Dog Training for Anxiety

Training a dog to help manage anxiety involves a combination of behavioral techniques, environmental adjustments, and sometimes, medical interventions.

Here are some strategies to help your dog with anxiety:

5 Dog Anxiety Training Techniques

1.  Desensitize your dog.  Gradually expose your dog to anxiety triggers in a controlled way, starting with low-levels of exposure and slowly increasing higher-level exposure.

2.  Change your dog’s emotional response to triggers.  Give your dog treats and praise whenever they’re in a situation that normally triggers anxiety.

3.  Create a safe place for your dog.  Designate an area in your home where you dog can feel safe.  It can be a crate, a quiet room or in a corner with their favorite toys and dog bed.

Be careful, though, when crating a dog with anxiety.  For more information, read my article, Crate Training for Separation Anxiety, or watch my video below:

WATCH MY VIDEO: Crate training for separation anxiety

4.  Use positive reinforcement.  As your dog begins to succeed with controling their anxiety, reward them with treats, toys and praise to help your dog associate calmness with rewards.

5.  Do some basic obedience training.  Teaching your dog basic commands like sit and stay can help your dog feel more secure.  Consistently spending time with your dog in this way builds a stronger bond between the two of you and helps build their confidence.

4 Ways to Calm a Dog With Anxiety

Keeping your dog calm is the best way to deal with dog anxiety until you can get the proper training completed.  Here are some tips:

1.  Keep a consistent routine.  Dogs thrive on structure and routine.  Establish a consistent daily routine for feeding, walking, playtime and sleep for your dog to help reduce anxiety.

2.  Exercise and mental stimulation.  Making sure your dog gets regular physical exercise plus mental stimulation can help reduce dog anxiety.  Try walking your dog every day, playing fetch, or just playing on the living room floor with your dog and some toys for dog anxiety.  

3.  Playing with your dog with a tug-of-war toy is a great way to give your dog exercise, mental stimulation and to build their confidence, all while spending time with their favorite person – you!

4.  Consider using dog calming products such as pheromone diffusers. You can also find some dog calming products on Amazon.

Consult With Your Veterinarian

If you feel your dog’s anxiety is severe, or if none of these techniques seem to help, please take your dog to the vet.

Your vet may be able to recommend dog anxiety medication or supplements to help manage your dog’s anxiety.

And of course your vet can determine if your dog is having medical issues that may be contributing to the anxiety.

Dog Separation Anxiety

If you feel your dog’s anxiety is triggered by your leaving the house or by the dog being home alone, they may be suffering from dog separation anxiety.  For more information and help, read my article, Treating Dog Separation Anxiety or watch my video below:

WATCH MY VIDEO: treating dog separation anxiety