There are some things in our world that have the potential to frighten our dogs and make them uncomfortable. Dogs are especially sensitive to sudden or unusual noises. Cowering, whining, hanging ears and a tucked tail are some of the bigger clues showing that a dog is anxious, uncomfortable or scared. As a pet parent you want your furry friend to be happy and comfortable, so what can you do to boost your dog’s courage? These 4 exercises for dogs might help you:

Exercise 1: Accept noise

A dog is considered to have a noise fear or phobia when he shows fearful behaviors specifically in reaction to a noise-related event. To teach your dog to keep calm in noisy situations, you can try to feed your dog while cooking or cleaning. Not that many dogs like to eat if they are stressed or scared. If your dog reacts to the noise of cleaning, you should stop. The exercise must progress and change according to the dog’s reactions. However, if your dog keeps calm and eats the food without problems, the fear of noise is getting less. For this exercise you should always be aware that the sound you use is controllable so that you can present it to your dog at a low enough volume that it doesn’t scare him right away.

Exercise 2: Your attitude

You must remain calm. How can you expect your dog to be calm when you are anxious? When you hear the thunder or fireworks starting, don’t anticipate problems and start worrying. Your dog will notice your fear and worry more. Ignore the noise and share your calm with your dog. Practice to stay calm, cool, and collected. Take a deep, cleansing breath and relax. You can also try to laugh out loud when there is a loud noise. Your dog may relax quicker then.

Exercise 3: Keep calm

Try to teach your dog to sit quietly and stay calm, no matter what happens. The best way to teach excited or anxious dogs to calm down is to teach them to sit, stay and focus on you. Teach your pet to focus on you every time he starts to feel scared or uncomfortable. This helps your dog redirect his mind away from what’s causing him to overreact and takes away the stress. And most importantly, be there if he needs you. This might boost your dog’s courage.

Exercise 4: Physical exercise

A well-exercised dog is a tired dog, and a tired dog may sleep through the fireworks, thunderstorms or any other noise. On days when you know there will be a lot of noise, e.g. many people, vacuuming, fireworks (such as July 4th), exercise your dog. Take him on a structured walk or jog, where your dog is walking on a loose leash. You can also play fetch, go for a swim, or play with any toy your dog likes. Tire your dog so he doesn’t have the energy to pace and whine later. If you do that each time, your dear pet might not even recognize the noise anymore.

Exercises to boost courage

Be patient training your dog – will take time and effort. The more you practice, the faster you will see some results.

How would you boost your dog’s courage? We would like to know!