Keeping Your Anxious Dog Safe Around Other Dogs

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Anxious dogs often struggle when they are forced to be around other dogs because they are worried about how the other dog will react to them. Sometimes, this causes anxious dogs to shake and try to run away or hide from the other dog, but sometimes, their fears and anxieties can cause them to become aggressive.

With that in mind, below are some things you can do to keep your dog safe around other dogs and ensure that those other dogs are kept safe too.

Keep Calm

If when approaching other animals with your dog, you start to panic and worry that your dog will become overly scared or overly aggressive, then chances are that is exactly what will happen. Our dogs are great at reading our moods, and if we appear tense and fearful to them, then they will start to feel the same and act accordingly.

Consider a Muzzle

If your dog is likely to snap when he’s anxious, you might want to consider getting him to wear a comfy dog muzzle when you are out and about. Not only will it ensure that, if things do go wrong, no one will get hurt, but other dog owners are more likely to maintain their distance from you and your dog if they can see his wearing a muzzle as they will know he is an anxious pup, which means you won’t have to worry so much about dogs being allowed to get too close and scare your pet.

Praise Your Pet

Keeping your pet calm can be tricky, but one thing that often works is petting and praising your dog as soon as you see another pup approaching in the different, keep training him and giving him lots of attention so that his focus is on you. If he stays calm, reward him with a tasty treat and he will soon learn that being a good boy and not barking or getting aggressive with passing dogs is the best way to get lots of trust and attention.

Let Him MeetOther Dogs One-on-one

If you know someone who has a calm dog, asking if you can introduce their pooch to your pup in a safe home environment is often a good way to get your dog comfortable with other animals. Take it slow, keep him on a leash and let them get as close as possible so your dog can see that not every dog is a threat, But stay vigilant and remove your dog if he shows signs of aggression. Oh, and keep these meetings short – a few minutes should suffice in the early days.

Ignore Anxiety

Reward calmness and ignore anxiety at every turn and you will soon find that your dog is more relaxed more often than not.

It’s never easy when you have an anxious dog, but it is possible to keep them safe and calm them down significantly if you do the right things, and the above tips will help you to master that.