Dog owners love their canine companions like their children and want their dogs to always feel comfortable in their homes. So how do we make our dogs feel safe and sound at home?
Anxiety, stress, and fear can be big indicators if your dog is experiencing stress. This can be especially apparent in dogs that come from rescue homes or shelters, or even puppies. Dogs need to feel safe in their homes to reduce anxiety, so if your dog is experiencing some signs of stress, here are some tips to help them feel as safe as possible at home!
Resting Space
Dogs need their own personal space to relax and recharge. This is really important for introducing a new dog into your home, as they may feel overwhelmed entering someone else’s territory. Creating a small space that your dog knows is only theirs will help them to feel more comfortable in their environment. This can be anything from a comfy crate set up to an area in your house with their bed and little foot traffic that your dog can call their home!
Introduce Them To Their Housemates
An easy way to reduce your dog’s anxieties about their home life is to properly introduce them to all their housemates! Just as humans would naturally be fearful of a stranger entering their home, so are dogs. Introducing your pup to all the humans and pets living in your home will help with easing their stress about strange scents.
Keep Up A Structured Routine
Dogs are at their best when they have a routine to follow, and drastically or suddenly changing that routine can cause them a lot of unnecessary stress. Keeping a consistent routine with feeding, walks, playtime, and sleep will be an easy way to maintain structure in their lives. Uncertainty can lead dogs to handle their anxiety with bad behaviors like barking or chewing. Communicating to your dog about what they should be doing and when is a great way to reduce this stress on them.
Shy Away From Negative Reinforcement
Using aversives for punishment can leave your dog confused and scared, which may lead to them distrusting you or showing fear with poor behavior. If you want to show your dog that they shouldn’t be doing something, try teaching them with positive reinforcement to reward the behavior you want to see. This will help build trust between you two, instead of fear.
Leave Noise On
Dogs can feel uncomfortable or form separation anxiety when you are away from home. Leaving noise on like dog music, the TV, or talk radio can help with your dog feeling alone. Noise comforts dogs’ anxiety when their owners are away and helps to make them feel safe. But not every dog is the same, so try out different types of noise to see which your dog responds to best.
Lights
Leaving on just one light in your house may make your dog feel safer and comforted. Although dogs can see well in the dark, it’s less than comforting to them to have to sit in the dark all night long if you’re not home too. You can even purchase a light that will turn on once the sun sets so you don’t run up a high electricity bill!
Dog Sitter?
Some dogs just simply need the comfort of another person with them to feel safe. This can be hard if you’re a commuting dog owner, but dog sitters can come in handy for quick comforting! You can hire a dog sitter to visit your pooch for however long you want while you’re away, or even just to take your dog out for a stroll. If your dog has a lot of anxiety about being alone, this could be a great solution to explore.