16 Ways To Calm A Dog

Exercise not only keeps the dogs active but also helps them to become fit both mentally and physically. It is one of the most effective ways to help them calm down from anxiety or any extra energy that can be converted into nervousness or stress if not released in time.

Exercise like walking or running can help them to explore the environment and keep their body fit but you must be aware of the capacity of your dog to avoid any kind of unwanted injuries. You can separate your dogs' playtime and engage them in many recreational activities like swimming, jumping, or even hiking.

Besides from the effect of calming, exercise can also be beneficial in order to:

• Reduce Anxiety
• Prevents Destructive Behavior
• Improves Sleep
• improves Bonding
• General Health Improvement

A balanced exercise with a proper diet is an important aspect of your pets' healthy and happy life.

A dog may feel anxious or uneasy if they feel threat by the surroundings or when they are in a new place. Creating a safe environment is very important for their mental health and to help them stay at ease.

You need to create a place that is comfortable and quiet so that your pet can relax and feel secure. If not, they may be frustrated and not be in a proper mental condition.

You can create a safe and comfortable place for them by choosing a quiet corner, comfortable bedding, providing them different toys and chews, and low lighting as it can make the environment much more calm. 

A massage not only helps your dogs to improve their physical health but is also a powerful tool to relax them and improve their mood. This will also help to create a good bond between the owner and their pets.

Massage can help your dogs lower anxiety and stress levels, relieve muscle tension and pain, improve circulation, and boost the immune system. It can reduce the stress hormone and increase the sense of calmness and relaxation.

Although massage can be for relaxation, firstly your dog also needs to be calm. For that, you can play soothing music in the background and find a quiet and comfortable place to set the mood and environment.

Music Therapy is the process of using music or its elements to reduce stress or improve the quality of life. It is one of the most effective ways to make your dog at peace and reduce anxiousness.

These soothing sounds make them feel secure, help them to relax, and even control their aggressive behavior or activities like biting or barking. They include classical music, soft rock, nature sounds, and even pet-specialized music.

You can create a playlist and play it during stressful situations, or even make it a part of your daily routine. This is the easiest and most straightforward way to calm your dog.

Consistent Routine can help them to have a normal timetable and be familiar with what to do or what will happen next. Their mental and emotional states largely rely on how their daily routine is.

If there is consistency in the timetable, they are more at ease and have a feeling of security. It also helps to reduce anxiety, encourages good behavior, and improves training and overall health.

The routine should be consistent in mainly the following elements:

• Feeding Schedule
• Exercise and Playtime
• Bathroom Breaks
• Training Sessions
• Rest and Sleep

Aromatherapy is the practice of using essential oils to create a feeling of relaxation in the overall body of the dogs. Knowing and using the proper scents can calm their mind, body, and mood.

Certain scents can impact the mood by promoting good feelings and cheerfulness like; lavender, chamomile, cedarwood, etc. It helps in calming the mind by reducing stress, helps in relaxation, enhances mood, improves immune system, etc.

You can do this therapy by converting the oils into diluted sprays, directly appllying them to the dog's skin, or making them enhale. While doing it, you must use high quality oils and avoid those oils which are harmful to them.

You also need to moitor their reactions and if they are drooling, coughing, or snezing, you need to stop it and visit the vetrinarian immediately.

Thundershirts and Anxiety Wraps are one of popular tools to reduce anxiety and provide light but firm and constant pressure on the dog's body. This pressure has a calming effect and helps them to reduce anger.

Since this wrap is worn in their body, it feels like a tight hug or cuddle which makes them feel more comfortable and relaxed. It is also easy to use whenever and wherever ever so has become one of the liked tools to reduce anxiety by the pet parents.

Thundershirts are comfortable and can be worn during car rides, at the vet, during grooming sessions, or in social situations. They will give gentle pressure on the nervous system and help them to focus on the comfort given by the wrap.

However, you still need to consider various aspects while purchasing it like its size and fit, materials used, washability, and many more.

Positive Reinforcement is a powerful and effective training method where the dogs are encouraged by establishing a pattern of behavior where they are offered rewards when their behavior is in a right track. This will increase the chance of reaccurance.

This is not only used for training purposes but also in calming the dogs by rewarding them for behaving nicely and in a good manner. This helps to have a good bond and also develops trust between the owner and the dog along with motivating them to do the desired behavior.

As part of this reinforcement, you can treat them, use verbal praise, pat and rub them, give them toys or other rewards like playing with them, taking them for a walk, and many more. If you do this whenever they are calm, this will encourage them to stay calm for more periods.

