dog not allowed to leave the place cot (or bed), but no one is allowed to approach your dog either. This helps your dog feel safe and secure no matter what is happening. Finally, it gives your dog something to focus on. Regardless of the stimuli—doorbell, kids yelling, blender whirling, vacuum running, etc.—your dog knows his one and only job is to hold command.
Crate training
The benefits of crate training are similar to that of the place command. When your dog is fully and properly crate trained, the crate becomes associated with calm and relaxation. And just like the place command, the crate has firm boundaries so your dog doesn’t have to worry about being bothered while he’s in there. The walls of the crate also provide an extra sense of security, which is why it’s important to utilize both the place command and the crate. The crate is for true down time and a chance to completely “turn off” and unwind, which is extremely important for emotional regulation. By contrast, the place command is a way to include your dog in your daily life without creating more anxiety.
You Must Use These Consistently!
These lifestyle factors and calming skills can dramatically reduce your dog’s anxiety levels, but you have to use them consistently. Anxious dogs need as much consistency as possible. They’re happiest (and most at ease) when their daily life looks the same day after day. The same patterns, the same commands, the same communication. If you implement these lifestyle factors and calming skills to help your anxious dog, make sure you’re ready to commit to using it every. single. day. While you’re in the rehab phase, flip-flopping between these skills and free roaming will only cause more anxiety!
