Tricks Against Nervous Dogs

Dogs have very strong personalities and react in different ways according to the situation they face. However, if your pet is excessively nervous, it may be a behavior problem. Nerves in general are derived from stress problems and this can considerably affect the health of your companion, therefore we give you some tips to treat nervous dogs.

Although most cases of nervousness in dogs are caused by stress, you must detect what is causing it. Stress can be caused by a health problem, pain, inappropriate environmental conditions (for example, a place where there is a lot of noise), poor education processes or by reinforcement of nervous behaviors by the owners. Once you identify the reason for the dog’s nervousness, you can proceed to treat it.

Improve the conditions of your home

Many of the problems associated with stress are related to the environment in which the dog lives. Improving aspects such as space, cleanliness, noise, will help your pet to be relaxed in the house. Make sure that your pet lives as comfortably as possible, has established schedules and a process is carried out in which the dog adapts to spending time alone without this generating anxiety.

Part of giving him a healthy environment is that you can give him a calm state of mind through your attitudes. It is not that dogs have a sixth sense, it is just that they connect with your emotions and will respond to this, if you are calm, the dog will respond to this in the same way. Remember that physical punishment or yelling are ways in which nervous problems are exacerbated in pets.

Exercise is vital

Something that increases nervousness in dogs is not being able to reduce the large amounts of energy they have. Exercise will keep you relaxed, plus it prevents a host of health problems. Make sure the walks are long, preferably in a space where he can run and be in contact with other animals. Getting used to contact with other people and animals will help you maintain a calm state of mind.

Keep in mind that your dog needs to know which space corresponds to the game, so reserve games such as throwing the ball or jumping for walks, as these increase his level of anxiety and outside he will have a greater opportunity to burn energy.

Caresses are important

Physical contact is very important for creating a bond between the dog and its owner. The strokes are also very productive when it comes to reassuring your pet if they are done in a leisurely way. Stroking his back, ribs, neck will help you reduce his stress levels. When he is nervous it is good that he feels a hand that comforts him, in addition to that it will increase his level of confidence.

Reward their good behavior

Something that helps reduce anxiety and nervousness is to reward the dog for good behavior. With this you reinforce the positive behaviors of your pet, so it will be extremely positive to help him understand what are the attitudes and behaviors that he should assume.

Don’t reinforce negative behaviors

Involuntarily we tend to reinforce negative behaviors in our pets. For example, if you feed him when he is excited or you greet him when he makes great displays of energy when you get home, what you do is reward him for being in an inappropriate state of mind. Therefore, the dog will understand that this mental state is valid.

Do not medicate your pet

On the internet you can find a large number of recommendations on what medications to give to a nervous dog. Remember that for no reason can you give your pet medication without first having a veterinarian prescribed it. Even if they are things that may seem harmless like valerian or chamomile, there are foods or medicines that can be extremely harmful to them.