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Dogs can suffer from mental issues as well!
Two of most common are anxiety and stress. I’ve found great examples how to deal with those problems.
Anxiety
Posted by Kealey Pennell on Friday, January 17, 2020
Making a rescue dog with separation anxiety feel at home is nothing short of challenging. It can be quite tricky to keep them comfortable and safe in their new house.
That is why this dog mom from Sydney, Australia went out of her way to help her rescue pup with her anxiety issues.
Kealey Pennell knew that when she adopted Lemmy, she would be in for a challenge. You see, the pup suffers from extreme separation anxiety. At three years old, she would tend to whine whenever her fur-mom is not anywhere near her.
But while this was a bit problematic, Kealey and her partner noticed that Lemmy usually relaxes a bit whenever she retreats to a little nook in their home. Seeing that this was significantly helping her with her anxiety, they decided it was only appropriate to turn the nook into Lemmy’s little lair.
They began remodeling the nook with the supervision of the clingy pup along the way. As they removed the old stuff from the small closet, they thought of ways to make it comfier for her.
When they finally had an idea of what to make of the nook, they immediately went to gather hardware supplies from the store.
Lemmy tagged along during their shopping, of course. And when they got home, she was snuggled next to her fur parents, as well, while they paint and design the nook. She would sneak in a couple of kisses here and there to keep the couple motivated.
Finally, after a long day’s work of adding shelves and little trinkets, they finished the adorable nook, complete with a soft cushion for Lemmy. Kealey also pinned three of their sweetest family photos on the wall for decoration. It was quite safe to say that Lemmy was excited to try out her new nook.
She happily sat on her cushion and nestled herself in. Hopefully, her new spot will help her with her separation anxiety. Look at the adorable lair here.
Stress
Newlyweds Trevor and Megan are having trouble with their two dogs. Their Jack Russell Terrier, named Sydney, is too stressed, and it’s affecting her health.
This all started when the couple decided to bring a new dog into their home without testing whether or not their dogs would like each other.
Victoria Stilwell was hired to help these owners fix the stress issue. First, the professional trainer observes Sydney gauging the extent of the problem. Victoria noticed that the dog has been shaking all the time nervously.
Sydney’s major stress trigger is when she sees the other dog named Sam.
At the same time, the situation is unfair for Sam as well, because he has to stay in the backyard for several hours under the scorching heat of the sun. The trainer reminds the couple that they have possibly shortened the life of their senior dog Sydney because of their rash decision.
Before the formal training, Victoria showed the couple a chart that shows how stress can be damaging to a dog.
After that, the trainer used the clicker training method. Whenever Sydney relaxed, she is given treats to reinforce the behavior.
Victoria also explains how massaging Sydney can help relieve stress. She also addressed another issue with the other dog, Sam. Victoria gave Sam a small wooden cabin so he can stay out of the sun. Sam is also sent to a doggy daycare center once in a while.
When Victoria checked back on the couple, she is delighted to see the progress. The couple upgraded Sam’s cabin by giving it cooling pads. Sydney is also no longer restrict as much as she learns to coexist with Sam.
Trevor and Megan are rare clients who did not give Victoria too much headache. Once again, the dog trainer proved her expertise in the field of dogs. Check out the detailed encounter below.
