Is Dog Anxiety the New Normal? How To Help Our Four-Legged Friends End Cabin Fever.

Dog anxiety happens when the only place they can go is inside their minds.

For dogs, the lack of daylight and activity in the cold winter months can make every-day-play a logistical challenge. The current pandemic has certainly cemented this truth, with many of us isolating to keep ourselves and others safe.

But did you know that cabin fever from spending prolonged periods indoors is not unique to humans?  Indeed, our furry friends are just as susceptible to the effects of isolation as we are. And you know all too well what happens when you spend every day bound by the laws of the same routine…

Cabin Fever (Dog Anxiety): Signs and symptoms

In your dog, the symptoms may be obvious, or they may be somewhat mysterious. You might notice one day that their energy and exuberance is instead replaced with emotional dysregulation. This is especially true for high-energy dogs who don’t get enough stimulation. Or you might notice more overt signs like hyperactivity, withdrawal, aggression, and even severe depression – which often manifests as a lack of interest in food and an inability to interact with other people or dogs. If your dog chews furniture, howls incessantly when you go out or run around restlessly, he or she is telling you something – they need your help. Fortunately, we’ve compiled some tried-and-tested techniques that you can use to help your dog cope with periods of intense isolation:

Make a Game of It

No matter how your dog’s symptoms manifest, whether they’re hyperactive or withdrawn, the fact is that they need more physical activity. They might be used to running laps around the local dog park or absorbing the sunlight on their daily walks – but when they’re cooped up indoors, they simply don’t have the space to stretch their muscles.

You can make a game of everyday activities to encourage your beloved pet to move fast and move often. One great example is by using the stairs! If your dogs are young and in good health, you can incorporate the stairwell in your next game of fetch. Throw the toy of your choice (or your dog’s favorite toy) up the stairs and watch them rapidly run for it and then back to you. Getting their muscles moving will give them much-needed exercise.

Of course, not every dog is the best candidate for this game, either due to age or other reasons – but you can try to make a game of any usual activity. Exercise your imagination!

Another game you can play a modified version of hide and seek, where you hide your dog’s favorite treats in various locations in your house or apartment complex. Or, if you’re conscious of your dog’s diet, you can hide a toy and then reward them with a belly rub when they find it.

Create an Obstacle Course

Though we’ve already covered an increase in physical stimulation for your dog, obstacle courses are a particularly great way to do two things: not only do they help your dog run around, but they also help your dog exercise their mind too.

Agility is both fun and creative, and you can set up your obstacle course in your preferred way. There are no rules (except to maintain safety, which we’re sure you’re always aware of as a dog owner).

You can use:

• Cardboard boxes
• Broomsticks
• Frisbees
• Hula Hoops
• OR anything else you have laying around!

You can even build forts with boxes, chairs, and blankets – which is useful if you have children too – they’ll have fun with their furry friend!

CBD Oil

Incorporating CBD oil for dogs into their daily regimen is one of the best things you can do for your dog, especially during the quarantine periods or long periods of being indoors.

CBD can help your dog to:

• Alleviate aggression: If your dog exhibits symptoms like destructively chewing furniture or digging and scratching at doors and windows while indoors for prolonged periods – it could be because their cabin fever is causing restlessness. Luckily, CBD promotes soothing feelings in your pet, making staying indoors much more manageable for them.
• Reduce Anxiety: When it’s been a long time without contact with any new faces, your pet can become anxious or afraid when interacting with other dogs or people. This is true for most humans too, and it’s certainly a frightening feeling! But with CBD oil, you can encourage a sense of calm in your dog to help them face any challenge with a healthy mind.
• Encourage Movement: Sedentary behaviors can become a habit when your dog is inside for too long. While relaxing or enjoying some calm and quiet time is certainly no problem, staying sedentary can cause inflammation in your dog which can then give rise to a whole host of unwelcome health problems. CBD oil is able to address inflammation, so even if your dog is taking things slow and steady – they won’t suffer from inflammation.

Get Creative

We’ve all heard the saying that familiarity breeds contempt, and while this might be too powerful a statement to make about your dog’s experience of being indoors for long periods of time, one thing’s for sure: familiarity certainly breeds boredom.

But you can switch things up!

For example, you can always buy your dog a new toy or treat to maintain their curiosity and excitement.

And what’s more?

If you’re on a budget or don’t have space for too many toys, you can still keep things fresh. If your dog has favorite toys, don’t let them play with them all at once, or allow them to access them every single day. Instead, you can introduce old toys after some time, so they feel new again!

Natural Mood Booster

The best things in life are free, and this is certainly true for the natural world – which provides us with shelter and sustenance, but what about sunshine?

The sun is a known mood booster, with UV light often touted as a treatment for the seasonal affective disorder in humans.

And your pets are just as receptive to the blessings of daylight – so you can instantly make the atmosphere lighter and brighter by opening as many curtains, blinds, or windows as you can.

It helps your dog’s natural bodily rhythms, as well as preventing emotional and mental health issues.

So, there you have it! 5 Alurell-approved ways to combat cabin fever in your dog. It is important to be vigilant of the signs and symptoms, some of which may not seem obvious at first glance.

And with these tried and tested methods – you can have some peace of mind that your pup will be happy and healthy no matter the circumstances and dog anxiety will be in their past.