Today’s busy lifestyles can turn your home into a very chaotic place where – you are working from home, there are children playing around, people are coming and going, and there are adults watching TV at full volume. These loud noises, change of routine, familiar visitors, other pets, children playing around, and domestic arguments can cause anxiety to your dog. A home space that is far from being peaceful can result in an anxious pet. If your dog is not dealing well, a safe haven for him where he can escape if something or someone worries him.
According to a certified NY breeder, this safe haven for your dog can be anything from a bed to a crawl space, or a newly renovated corner space. Moreover, always remember that although dogs need a lot of love and attention, they are also territorial animals and need plenty of space on their own. So creating a designated puppy zone or a zen space where he or she finds comfort can be a great way to deal with his or her anxiety.
Here are some cool ways to create a safe haven for your dog:
Giving them a room of their own
Your little dog is just like your little kids. Hence designating a separate room for them can be a great start. Turning your basement into a dog room or setting up a completely different room for your dog can be a safe and comfortable space that is completely his own.
Easy access to the outdoors
The safe haven for your dog should have easy access to the outdoors. Dog doors can be great for creating seamless access to the backyard or front yard. Set up a fence in your backyard, so that your dog can move freely without you having to watch him 24/7. They should have the choice of when they want to enter or exit their safe haven to the outdoors.
Accessorizing the safe haven
Providing a blanket or a snug crate that can give your dog a sense of security that is identifiable by a familiar smell can be great. A lot of times we come across dogs carrying around their favorite toy that was brought to them as a pup. This is nothing but a security blanket and you can consider small items such as a basket full of small toys, a wall hook for a leash, or a jar of treats so that they can identify it by the smell or sight of it.
Adjusting to the quirks of a dog
Your dog might love laying down on cool tiles during summer or has a favorite rug in the house where she sleeps for a while before sleeping on her bed. It can be a great way to lay out a few such familiar quirks near her safe place so that they feel the most comfortable around this place.
Identifying with scent
Placing an old t-shirt that you don’t want anymore near the dog so that he identifies it by your smell can also be a sentimental idea to calm him. This will make them get used to your body scent and get used to it while being comfortable. There are also aromatherapy oils to calm anxious dogs. It can be sprayed near the dog bed.
Making the crate a happy place
If you are crate training a dog, make sure that you do not use the crate as a punishment for him. Dogs naturally feel safe and relaxed in small and confined spaces and crate training your dog should be an easy process as there are chances that they already love it. Providing a security blanket or familiar t-shirts helps to transform the crate into a happy place so that they associate the space with something positive and not a punishment.
Create open spaces around the house
It’s time to rearrange the large and bulky furniture around the house and make more spaces for your little pooch to move around. Moving large couches from the middle of the room to the sidewalls and freeing up a large open area for your dog to run around in can be a great haven for him.
Keeping everyday items in one place
Keeping all the accessories that are used by your dogs every day in a designated place makes sense. From the dog’s leash, boots, towels, treats to the raincoats and food bowls, keeping everything together from where they go outside like the laundry room can help them understand how that area is dedicated only to them.