Dogs can become stressed out for different reasons: perhaps they fear getting shots at the vet, they meet another dog that rubs them the wrong way, or they are nervous about being left alone.
However, did you know that your personal behavior can also be a reason your dog is stressed out?
Lankas Labs is offering several ideas on how dog owners might stress out dogs and how to eliminate those stresses all together.
Dogs Sense Nervous Energy
When we feel stressed out, our body language often reflects that. Our dogs typically pick up on behavior and tense movements and know something is wrong. Dogs can feed off of nervous energy and act similar as a result. If your dog seems anxious or upset, self-reflect to see if you could unwittingly be causing the problem. Do your best to remain calm when introducing your pet to new people, places, and experiences to avoid stress.
Dogs Read Mixed Messages
Pets often pick up on mixed messages which can lead to stress. For example, if you feed your dog table scraps one night but punish them for curiously looking for scraps on another night, you’ll likely confuse your dog. Focus on giving your dog consistent messages and training tactics that allow them to clearly understand what is right and wrong.
Dogs Feel Sense of Failure
If you accidentally leave your favorite shirt out where a puppy can easily access it, you’re essentially giving them the opportunity to chew it. Dogs enjoy chewing, especially puppies, and it takes time for them to understand that it’s a bad behavior in some cases. If you are constantly leaving valuable items where your dog can reach them but get infuriated with them when they do, you could be setting them up to fail. If you’re getting a dog, pet-proof your home ahead of time and save you and your pet the stress.
Well-trained dogs often feel less stressed because they understand expectations. Lankas Labs is proud to be one of the leading Pointing Lab Breeders in the state of Kansas. The puppies we offer generally range from 8-week-old puppies to “started” dogs and come in a variety of colors.
