How To Calm A Dog

Want to know how to calm a dog? Dogs can be easily stressed or stimulated by their environment. Lots of activity such as children playing, strangers, noise or other animals may cause your dog to not cope well. Read on for some tips on how to calm a dog.

1. The best way to prevent your dog from getting riled up is to prevent the situation from the start. If your dog barks, whines, salivates, tucks tail between legs, or cowers, then your dog is not coping and needs to be calmed. If your dog is continuously being stressed out then this can lead to anxiety, fear, loss of weight, and other phobias.
2. Massage your dog to calm him down. This deep muscle massage is similar to a Swedish massage and is a form of relaxation for your dog. This will calm a dog down almost immediately if you use firm circular motions from his head down to his tail. Once your dog is calm, he will lay on his side, continuing using the sense of touch to calm him for about 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Treats always work to calm a dog. Buy your dog his favorite treats and give one to him. You can also get a "kong", which is a calming toy. These toys can be filled with your dogs favorite treats, which he will snack on for about an hour, or until he is tired and falls asleep. Most people put peanut butter, cream cheese or frozen treats in the "kong" to calm their dog. If your dog likes to chew, this will keep his activity level low, and keep him busy for a few.
4. Use a clicker tool or toy to calm a dog. These can be bought at your local pet store. These are often used in training animals, and get better responses than using a firm or loud voice. With a simple click of a button or switch on the small tool that fits in the palm of your hand, your dog will calm down. The noise will distract your dog, and he more than likely will listen to you and calm down.
5. Try yawning. Just like yawning calms you down when you are tired and relaxes you, it will do the same for your dog. Let your dog see you yawn for a few minutes, this will de-stress them, and relax them. As you begin to settle down, they will calm down and lie down. As your dog becomes happier, you will notice that he is calm and more relaxed in you’re his environment.