Tips for Calming an Anxious Dog

If you have a hyper dog, it can feel overwhelming when you just want to relax at the end of a long day and all they want to do is play. Or perhaps your dog gets anxious due to separation anxiety or noises like thunderstorms or fireworks, and you find yourself trying to soothe and comfort them. We have created a guide to with three easy ways to sooth and calm your dog with natural activities: sniffing, licking, and chewing.

Sniffing

Sniffing can be self-soothing, reduce stress, and focus excess energy into a more calm behavior.

Take Your Dog on a Sniffari

Sniffaris are walks where your dog gets to stop and smell whatever crosses their path at their own pace. This is a perfect enrichment activity for senior dogs who might not be up for more physically-demanding walks, but still have energy to burn.

Feed Your Dog With a Snuffle Mat

Ditch the food bowl! A great way to tire your pup out is to make their mealtimes more engaging and distracting to outside surroundings.

Use Interactive Treat Balls or DIY Puzzles

Another way to put your dog’s nose to work is to use an interactive treat ball. This works not only their nose but also their problem-solving skills. You can also make your own treat puzzles at home!

Licking

Licking releases endorphins and serotonin, which regulate anxiety and help your dog feel calm and less anxious.

Smear Food and Treats on a Licking Mat

All you do is smear wet food, peanut butter, greek yogurt, or canned pumpkin (not the pie filling) in parts of the mat and let your dog go to town! You don’t need to spread a whole lot to get a long licking session, so this is a great lower-calorie option instead of a fully-stuffed toy or puzzle.

Chewing

Giving your dog something to chew helps them stay occupied while you can relax at the end of the day. Remember that all dogs have different chew toy preferences! So pick the appropriate chew toy for your dog. If he is a “destroyer” or “inhaler”, its best you chose toys that are correctly sized or are stuffing-free.

We hope these tips help calm your furry friend. If you have any suggestions or tips we didn’t mention, we would love to hear from you!