When Stress Attacks

Murray is a pretty happy go lucky, relaxed dog, but when something stresses him, you sure know it!  Things like sudden separation anxiety when he has not been without me for a long period of time, some strange people, when he feels sick, the exam room at his vet's office, and water that is deep enough to require him to swim (he can't) are some of the things Murray stresses about when faced.  I have luckily learned that distracting him from his stressor as much as possible helps a ton!  Talking to him, or asking him to give a paw shake can sometimes be enough to break his nervous focus on whatever is plaguing him. Sometimes it's just not enough though.  Something I have started doing that has become more useful than anything else is a little "dog massage".  Now I realize it's not always convenient to stop and start massaging you dog on the spot, so I often use it at the end of a particularly stressful day.  If we had a vet visit, grooming (Murray hates being clipped and bathed) or maybe after we've had company, a massage is a great way to end Murray's day on a positive note.  I find if we do a few minutes of massaging before bed, his body relaxes, he sleeps soundly and it helps keep his nerves at bay a bit more with future stress.  An added bonus is there are several more benefits to massaging your dog aside from just stress relief.  I printed out a copy of an infographic Life and Dog put together a long while ago and thought I'd share it here too.  Take a look and print one for yourself.  Some great information here.