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| Pexels/Daria Rem |
Again and again, situations happen in which the dog is insecure, reacts afraid, or even panics. Especially in dog care, where the four-legged friend is kept away from his caregiver, it is important to give the dog security and to work against the fear.
How can I detect fear in a dog? How can I calm my dog? We reveal the 10 calming tips for your four-legged friend.
Identifying fear in dogs and taking action against it early.
Fear can be present in dogs during walks or in any situation at home. For the majority of dogs, making loud noises, firecrackers, and roaring are very scary, even from a distance. You probably know your dog well and already know when he is becoming scared. If you are taking care of a dog, but you don't know him that well yet, you should watch him very closely in certain situations. Especially with young dogs and fearful characters you should pay close attention. To be able to counteract the fear, you should recognize the initial stage: insecurity.
The insecurity shows itself with dogs differently. Mostly it is characterized by a general tension and restlessness associated with panting. You can also recognize the coming fear by the position of the body. The dog lowers its head, ducks, averts its eyes, and has a hanging tail. If the fear is already advanced, he pulls within the tail completely.
Act right in the fear situation and calm the dog down
If the fear has already occurred in the dog, there are different ways to calm the dog depending on the extent of the fear and the situation.
1. your attitude
First of all, you should offer your dog security. As with humans, the mere presence of a caregiver can calm the dog and take away some of the fear. Comprehend your dog and put yourself in his situation. Often the dog is already relaxed by the calm and deep voice of the master and a few comforting words. Stroking can also have a calming effect on the dog.
Again and again one hears, one shouldn't comfort anxious dogs, but ignore them. The reason for this is that dogs see petting and attention as a reward and are thus endorsed in their behavior. This could make the reaction worse the next time, he said. However, this is not always the right behavior.
How dog owners ultimately proceed with fearful dogs also depends a bit on how they were raised. Indeed, dogs shouldn't be taken for a ride every time they have a little jitter. However, dog trainers agree that you should not ignore dogs when they are scared.
But be very careful! Depending on the dog's temperament, it can also be that the dog feels endangered by too much closeness and even bites. Certain dogs react with increasing insecurity and fear namely aggressive and need their free space and retreat.
2. make a safe environment
Give your dog at least one place to retreat to. Whether he likes to crawl under the bed, go into the basement, or get into his dog crate, let him go where he feels safest and most comfortable.
Also, keep all windows closed and darken them if necessary. Doors should not be open under any circumstances either. Fearful dogs and panic sometimes run away uncontrollably, crawl away, and can't find their way home.
3. switch on the music
A popular and very effective trick is to play music. First and foremost, it's all about drowning out the bangers and distracting the dog. That's why it doesn't matter what kind of music it is. You can just turn up the radio loud or put on classical music.
There are also certain devices, which play sounds of high frequency, audible only by dogs. This provides better relaxation and calming for the dog. However, a small period of acclimatization may be necessary.
In the early stages of anxiety, however, food can calm dogs. Eating keeps dogs busy and distracted on the one hand, and calms them down at the same time. The reason for this is the release of happy hormones during nibbling, licking, and chewing, which automatically calms the dog.
Therefore, choose a pig ear or another treat on which the dog is busy for a long time and has to nibble a lot.
You can find tasty and unusual chews at AM Hals. In addition to sprats and lung cubes, which are eaten quite quickly, there are other treats in the online store, on which your furry nose is occupied a little longer. In the picture, you can see lamb ears with fur, but also horse head skin, bullwhips, and whole deer legs are ideal to distract and calm your dog. Take a look, your dog will love it!
Directed feeding for dogs in fearful situations only works sometimes. After all, if the dog has already reached a certain stress level, he will refuse all food.
4. desensitization
If your dog is afraid of screams, bangers, or firecrackers, it can be helpful to desensitize him to these sounds. You should start getting your dog used to the sounds several weeks before the event. Depending on how quickly your dog progresses, you can make the period longer.
Always keep an eye on your dog and stop the training before you feel it is too much for him. Even if your dog only takes small steps, it will help him in the actual fear situation.
5. conditioned relaxation
Relaxation in dogs can be learned at a young age and can later help calm the dog in acute anxiety situations. However, this is a lengthy process and not all dogs can learn it equally well, but it works relatively simply.
The conditioning runs mainly subconsciously. Whenever the dog is calm and content, you say the signal word several times. This can be, for example, when the dog is just enjoying his petting and he is completely relaxed.
If the dog is conditioned and the signal word is firmly anchored with the feeling, you can try to calm him down with it when he is anxious and insecure. This is not a magic bullet, but it can certainly make the dog calmer.
These were our tips on how you can calm your dog. Before taking care of your dog, ask the dog's owner if there are certain situations in which your dog reacts anxiously. Maybe he can give you tips in advance on how you can best calm the dog.