Dr. Tim Shu, Founder, VetCBD explains how CBD and cannabis work to calm an anxious dog. He discusses why some dogs are noise averse, especially to fireworks, and shares tips on how to keep your dog safe while helping your pup cope with loud noises and environmental stress. Green Bee Life Founder, Maria Calabrese and her husband John Verniero, a health care professional, have two adorable pups, but for years have struggled with the effects of fireworks on their pet's noise and environmental stress. See how CBD revolutionized their independence from loud noise stressors to their dog! And Learn how Hemp CBD oil calmed Maria and John's stressed German Shepard during fireworks, storms, and other loud noises.
Meet Our Featured Guest
Dr. Tim Shu's passion has always been to improve the lives of animals. It's ultimately what led him to pursue veterinary medicine. As a medical professional, one of Dr. Shu's priorities is investigating and developing new therapies that can benefit pets. Humans have used cannabis to improve their lives for thousands of years, and through research and trials, he realized those same benefits can help pets live better lives too. In 2015, he founded VETCBD with one goal in mind: to improve the lives of pets through cannabis. Since then they've helped tens of thousands of pets find relief through the formulations Dr. Shu developed.
Meet Your Host
GBL Founder, Maria Calabrese, thrives off giving a voice to the cannabis industry's most innovative brands and community, while helping them get the exposure they deserve to unleash the full potential of cannabis as a wellness solution. Her education and experience include marketing, law, cross-cultural communications, TV/film management and production, branding, advocacy and mentorship. During this massive shift from traditional television to new media, her focus has remained on the empowerment of the cannabis consumer, educators and brands across all mediums. She believes content should say something meaningful, not just make noise to compete for eyeballs.
It doesn’t take much to upset some canines, so it’s really important to know how to calm an anxious dog down.
In this episode, we’ll scratch the surface of dog anxiety. Then, we’ll dig deep into different anxiety-inducing scenarios and offer some practical suggestions for burying your best fur bud’s anxiety.
Yes, they can. Anxiety is a common issue for many dogs. According to the American Kennel Club, up to 14% of dogs show signs of anxiety and fear at some point in their lives.(1)
It's important to understand why your dog may be anxious in order to take the necessary and appropriate steps to help it cope.
Fortunately, there are steps you can take to help your dog manage their anxiety.
For many pet parents, the answer to that question is a wholehearted “Yes” accompanied by a vigorous nodding of the head.
Fortunately, with some knowledge and patience, there’s actually a lot we can do to ease the overwhelm our dogs may experience. Below are some very common scenarios in which dogs may exhibit anxious behaviors and how to calm down an anxious dog in each instance.
If you think your dog may be anxious, you should also consult with your veterinarian or a pet behavioral specialist. Your vet can help you develop a plan to manage your pooch’s anxiety. With proper care and treatment, you can help your pup feel more secure and relaxed.
Our focus here is on how to calm an anxious dog naturally using training, conditioning, and natural or non-invasive techniques.(1,2) However, there are dog anxiety medications on the market as well.
No matter the age or size of your pup, the clatter of bad weather can cause dogs to become anxious and overwhelmed.
Next time it's gross out and your dog is starting to flip out, you can try these methods to help your dog find some tranquility.
Giving treats to your dog when they are exhibiting undesirable behaviors due to anxiety can have a negative effect. It can reinforce the whining, cowering, aggression, etc. that you want to alleviate.
It’s not just kids that get scared of the dark. Some dogs don’t take to the evening hours with a sense of serenity.
When this happens, see if any of these tips do the trick.
While we humans may love the aerial light show on Independence Day, New Year's Eve, or other special occasion — many dogs aren’t fans.
Next time you know there’s going to be some Boom! Boom! Boom! from firecrackers, rockets, cakes, or smoke balls, give these “pyro-techniques” a shot.
Activate your Stormy Weather Plan. Those techniques used during storms can work when fireworks are the trigger.
In addition to the above, Dr. Tim Shu also recommends the following precautions be taken:
July 5th is the busiest day of the year for U.S. animal shelters. It's the day when the most animals are admitted.
- Dr. Tim Shu
Separation anxiety is a big deal. As much as you love your pet, it adores you right back and may not understand why you’re gone for extended periods of time.
Give these recommendations a whirl and help your pet understand and handle your absences.
Maybe you want to know:
Luckily, the majority of the tips and recommendations listed in the above sections can be adapted to fit other kinds of anxiety episodes. It may take some time and trial and error — but eventually you’ll land on a set of anxiety-busting tactics that you can readily draw upon.
Dogs can experience anxiety for many reasons and in many ways. But, they needn’t suffer.
You have plenty of anxiety-management options available to you. So, the next time your pup gets spooked by fireworks or foul weather — you’ll know how to calm an anxious dog.
Should you ignore an anxious dog?
The short answer is no. The longer answer is that, depending on the cause of your pet’s anxiety, a little ignoring could help. For example, ignoring your dog for 10-15 minutes before you leave may help condition your dog to understand that you’ll be leaving soon and help reduce separation anxiety.(4)
Remember, it's important to comfort your pet but not to reinforce the anxious behavior.
How to stop dog anxiety whining, pooping, etc.?
By mitigating the underlying stress, these undesirable behaviors should dissipate. But, it could take some additional counter-conditioning or behavior training as well.
How to calm an anxious aggressive dog?
Pet aggression should never be left unaddressed. Various methods for calming are listed above. Aggression is commonly addressed with medication and/or behavioral modification through training and conditioning.(5)
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