Tools to help your dog cope with anxiety
It often seems like our dogs should have a life of luxury with no stressors or problems at all. After all, they don't have to pay bills or go to work. In fact, most dogs face a number of stressors throughout their lives.
Some dogs experience overwhelming anxiety around loud sounds like thunder or fireworks. Changing world events like the pandemic, protests and unrest, and changes in your employment and personal life can all cause stress for your pet as well.
You probably have ways to cope with your own stress. You can teach your dog ways to handle their anxiety as well. Here is what you need to know about helping your dog cope with anxiety for any reason, as well as some tools to help.
Exercise and Stimulation are Essential
The best way to help your dog get over anxiety, release a natural flood of endorphins, and build confidence is to make sure that your dog gets plenty of exercise, ideally in new environments that offer exciting stimulus. For many dogs, nervous energy can easily turn into real anxiety.
A tired dog is much more likely to be a happy dog. Get your dog out with a very long walk, a job, or a vigorous game regularly. If you notice your dog pacing around the house or seeming like they don't know what to do with themselves, more exercise and mental stimulation may be a good answer.
If you're not sure how much exercise your dog needs, research their breed and observe your individual dog. Breeds that were meant to run all day like gundogs, retrievers, herders, and many other kinds of working breeds may need much more exercise than you realize. Whatever breed of dog you have, if they are pacing, spinning in circles, or continually begging to go out, they probably need more exercise.
If you don't have time to give your dog as much exercise as they need, a dog walker can be the perfect solution. Dog walkers can provide your dog exercise along with social stimulation. The group confidence and walking meditation offered by a pack of dogs can help nervous dogs relax and enjoy their exercise.
That said, you don't want to try to get your dog to exercise if they are already in a highly anxious state. The solution to anxiety in the moment is more often a mental solution than a physical one. That's where distractions like highly desirable food can come in.
Food Toys: A Powerful Way to Combat Anxiety
Comfort food doesn't just work for humans. Delicious food can distract your dog from their anxiety and reward them for being interested in something other than what is provoking their anxiety. Giving your dog the opportunity to solve a puzzle is a highly effective way to work against your dog's fear.
By getting your dog to focus entirely on the puzzle, you keep them from thinking about the cause of their stress. Focusing on the puzzle occupies your dog's problem-solving, which is more effective at alleviating anxiety than food alone. Activities like licking and chewing are naturally soothing. Encouraging these activities in a healthy way also helps to relieve stress.
There are many different sorts of puzzle toys to help your dog. The more interested your dog is in a food toy, the more likely they'll be to be thoroughly distracted by it when they are facing a potential anxiety-provoking situation. Before we get into some suggestions, here are some tips for helping your dog to become positively food-obsessed.
1. Limit access. If your dog always has a food toy at their disposal, they won't find it interesting or exciting. Only give access to highly desirable food toys during limited periods.
2. Build desire. The act of having to work for something and the suspense before a reward can help your dog to care more about the reward once they get it. Have your dog perform tricks or behaviors before they get their food toy. Help them solve their food toy puzzle initially so that they are continuously put in suspense and rewarded.
3. Practice in low-stress situations. Before you try distracting your dog with a food toy when there are potential stressors, give them plenty of opportunities for limited access to the toy when they are happy and relaxed. This practice will help to make them feel happy and relaxed when they have access to the toy and are exposed to stressors.
4. Match value to stress. Once you begin giving your dog a food toy to alleviate stress, make sure that it is attractive enough to work. If your dog is very stressed, choose the highest value reward you have.
5. Maintain positive energy. No matter how well you encourage your dog to love their food toy and how much they value it, your dog won't relax if you are stressed out. Make sure that you are maintaining positive energy around your dog while they enjoy their toy.
Toys to Relieve Anxiety
Lickimat Classic Dog Slow Feeders
Best for the most anxious dogs or to get started with food toys
The Lickimat is a simple feeder with a couple of texture options to choose from. Simply smear food onto the mat or drop kibble into the sections and allow your dog to lick and nibble it off. Because the food is so accessible and right in front of your dog's face, even dogs who are very anxious may be tempted to engage in the activity.
Pros
● Use with all kinds of treats like peanut butter, cottage cheese, cooked vegetables, baby food, or canned dog food.
● Extremely easy to apply food and to clean.
● Licking activity is a natural stress reliever.
● Great for use in a crate or anywhere you want the food to stay in one place.
● Lots of different shapes and levels of difficulty to choose from.
Cons
● Most dogs clear the food fairly quickly.
● Some dogs will pick up and chew the mat.
PAW5: Wooly Snuffle Mat - Feeding Mat for Dogs
Best for dogs who are motivated by sniffing and toys
This fun little Snuffle Mat allows you to hide all kinds of treats and toys among the fabric for your dog to find. It encourages your dog to search by sniffing, which can be very distracting and keep your dog from being worried about stressors. If your dog is highly motivated by toys, this is also a great game for hiding toys for your dog to find.
