3 Proven Ways to Calm Your Anxious Dog

1. Exercise Your Dog

If your dog has separation anxiety, the obvious way to ease their mind is to never leave them alone. That is not a reality for most pet owners, so using exercise as both a bonding time and to tire out your pet is often an easy fix!

Because anxiety can cause an excess of energy, taking your dog out to play ball or on a long walk before you leave can be helpful. Providing plenty of physical contact and talking to them during this time is also beneficial. And, like their human counterparts, exercise can help relieve stress by producing beneficial endorphins.

2. Physical Contact

There is probably nothing more soothing to an anxious dog than its owner’s touch. Try to identify the signs of anxiety in your dog and nip them in the bud as early as possible by picking them up, cuddling on the couch, or giving them a good long petting session.

3. Massage

As you probably know, a massage will relax and calm even the most anxious human — did you know it also works wonders with dogs as well?! Anxiety often causes tensing of the muscles and massage therapy is one way to alleviate tension. Start at the neck and work downward with long strokes. Try to keep one hand on the dog, while the other works to massage. Over time you may even be able to identify where your dog holds its stress and just work on that one particular area.