How To Treat Dog Travel Anxiety
Did you know that pets, like human beings, will suffer from anxiety? The problem is so widespread such that learning how to help a dog with anxiety is an essential step to owning one. Being capable of identifying when your canine companion is suffering from stress is a big deal as it will help with avoiding unnecessary situations. Knowing how to calm down a friend with 4 paws regardless of the circumstances is also a crucial skill. Dog anxiety is so visible during travel. Learning how to treat or minimize the problem is critical to you and your pet enjoying the trip. An anxious pet can create lots of chaos.
Do you know how to tell when your furry companion is experiencing anxiousness? In case you don’t use the following tips to assess the pet’s behavior:
● Your dog will bark for more extended periods and more aggressively than normal.
● Displays a lot of energy, and will run around the house, and if you’re in the car, it will be fidgeting. It will start to chew on the chairs and display a lot of aggressiveness.
● Peeing and defecating all over the place – this is especially when the dog is suffering from separation anxiety.
● Vomiting and salivating.
Here are 5 ways to help manage dog travel anxiety:
1. How to Help a Dog with Anxiety Using Medication
There are several anxiety medication options for dogs. Like us, the meds are designed to make your friend with 4 paws calm and reduce the anxiousness effect. Some of these drugs are available by prescription and others over-the-counter; however, always consult your vet first before giving any medication to your pet. They are the ones aware of the best type of drug that will work for your pet.
There are times when everything you do just doesn’t help with making our canine companions feel at ease. That’s where homeopathic medications for dog anxiety treatment come into play. They are useful and will calm your puppy, helping them enjoy car travel. Herbal options are available on the market. They offer a homeopathic and natural way of alleviating the stress feeling in our pets. Such drugs employ the use of plants and flower essence.
2. Carry All Essential Dog Travel Accessories
During the planning and preparation stages of your trip, ensure that you have packed all the dog travel accessories. They will include a list of the following items:
● Food and other special treats
● Enough water
● The appropriate harness and carrier
● Medication
● Travel papers showing details such as vaccination and ownership regarding the dog
● Dog headphones
The above are some of the items that you need to have with you when traveling with your pet. If your puppy is feeling anxious, having a harness and the carrier will be critical in ensuring that they don’t jump around the car or run off when you hit the road. Food, special treats (for when you stop) and water will be also good for calming your pet down.
Learning how to travel with a dog includes knowing what essentials to carry. They are critical to both you and your pet enjoying the trip and being capable of answering questions such as: If camping with a dog where does he sleep? Or what will he eat? And so on displays a greater understanding of your pet. You can opt for one of the best 4 person tents on the market if you have no alternative while the foods and treats depend on your puppy’s favorites. Having the essentials during travel is one way of helping your dog with anxiety.
3. Have Regular Car Stops
Here is another way for those looking for tips on how to calm down a dog during travel: have regular car stops. Your canine companion is not used to being in an enclosed moving space for long hours are will likely start to experience bouts of anxiety. Having regular stops lasting between 10 to 30 minutes can be beneficial to them. During the breaks, ensure that your dog goes for their bathroom breaks, give him some food treats and water. While in transit, avoid giving food treats to your puppy – that’s a recipe for disaster.
4. Regular Car Rides is a Simple Dog Anxiety Treatment
Finding ways of how to help a dog with anxiety isn’t rocket science, all it requires understanding your dog. Knowing things like how to calm down a dog or how to put your dog to sleep are critical in reducing anxiety. Before the main trip, like a week or 2, start taking your dog on random car trips. Start with a shorter distance before trying a 30-minute drive or so. The drive will help your dog get accustomed to being in a moving vehicle and therefore ease some of the anxiety. Regular car rides are a simple and easily achievable dog anxiety treatment. By the time the day of the trip comes, your dog will be used to being in a car and will be calm.
5. Associate Car Rides with Pleasant Memories
Imagine if anytime your dog gets into the car it’s a visit to the vet -it’s mostly never a pleasant experience. As expected, like us, dogs start to associate car rides with not so good memories. Your puppy will begin becoming anxious whenever they get into the vehicle knowing that it’s time for some pain. Work on changing that perception if you want a less stressed dog for your trip. Start making pleasant memories such as going to the beach, the park or pet friendly tent camping. That will help improve perception and a good way of how to help a dog with anxiety during travel.
Conclusion
Knowing how to help a dog with anxiety is a combination of factors. It requires understanding your pets needs and wants and how to address them. To enjoy your travel, ensure that your pet is as calm as possible. The above 5 tips will be of help.
What has worked for you? Please share with us.
Author’s bio: Cassandra Norton is a freelance writer from Flint, Michigan. She loves to travel with her lovely dog by car. Loves summer and summer activities, especially kayaking using the best equipment from https://gearexpertguides.com/
