Natural Ways to Help Soothe Your Anxious Dog
Our Olivia has been anxious from day one! I remember her first car ride home as 
a pup she protested and sang the entire way....and it was just a short distance! Although she can be quite timid with most things, she is not afraid to show her big "brother" who's boss! Luckily, he is pretty chill with her and doesn't seem to care one way or the other! You can check him out laying upside down just being his silly self! As time went on with Miss Olivia, we started to notice that every Tuesday morning she would crawl on top of me or my husband in bed and shake. Puzzled as to why she did this every Tuesday, it finally dawned on us that it was garbage day and she could hear the big noisy trucks from afar. Poor baby would shake and shake and shake. Then came recycle day on Thursdays, she wasn't a fan of that day either... more trucks and more shaking. Then mix that up with some random fireworks, thunderstorms, lightning, etc.... you get the picture. Besides LOTS and LOTS of hugs and kisses, below are a few things that we have tried to implement to help calm her down as best we could.
1. Thunder Shirt or Other Form Fitting Snug Clothing - Olivia has lots of clothing gear like thunder shirts, fleece sweaters, etc that fit her snugly like a great big ole hug!
2. CBD Treats - We generally do not give many packaged treats to our dogs - we prefer fresh bananas, blueberries, etc but we do keep the CBD treats on hand when needed. Be sure to choose a product from a reputable company.
3. Reiki Music/Puppy Music on YouTube/Pandora/Spotify - Whenever my family leaves the house we always put on some sort of soothing music to help muffle out any startling noises for Olivia.
4. Spritz of Lavender Essential Oil/Diffuse Safe Calming Essential Oil (check with your vet!) I have found this to be somewhat helpful. I either diffuse some calming essential oils or I will make a very dilute spritz of water and lavender essential oil and spray it on my hands and then pat it on Olivia's bandana. I don't ever put essential oils directly on my pets fur. It is VERY IMPORTANT to exercise caution when working with essential oils, especially around pets. Be sure to use quality pure essential oils from a reputable company. Ask your vet the best way to safely use essential oils for your pets. (For quality essential oils check out: https://homehealthandspirit.com/)
5. Warmed Aromatherapy Hot Pack - This helps to comfort Olivia. I warm her pack and give it to her under her little blanket.
6. Dog Blanket - Olivia loves to hide under her blanket. A soft light blanket may help to a provide a sense of security for your pup.
7. Diet - Offer your pup foods that help to calm the nervous system. Some of the foods that we make for Olivia are ground turkey, sweet potatoes, blueberries, oats, eggs, dollop of plain yogurt or cottage cheese, etc. Be sure to mix fresh food with a good powdered multivitamin to assure that your dogs anxiety isn't due to vitamin/mineral deficiencies. Always get your vets recommendation.
8. Lots of Massage - Massage is super calming for us humans but it can also help calm your pups nervous system too.
9. Exercise - Getting your pup to run around may help to release pent up nervousness and anxiety.
10. Rescue Remedy for Pets - I used to use Rescue Remedy for my kids when they were growing up. I would give it to them before a big exam, piano recital, etc. Rescue Remedy for Pets is another good option to try. It is a natural stress-relief formula comprised of five flower remedies.
Resources: Click on Links Below
Fresh Home Cooked Meals to Your Door
Pet Well Being Spark Multivitamin
Relaxing Music for Dogs & Pups
DISCLAIMER: The above suggestions are what is helpful to my dog. ALWAYS get your veterinarians approval for proper options for your dog. Thank you.