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Dog anxiety is a common problem that can leave our fur babies fearful and worried about almost everything. Luckily there are many breakthroughs recently in the topic of anxiety and one of these is a weighted blanket for dogs! In this article, we will cover some of the basics about dog anxiety as well as how a weighted blanket works to be one of the best natural cures of anxiety and can be even more effective when paired with other anti-anxiety methods.
Dogs just like humans face things that give them anxiety and many of these fears come either from past traumatic experiences or because of something that happens. A good example of this is that my family had an adopted dog that had been dropped off on the side of the highway, it was no surprise that this dog was afraid to go on car rides after this as it would give her anxiety of being left again.
Some of the more common reasons dogs get anxious are as followed:
Illness or a painful experience
Changes associated with old age
Fear from memory
Being deprived of social interaction
Separation anxiety (fear of being abandoned)
Fear of crowds
Fear of loud noises
These are not even close to the full list of things that could cause anxiety but are the more general common ones we often see. There is no telling what may actually be causing anxiety in your furry friend but there are some cues we can look for in behavior to know when these anxiety levels rise and then we will be able to avoid those situations.
Some of the signs of anxiety in dogs include scratching at doors, licking of the lips, increased grooming, whining, panting, shaking, pacing, uncontrolled urination, aggression, and withdrawn behaviors.
It is important to observe your dogs behavior so you can identify changes that could link back to other things like anxiety and pain.
Weighted blankets are becoming more and more popular as an option for humans to reduce their anxiety and calm them down in high-stress moments. Recently people have begun to use these weighted blankets for dogs with some minor changes to the design and they have been producing great results in the way of reducing anxiety-inducing behaviors. The difference from human blankets to dog ones is simply a weight reduction to make them safer for our furry friends. Weighted blankets can be dangerous for dogs if they are made for humans as the extra weight can cause increased anxiety or even breathing trouble in dogs.
The way anxiety blankets work is through what is referred to as deep touch pressure or DTP which is a form of therapy that helps regulate the body's mood. This DTP is what is experienced when you receive a nice hug or when you are held like a baby and is known to release serotonin into the brain which gives a calming feeling. This has been a big topic recently in pets and has led to creations such as the weighted vest and other dogs specific anti-anxiety things. The reason we recommend a blanket is that it is far more simple and versatile to work with any dog out there. Some situations may require you to use the blanket on a dog that is already anxious and when you try to put a vest on these dogs it can become even more fearful of what is going on. Blankets just work in a more simplistic natural way for dogs.
We here at BuddyRest have come up with our own form of a weighted experience in our new Soothe Blanket. This blanket is made with all pet safe premium materials including one sued side and one fleece side for maximum comfort. It gets its weight from pockets of nontoxic beads that keep it ready and weighted for any moment while still being safe if a dog does decide to get their chew on. It is also a sleek modern look as to fit almost any homes feel without being the star of the room and is machine washable for the easiest clean.
The best thing about weighted blankets is that they are not a substance based treatment so it is super easy to add additional anti-anxiety methods to increase the help. This is why it is becoming an increasingly popular option is that many dog owners who need to help their furry friends are utilizing options like anxiety blankets mixed with a CBD oil.
If you think an anxiety blanket is right for your dog we encourage you to try it but make sure your veterinarian is involved for the best help you can get. Anxiety is not an easy thing to deal with but every day people are working to help reduce some of the fears our dogs are experiencing. If you found this article helpful feel free to share it with your friends so they can find out about some of the wonderful benefits of weighted blankets for dogs themselves!
BuddyRest was founded on the idea of supporting older dogs and based our first products on helping joint pains in dogs. We know dog sleep science and hope this blog helped you out.
