Every loving dog owner wants to do the best for their furry friend. As with humans, promoting reduced dog stress is one of the most effective solutions.
But what steps can be taken to actively support your pet in this way? Focus on the five ideas below, and you will have one very happy puppy.
Support Their Physical Health
Physical health and mental health are very closely linked in humans and dogs alike. Therefore, an unhealthy lifestyle will inevitably bring added stress to your pup’s life. You can help prevent this by looking for the right ingredients in their foods and taking them for regular walks. Meanwhile, you should be alert to signs of common health problems with their joints and muscles. If your dog is struggling, it’s important to see a vet ASAP before the physical discomfort leads to intense and chronic stress.
Healthy body, healthy mind. It’s an old cliche, but its value should not be underestimated.
Promote Consistent Surroundings
Dogs enjoy exploring new places. When it comes to the home surroundings, though, consistency will help them stay mentally relaxed. A comfortable dog bed should be supported by stimulating toys. Moreover, you must ensure that living spaces are warm and dry to avoid physical and mental health issues. Crucially, you must aim to establish winning routines and house rules that you can stick to. Do not let your pup sleep in your bed at the start if you do not intend this to be a permanent issue.
Having favorite walking journeys to supplement the new explorations is very useful too.
Prepare For Stressful Situations
Even when you put the right preparations in place, you will inevitably face situations that could introduce stress. When taking a trip for work or leaving home for a few days, pet boarding will help your dog remain calm, happy, and healthy. If you are introducing a new pet to the home, it’s important to research integration tips too. Not only will it stop your pup from encountering stress. It’ll also help the new pet settle quickly.
When you actively reduce the impact of stressful situations, the results are incredible.
Lavish Praise
Dogs share many traits with humans. The way that they respond to praise is certainly one of them. Lavishing praise on your pup isn’t only a great tool for training them. Positive interactions can also help reduce stress levels and make them comfortable in your presence. Dogs are intelligent too. So, they will soon learn to repeat actions that generate positive responses from their owners.
Don’t be afraid to tell your pup they’re a good boy or girl.
Spend Time Together
Finally, but arguably most importantly, you must spend time together. Separation anxiety is a common cause of stress for dogs while boredom at home can lead to heightened stress levels. While pet boarding and sitting are vital when separation can’t be avoided, physical contact is the best antidote to stress. A happy dog will be less stressful. And for even better results, you may wish to consider music therapy or massage therapy for dogs.
Besides, spending more time with your dog will also enhance your life with stunning results.