How to calm a dog that’s hyperactive (5 easy hacks)

It is very common to have a dog with anxiety. Not only are there many anxious rescued dogs but there are also a number of naturally anxious breeds. And most unfortunately, there are dogs who have been exposed to unpleasant circumstances which can also cause them a lot of anxiety. For many people with dogs, this can be a big challenge.

Here are my hacks for people with dogs with anxiety or hyperactivity:

Hack 1 * Many people use essential oils to calm dogs and they can be very effective. Please know that you can’t apply essential oils directly to your dog because they are highly concentrated substances and many of the oils are toxic to ingest. Essential oils need to be diffused or diluted in another way and not put directly on your animal companion. Application makes essential oils more difficult to use.

Hack 2 * Thundershirt. These are very effective for hyper or anxiety-ridden animals but there are a couple of downsides: if your dog is very small it may not fit, the dog has to wear it all the time in the environments your dog finds difficult and they can be expensive. But dogs do find Thundershirts very calming.

Hack 3 * Using music to calm a hyper dog. This is a great option because many animals respond to music the way humans do. Classical music really does work for dogs. When I worked in an animal shelter, we used it to calm the animals there and it help everyone!

Hack 4 * Learning how to calm a dog is a skill that can be learned. Behaviorists say to ignore your dog when s/he is hyper. Don’t reinforce bad behavior with your pet. If you ignore your dog, the behavior can subside and the dog can shift to a calmer mood. This obviously takes a little perseverance and a lot of patience but it can help your animal friend calm down.

Hack 5 * How to calm a hyper dog; try flower essences. AnimalRx Essences has two formulas for anxiety. Be Here Now has been very successful in helping dogs with anxiety. We have used Be Here Now for hyper dogs and dogs with ADD/ADHD and Be Here Now resolved the condition. Crisis Cooler helps dogs with anxiety attacks and who are nervous. The formula helps the dogs know that what is happening now is only temporary. Flower essences are a great solution when you are how to calm a hyper dog.

A story about a dog who had anxiety because of a bad event:

Lou is a big, friendly dog but one day another dog in a dog park attacked him. The attack was unprovoked and brutal. Lou had to go to the hospital with many injuries and a lot of trauma. The vet put him into a Thundershirt to calm him down which did help. But Lou was helped much more when his human mom gave him some Crisis Cooler and Protection Plus. The formulas together helped him return to a calmer frame of mind and, eventually, he felt safe to go back to the dog park.

Flower essences are non-toxic, mild and many dogs like the way they taste. They can be sprayed in the air, licked off a hand or applied in the ears, on the fur or on footpads. Unlike essential oils, flower essences make permanent changes and may not need to be used repeatedly after the desired effect is achieved.

When trying to find a way to calm a dog, it is important to have a lot of tools in your toolbox. AnimalRx Essences are great tools to help you and your best friend!

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