If your dog falls apart at loud noises, you already know how helpless it feels. You try to comfort them. Nothing lands. The stress just keeps escalating.
Most people never learn that anxious dogs don’t need more comfort. They need a specific approach that works with how their brain actually processes fear.
Dog owners who’ve finally found relief all landed on the same few shifts. Fast ones. Affordable ones. These are the tools, that finally calmed my anxious pup, Henry, when nothing else worked. I wish I had known these tricks years ago. You can bypass my trial error method and skip to what works.
Budget tip:
Helping your dog with anxiety is good for your pup and your pocketbook. A dog that is very stressed can hurt themselves or others. That means you could get hit with an unexpected vet bill. Worse is if your dog escapes and becomes lost. As such, providing aids and helping your pup to overcome anxiety is a win-win for your buddy and your wallet!
Note: Always talk to your vet before giving your dog a new supplement or changing his diet.
Here's my recipe for a calm Henry:
Covered dog crate - this one is like Henry's
Cooling vest - this is similar to the one Henry currently is using
Heartbeat toy - this is very similar to Henry's beating toy
Calm Mushroom treats - Henry loves these and they do work (use LaylasWoof for 10% off)
What does anxiety in dogs look like?
Anxiety in dogs can look different for different dogs. However, as I’ve stared into Henry’s eyes, the only thing I can think of is that he’s having what in human terms would be called a panic attack. If you’ve ever had the misfortune of experiencing a panic attack, then you’ll relate to your dog even better.
I mentioned to my veterinarian that Henry’s stress was basically a panic attack, and he agreed that’s the human analogy. That’s horrible!
I’ve experienced two of these attacks, and I can tell you that if I could’ve somehow crawled out of my skin to escape it, I would’ve done it. There’s certainly nothing fun or logical about a panic attack.
In a dog, the physical appearance of high stress, anxiety, or a full-on panic attack can include:
- panting
- pacing
- shaking
- pawing
- drooling
- excessive barking
- aggression
- destruction of items
- peeing or pooing, excessively, especially in the house
- compulsive, or repetitive behavior
None of that sounds fun from the dog’s perspective, and you probably already know none of it’s fun from the dog parent’s perspective.
In this article, I discuss aggression in dogs.
What causes a panic attack in dogs?
Stress, panic, or anxiety in dogs can be triggered by many different factors. Again, this can be very unique to each dog and their experiences. However, there are certain triggers that seem to be universal for most dogs, such as fireworks, thunder, and sirens, to name a few.
Some dogs have traumas, and we don’t realize how deep that trauma goes or what’s involved.
For example, Henry is a rescue. He spent four months in foster care. I later learned that his foster mom didn’t like him. Additionally, I discovered his original family was an elderly couple. When they died, he was thrown out with the trash. He definitely came to me with some trauma. Initially, Henry’s panic triggers included:
- loud noises, such as fireworks or thunder
- wind
- rain
- snow
- being left alone
- windshield wipers
- fire of any type
Specifically, the triggers will change depending on your dog’s trauma.
For instance, Henry has a puppy friend who’s also adopted. She runs and hides at the sight of men, especially men with any facial hair. Also, I had a childhood dog with anxiety. She had a similar trigger to Henry’s friend and would shake and pee on herself at the sight of men with long hair.
Each dog has their own traumas. Our job as dog parents is to recognize the traumas and help them cope as best as they can.
In this article, I talk about how I adopted Henry as a foster dog.
Is there anything that will help a stressed dog?
Once again, every dog is different. Also, the level of anxiety and trauma will be different. Henry’s journey has been a long and winding one. I spoke with his veterinarian many times about different things to try. I’ve always been willing to try just about anything as long as the cure doesn’t hurt or make things worse. On this long road to find some relief, we’ve tried a multitude of remedies, including:
1. Calming shirts
While they work well for some dogs, they made no dent in Henry’s anxiety. However, Henry’s best doggy friend loves her calming shirt, and it definitely helps her anxiety.
Here’s where you can get a calming shirt.
2. Calming Spray collars
These are supposed to spray a calming spray (mostly chamomile) to get your dog to a zen state. While it’s a fabulous theory, it had no effect on Henry.
3. Various herbal remedies
Some herbal remedies work fabulously for dogs with anxiety, but sadly not for Henry. I think I’ve tried every type, but not every brand.
4. Ear massage
Massaging Henry’s ears did help a bit with his anxiety, but it didn’t eliminate a panic attack completely. It basically knocked his anxiety down a few degrees, but that wasn’t good enough for me.
5. CBD/Hemp oil
This seems to work like a charm for some dogs. I have to admit that at times, if Henry isn’t having a really bad attack, it does help somewhat. But it still doesn’t eliminate the anxiety completely.