Interactive toys and puzzles are some of the best tools for your dogs to make them engaged and calm. They are not in a good state of mind if they are nervous or have fear, in that case, you can give them these toys to help them feel good.

These toys can help them to give mental exercise and challenge their brain to divert their mind and reduce anxiety. This also helps to reduce boredom, enhances focus, encourages problem-solving skills, and can also be a source of entertainment.

If you are using them, you should introduce them to them slowly, supervise their play, rotate the toys so they won't be bored, and gradually increase the difficulty level. You can use them during a vet visit while socializing, during a training session, or even during alone time.

Training And Commands can become an effective routine for your dogs to understand what to do and how to do anything. Training them to follow the commands is a way of making them trust you and give them surety that they are safe and also a way of calming them.

It helps to build confidence, create a strong bond, have a proper mental exercise and also help to calm their excitements by saying specific commands like sit, stay etc. 

Some of the basic commands are sit, stay, sown, come, leave it, quiet, place,and many more. In order to train your dogs, you need to use positive reinforcement, need to keep the sessions short, be consistent, and practice it in different environments. This will help them to feel more secure, confident, and calm.

Desensitization is a process of making the dogs feel less emotion or extinguish their emotional response towards fear, anxiety, or other aspects that used to trigger them in the past. It makes the dog feel more comfortable and at ease, as they will not feel uncomfortable anymore.

It is a powerful behavioral technique to reduce their anxiety and stress and become more comfortable towards those stimuli that used to provoke them. It leads them towards becoming less reactive over time, buikding confidence and to tackle with stressful moments.

You can do it by identifying triggerers, then strating with the one that triggers them the least, and pairing them with a positive reinforcement. You can gradually increase the intensity level by observing the reactions of your dogs and consistent practice.

Calming Treats And Supplements includes natural ingredients that can provide a sense of relaxation to your dogs. They are prepared to decrease their frustration level and make them calmer.

These supplements use natural ingredients like chamomile, and valerian root are known for their calming nature, and are normally flavored so that the dogs will eat them more easily. They start their work as soon as they eat it which reduces the level of frustration in the dogs.

Unlike other medical supplements, these can be used for the long term and even improve the overall health condition of them. But before giving it, you should check the ingredients, consult a veterinarian, and should pick the right one.

Physical Contact with someone they trust is considered one of the best ways of calming your dogs because it can provide a sense of security and safety for them. It is a process of giving comfort and reassurance to them through physical touch and contact.

This can help them develop trust, comfort, and reassurance which develops confidence and a sense of safety which can also develop their overall health. 

This includes petting, stroking, rubbing, hugging, massage, grooming, and many more which also helps to develop a close with their owners. While doing it,  you need to create a calm setting, approach calmly, and target the calming area.

This is a must when you are taking your dogs to a vet, during thunderstorms, before bed, while traveling, and when introducing them to something new, whether it is an object, animal, or people.

Distraction Techniques can be an effective way to help them feel at ease because it helps them to divert their mind and think about something else. You can distract them through different activities or give them some toys to get engaged.

Along with a calming effect, this technique will also help them to prevent bad habits, provide positive experiences, engage their mind, and strengthen their bond. You can use it by introducing interactive toys and puzzles, chew toys, training and commands, taking them for new exposers, and many more.

You can calm them by knowing their triggers and choosing suitable distraction tools, and you also need to plan for it before heading. This technique should be started early when the first sign of distraction occurs accompanied by positive reinforcement. 

Proper Nutrition is an essential part of the overall health of the dogs be it their physical health or mental health. If a well-balanced diet is provided, it can help to reduce anxiety and stress, as the nutrients can calm them to some extinct and promote good neurological health. 

It can help to lower stress levels, improve moods, support brain activities, give energy, and improve health. You can add various supplements to their diet if you think they are not getting proper nutrition like vitamin B complex, omega-3, antioxidants, etc.

For proper and balanced nutrition you should give them high-quality fresh foods, avoid fillers and artificial additives, consult your veterinarian, feed accordingly, and schedule out regular feedings.

If the above ways don't work for your anxious and frustrated dogs, then it is something you need to be more concerned about, and as a last option, we have veterinarian care. It is important to take your dogs for regular checkups so that they can keep their health issues in check.

The dogs may not be calm because of several reasons and if we take them to a vet, they can help us in:

• Early Detection of Health Issues
• Pain Management
• Nutritional Guidance
• Behavioral Consultation
• Stress Reducer

All of these can help to manage stress and uneasiness in your dogs making them more calm than before.