Puppy Education

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Having a pet is a great addition to any family. Whether your pet is a dog, cat, fish, or bird they bring joy to family members of all ages. Like people, pets can get stressed when something new is brought into their environment. When pets are uprooted from their familiar surrounds they have a tendency to be stressed and sometimes worried about their future. Often times they will display behaviour that is not normal for them. There are ways to help your pet calm down and relax when they get stressed.

Active Involvement

One of the most effective ways to help your pet to relax is to play with your pet. Dogs love to play catch, they feed on the interaction and expend energy that builds up in their system when they are not able to run and play. For instance, when a family moves or goes on a trip and they take their dog, it is usually kept pinned up in the car for hours on end. Once the door of the car opens the dog runs around expending all the energy he has saved up. Once the dog has ran and played for a while he will be more relaxed and ready for the next part of the trip.

Passive Petting

Pet relaxation can be performed through petting and massaging. Dogs and cats love to have their ears scratched and their tummies rubbed. Like people who get massages to help them relax, pets also have the same reaction. By petting and massaging your pet you allow their body to relax as each muscle is worked and calmed. Most pets will want you to start at the head and work around to the stomach. Each pet will have favourite areas they like to have massaged. Concentrate of the areas that the pet indicates they want petted. Once the petting session is complete both pet and person are found to be relaxed and ready to move on in the day.

Eating and Treats

Have you ever seen a pet jump and run just before feeding time? This reaction is due to hunger and the excitement they have from eating. Food has a natural way of calming people and pets down from a stressful day or circumstance. When your dog gets excited or upset try feeding him a treat and just watch the reaction that unfolds. Treats help train your dog so that they know how to react to certain circumstances.

Voice Tone

Pet relaxation can also come through the way pets are spoken to. Voice volume can either make your pet excited or cause them to calm down. With dogs, the louder the noise the more agitated and excited they can become. Keep the tone or your voice regular and relaxing and they will pick will keep from stressing out. Use phrases that promote good behaviour such as, “good boy” and “good job”. Your pet will learn what phrases are inspiring and which ones are used for correction. It is important to keep the phrases and tones consistent for the moment so as not to confuse your pet.