Helping Your Dog Recover from Stressful Experiences: A Guide
In the aftermath of a stressful event, our four-legged friends often need our extra care and attention. The Calm Canine Academy, a certified dog behavior coaching service, offers valuable advice on supporting a dog's recovery.
Quiet walks where a dog can sniff to their heart's content can help bring their nervous system back into regulation. These walks, known as decompression walks, provide a low-stress enrichment activity that helps dogs relax and gradually heal from suppressed or stressful behavioral states.
Ensuring sleep and calm time after exercise or stressful events is crucial for recovery. Provide dogs with cool, dark, quiet places to facilitate high-quality, uninterrupted sleep. The Academy recommends avoiding interruptions during the dog's sleep period.
Effective methods for supporting a dog's recovery also include bodywork techniques like massage, TTouch, or chiropractic care. These gentle, physical calming bodywork approaches help soothe the dog and promote relaxation.
Consistent, calm handling and behavioral techniques to promote focus and reduce reactivity complement these recovery strategies. Patience and calm interaction from handlers during emotional outbursts can help reduce stress and reinforce calm behavior. Using habituation or gradual exposure combined with positive reinforcement commands can also redirect attention and manage reactive behaviors.
Though not specifically from Calm Canine Academy, research indicates that some calming supplements like cannabidiol (CBD) may also reduce stress-related behaviors, but effects can vary individually and are generally mild.
During the recovery period, dogs may be more sensitive or easily triggered. Offering calmer, more relaxing activities can help a dog recover from a stressful event. Lowering expectations around a dog's responsiveness and emotional regulation can set them up for success during recovery.
It's important to remember that recovery from a stressful experience for dogs can take more than 48 hours. If a dog is taking longer than expected to recover, it might be a good idea to speak to a vet.
The Calm Canine Academy's advice can help pet owners support their dogs during stressful experiences. For more information, you might find 32 ways to destress your dog helpful, or the article "Eight reasons why your dog is anxious (and how to help them)" may also be useful.
In some cases, different medications for stress management may be available to help a dog recover. Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Supplements Calming Care is a vet-recommended calming dog food powder supplement that could be worth considering.
Encouraging rest is essential for dogs after a stressful event, as they require 18-20 hours of sleep daily but may need more after a stressful event. Plenty of cuddles, play, treats, and chews can help a dog during recovery, providing them with comfort and distraction.
In conclusion, by following the Calm Canine Academy's advice, pet owners can help their dogs recover from stressful experiences more effectively.
- During decompression walks, a dog can find comfort and relaxation, helping to balance their nervous system after a stressful event.
- To facilitate a dog's rest, it's essential to provide cool, quiet, and dark spaces for uninterrupted sleep after exercise or stressful episodes.
- Apart from walks and sleep, gentle bodywork techniques like massage, TTouch, or chiropractic care can help soothe a dog and promote relaxation during their recovery.
- Consistent calm handling, focusing techniques, and positive reinforcement commands can reduce reactivity and stress, supporting a dog's recovery process.
- While not specifically mentioned by Calm Canine Academy, calming supplements like CBD may help reduce stress-related behaviors in dogs, though effects can vary among individuals.
- After a stressful event, a dog's recovery might take more than 48 hours, and consultation with a vet is advisable if they are not responding as expected. Home security devices from the home-and-garden category can help ensure a peaceful environment for pets during recovery, promoting their well-being and calm lifestyle.
