At Yellow Dog, we are of course naturally very conscious of all dogs’ stress levels as this is an area that plays a huge role in dogs behaviour, potentially making them afraid, defensive or even aggressive. Dog owners can be overwhelmed with tips and tricks on how to calm their dogs and to be honest all dogs are different so they will all respond differently. Some tips work fantastically for some dogs but do nothing for others, so often it is a case of trial and error, but when you hit the right one, it will have been worth the effort.
As all dog owners are aware dogs are super sensitive to the emotions of the people they are with, whether this is at home or out on a walk, they sense our fear, our excitement or anticipation and do like to protect their owners. So whilst being mindful of this it is important to try and maintain a level of calm and reassurance for our dogs. This can be through our posture and our voice tone, being in charge, confident and assured as we walk past a dog that we fear a lead reaction, maintain confidence, have treats ready and walk past the dog relaying this positive attitude to your dog, to try and avoid their stress so their focus is on you as their calm and reassured master. Having a good lead can be useful to help with this, so you feel completely in control. The Yellow Dog double handled lead is great for this. As it has two padded handles, one from the clasp and the other positioned closer to your dog’s collar, this gives you better control in situations where you need more restraint, whether that’s due to other dogs, or cars, bikes, lorries, what ever it may be that causes your dog stress.
Food can be another area that can help you to relieve stress with your dog. Distracting a dog with other activities can ease their stress, whilst you try to occupy their mind with something different, same as it can with humans really! By playing games with your dog and using food and treats to stimulate their senses you can help lower their levels of stress. We recommend the stress-relief slow release Lick Mat. The Lick Mat works as a slow feed which can help reduce and sooth anxiety. Just spread your dog’s favourite soft food on the mat, yoghurt, doggy peanut butter, etc, leave on the floor or even attach to something like the fridge/freezer door, side of the bath or shower and use as a diversionary tactic. This creates something fun and satisfying for your dog and takes their mind off barking at the door or becoming bored whilst alone.
Many charities such as the Blue Cross or Battersea Dogs Home also give some wonderful tips and advice on how to help dogs that are stressed and are always worth looking at to gain even more ideas.
Do try some of these tips if you can or others that you may find in your research and we do hope they are helpful to you and your dog.