Managing Canine Stress With Holistic Dog Expert Yasmin El-Saie

Stress has become the world’s third largest health concern, and it doesn’t stop with us humans, our canine companions feel it too. A third of the population in recent studies can’t cope with their lives due to stress. The RSPCA’s research shows that 8 out of 10 dogs suffer from stress when they are left alone. So what can we do to help our dogs feel more relaxed and calm?

London-based Yasmin El-Saie is a Holistic Dog Anxiety Expert and Canine Reiki Practitioner who also shares tips on her Instagram (@chilliwawa) where she has over 33k followers.  She shares advice with us below.

1. Dogs pick up on our feelings so be aware of yourself! For example, if we are getting ready to leave home, and we’re feeling guilty for leaving our dog at home, or we are late for work, or we are rushing, our actions and body language can become frantic and our canine companions pick up on this. So they feel there is something to be stressed about and suddenly the simple act of you leaving home becomes a traumatic experience for them. It is so important to be cool, and act like it’s the most natural thing for you to gently leave home without the kerfuffle, telling your dog it’s ok.

2. Environmental awareness. Some dogs find certain situations very stressful so don’t keep placing your dog in them. For example, some dogs find a noisy pub too much. Or perhaps a certain park with dogs that are challenging for your pooch to be around. Try to avoid these locations, sometimes it’s better to either go somewhere else or let your dog relax at home, where they feel safe.

3. Get your dog a “licking toy”! There are some cool toys out there which you can fill with a delicious dog paste or little mats with perforations where you can apply the paste. Your dog will spend a long time trying to lick the treat out of the toy. What’s the benefit? Licking reduces stress levels in dogs.

4. Get a pheromone collar or diffuser. These are a great way to create calm and reduce stress for your dog. The products release feel good chemicals which calm your dog. The plug in is great for areas in your home where your dog gets extra stressed and the collar can be worn at all times.

5. Thundershirts - are a great way to calm dogs thanks to a gentle and constant pressure applied to the dogs body making him/her feel more secure.

Follow @chilliwawa for more tips