6. Calming supplements
There are many pet-calming supplements on the market. Some are in the form of pills that you must administer to your dog orally. Others are in powder form that you sprinkle on food. My favorite, by far, and Henry’s favorite, are in the form of dog treats. Thanks to our friends at Layla’s Woof, we discovered Real Mushroom calm treats. They work great for Henry. You can even get a 10% discount with the promo code “LaylasWoof”.
7. Calming Rx
I had to think hard about giving Henry an actual prescription. But when I would see him pacing and panting in a full-on attack, I knew my choice. This did help. However, the problem was that it made him loopy for a few days. That’s no good!
8. Heartbeat pet toys
Henry was gifted a dog toy that beats like a heart for Christmas. I was certain it was going to be a flop since he hates dog toys. But this heartbeat dog toy works amazingly well for Henry. Honestly, I’m still in shock over this one. But there is some science behind it. The heartbeat is supposed to remind pups of the calm they felt with their dog mom.
Henry must’ve had a great dog mama. He goes from panic to calm in no time with this dog toy. I turn it on and he curls up with it, rests his head on it, and falls asleep.
Here’s a heartbeat stuffed dog very similar to the one Henry uses.
One more note on Henry’s trauma. About 1.5 years after I adopted Henry, he was brutally attacked through a friend’s backyard fence. He nearly lost his eye and his life. Since then his anxiety has gone up a few notches. I think mine has gone up about 20 notches.
Want to learn more about heartbeat toys for your dog? This article breaks it all down.
9. Cuddler bed
A cuddle bed can give your dog security. Henry loves his! Actually, Henry has four cuddle beds. I know, I treat him like a king. But then again, that’s why I call him King Henry.
This bed is just like Henry’s cuddler.
10. Safe space
Giving your dog a space is critical for anxiety. It can help more than you would even think possible. Henry has several spaces and uses them according to how he feels or his anxiety level. However, if he’s very stressed, then he’ll go to his dog crate, I’ll put a cover over it with a towel or blanket, and sit next to him on the floor.
Generally, I place his heartbeat toy in the crate with him when he’s overly stressed.
This is a great dog crate like the one Henry loves.
11. OTC calming medications
My vet recommended an OTC calming medication called Zylkene by Vetoquinol. While it worked for several months, it doesn’t help much now. However, it may help your dog. It was very effective for months. However, these are capsules. So, I broke the pills open and mixed them with pumpkin to encourage Henry to eat all the pill contents. That was a good trick.
12. Cooling vest
When Henry is stressed, he often begins to overheat. While a cooling vest doesn’t necessarily address the anxiety, it does help with the symptoms of being hot. As such, it does seem to help calm Henry in combination with other aids.
This is a cooling vest your dog will love.
How to calm a dog’s panic attack?
While you will most likely have to do a trial-and-error process as I did with Henry, I have found a combination of products that work for him. Currently, when Henry gets scared by fireworks or some other environmental issue, this is what I do:
- I move his dog crate near me and cover it with a towel
- Place his heartbeat toy either inside or on top
- Give him a calming mushroom treat
- Place his cooling vest on him
This recipe works like a charm. Even during our last fireworks, he was very calm with this recipe. To be honest, the noise bothered me more than it did Henry.
If you’ve tried everything you and your vet can think of to help calm your dog, then you may need to call an animal behaviorist for assistance. Here’s a great article with links to help you in searching for a dog behaviorist.
How do I save money when I calm my dog with anxiety?
You may think that your dog is just stressed out. But a dog in a panic attack can escape or even hurt themselves trying to get somewhere that he thinks is safe. This can mean your dog is lost or you’re left with a large emergency vet bill. Also, your pup could become destructive when experiencing anxiety and end up shredding your couch. As such, consider the following possible expenses.
| Emergency vet visit | $15 – 3,000 |
| Destroyed furniture or property | $150 – 40,000 |
| Lost dog | Heartbreaking!!! |
Related articles:
- 10 Steps to Find the Best Vet
- The Keys To An Aggressive Dog
- How To Adopt A Foster Dog
- Cuddly Cute! A Dog Heartbeat Stuffed Animal
- Creating Dog Safe Spaces: Easy and Cheap
- Dog Won’t Take Pills? Easy Solutions Revealed!
- Dog Trainer vs Behaviorist: Who Will Unlock My Dog’s True Potential?
You can calm a dog, even if they are a stressed-out pup
I couldn’t be more impressed and surprised with the results I’ve seen in Henry with his safe space, dog crate, cooling vest, calm Real Mushroom treat, and heartbeat toy.
I know dog anxiety is a difficult issue to solve for most pet parents. Even though most dogs suffer from anxiety, finding the right solution is a journey.
The bottom line is to keep trying different remedies or even combinations of remedies until you find what works best for your canine companion. That’s what I did for Henry, and I’m glad I didn’t give up on finding the right solution for him. I know he is as well.