Pros
● Use with hard treats, kibble, or toys.
● Machine washable and very easy to fill.
● Works well when you want a dog to stay in one place such as in the crate.
● Encourages dogs to use their senses of smell, which is beneficially distracting from stressors.
Cons
● Dogs that tend to rip up toys will probably rip up this mat.
● Only works with hard food and toys.
KONG - Extreme Dog Toy - Toughest Natural Rubber
Best for strong dogs and heavy-duty chewers
Kong has been a fixture on the market since it came out for good reason. This heavy-duty toy can stand up to the toughest chewers. Fill it with a mix of wet and dry treats and food, and your dog can chew, toss, and otherwise interact with the toy to get it out. Make it more challenging by freezing. The unique shape of this toy makes it easy for dogs to carry, chew, and play with.
Pros
● Heavy-duty toy that you can feel confident will stand up to even the strongest chewers for some time.
● Comes in a range of sizes and works for practically all dogs.
● Easy to stuff and dishwasher safe.
● Dogs love to chew on it, and it is very beneficial for tooth and gum health.
Cons
● Dogs who don't like to chew may find it challenging to interact with this toy
● Some people find that the most determined chewers destroy them, especially if the toy is a bit small for the dog.
OurPets IQ Treat Ball Interactive Dog Toys
Best for small dogs who need a challenge
If your smaller dog is too smart for some of the other food toys that you've tried, this OurPets IQ Treat Ball might be the one for you. This isn't the toughest toy on the market, but for dogs who are willing to roll and play without chewing hard on a toy, it is perfect.
You can adjust the difficulty of this food distributing toy as your dog gets better at it and make it easier if your dog is more stressed, which is a very convenient feature in a food distributing toy.
Pros
● Easier to fill than many other food toy options. Simply unscrew the ball and fill it with kibble or treats.
● Adjust the difficulty as desired for your dog's level of anxiety or commitment to the toy.
● Moves around, which gets your dog active and releases endorphins for additional stress relief.
Cons
● Too brittle for dogs who chew on toys and only comes in 3in and 4in sizes so not a good choice for larger dogs.
● Only works with dry treats and kibble.
PetSafe Busy Buddy Twist 'n Treat
Best for dogs with variable anxiety needs
This clever PetSafe Busy Buddy food dispensing toy makes it very easy for you to fill and clean and offers lots of puzzle variety to your dog. The halves are adjustable so you can fill with differently sized kibble and treats and make them easier or more difficult to get out.
This ball can also work with soft treats or a mix of soft and hard. It comes in a range of sizes, and, while it won't hold up to very-heavy duty chewing, it can take some abuse from dogs of different sizes.
Pros
● Easy to fill and clean in the dishwasher.
● Adjust difficulty by what you stuff it with and how much you twist the pieces together.
● Comes in a range of sizes and holds up to medium chewing and a lot of tossing around.
● Fill with different sizes and textures of food and treats.
Cons
Overwhelmingly the con of this toy is also its primary benefit: the fact that you screw the pieces together. Most dogs don't figure out how to untwist it on purpose, but it may become easier or more difficult because of your dog's play rather than your intention.
Dogs who do figure out how to untwist it on purpose can rapidly solve the puzzle. It's important to monitor your dog's play when they're using this toy so that they do not unscrew it and destroy the threading.
Omega Paw Tricky Treat Ball
Best affordable treat ball for pups on a budget
This simple Tricky Treat Ball is one of the most affordable on the market, but it offers a lot of fun for dogs that don't try too hard to destroy their toys. The rubber is relatively soft and the concave circles on the outside provide a good grip for dog's teeth, so dogs who want to rip open the toy can do so.
However, these same features make it easy to carry and a lot of fun to play with for dogs who are not dedicated to destroying their toys. A ridge on the inside makes it more challenging for treats to fall out and it can hold a lot of kibble.
Pros
● Cheap, even for larger sizes.
● Easy for dogs to grip, carry, and throw.
● Rim on the inside makes it more challenging for treats to come out.
Cons
● No easy way to clean the inside except by scrubbing through the opening.
● Dogs determined to destroy it can do so without too much trouble.
● Easily scratched surface tends to get dirty and is hard to clean.
Give your Dog Tools to Relieve Anxiety
Your dog doesn't have to suffer with excessive anxiety or boredom. If your dog is uneasy because of events in your household, noises outside, or any other stressors, the right balance of exercise and puzzle toys can make a tremendous difference.
You may have to try a couple of different options before you find the right toy for your dog, but if you are patient and dedicated to building a healthy toy obsession in your dog, you can give them the tools they need to soothe their own anxiety.