You need to be nicer to your dog.
He can understand when you are mad, stressed, worried, or upset; he recognizes the tone of your voice. He can sense intense energy when you’re around him because he can notice your body language. He observes and comprehends more than we often realize. He understands much more about our concurrent existences than you may think. Yes, he is a different species, but together we exist on this one, floating rock and it’s time we act like it.
Practice Anti-Speciesism
So, don’t speak down to him like he’s less sentient than us. We’re human and can read but who’s to say dogs cannot learn? Seriously, we know they are capable of comprehending and communicating with us using our words, so it wouldn’t be surprising if someone teaches their dog to read in the near future!
Here is a video by Fluent Pet, the leading developer and researcher in pet communication, that introduces inquiring dog owners to their new sound button technologies.
Treat him like you should any other living creature; with their own awareness, feelings, and perceptions. Once you start viewing your dog as a complex being, you may notice more about his personality. Too often, you could tell that he’s nervous. He may be skittish with loud noises or worried when you leave him. If your dog had a tough upbringing, perhaps if he’s a rescue, this is very possible.
My dog, Ollie, was a stray in Puerto Rico. He was turned in by a lady who fed him fish for a few nights near a beach named after its disturbing quality, Dead Dog Beach. We adopted him when he was one and a half.
He’s about ten now. I say “about” because I made him turn eight for a couple of years in a row; I can’t stand the thought of him getting older! But now it’s been over ten years since he was on that beach yet mentally, he is still there.
It’s a Dog-Eat-Dog World
Left to his own devices, my dog is on edge, defensive, and terrified of the world. My dog has anxiety. Most of it comes from his past, I know that. But a small part of it, I know, comes from me.
He senses my energy and knows when I am stressed. He feels it too, but deeper and stronger. He is fully aligned with the movement of his surroundings, and we, the humans, are the ones who are plucked away by other distracting forces.
Sit with him, listen to him, let him exist with you. See him as he is. Notice the way his attention shifts. Look at how he reacts when the floor creaks. Watch the moment he remembers that a whole world exists outside and that he’s not always safe in it.
Embracing Animal Empathy
When you can finally accept him as his own creature and consider him morally, you are empathizing with your dog. You have recognized him for himself.
If he is just as nervous as my dog is, you’ll likely want to help him, to make him feel safer and loved. Our Eco Marketplace has some products that could aid in this process.
Solutions
Just like a child, what can distract him quickly? His favorite toy. We’ve partnered with Laboni, a dog brand that carries everything from beds and collars, to food bowls and toys. Their toys are made of 100% cotton and dyed with natural colors. The material is created to clean and care for your dog’s teeth as they chew. And they’re tested by TUV Süd, according to the European Toy Safety Direction to ensure safe playing. They satisfy your dog’s anxious need to chew and are designed with destruction in mind.
A good snack is sure to make anyone happier! Your dog deserves one made from the finest ingredients that’s packed with vitamins and nutrients. Happy Cracker’s Linseed and Red Beets dog treats are rich in omega-3s and protein. They’re made from flaxseed, oats, barely, and lacto-fermented beetroot. Their crunchy and tasty texture is sure to satisfy your pup’s palette and boost their mood. These treats are also available in a variety of other flavors like Linseed and Apple.
There are now supplements to help your dog take the edge off. Try Terra-Pura’s Anti-Stress Herb Supplement that’s 100% vegan and composed of natural ingredients. Minerals and vitamins from the apples and carrots nourish your dog while tasting great. Also, the soothing scent of the lavender essential oils infused in the supplement will calm him. This herbal mixture supports your dog through his nervousness, stress, and anxiety by centering him with magnesium from black cumin and aniseed. This supplement is a certified organic product.
Our dogs need us, they’re likely more anxious now than they’ve ever been, because we are more anxious now than we’ve ever been. From a terrified perspective, it seems like the world around us is getting scarier by the day. But from a perspective of life’s power, we are here with each other and can choose to help each other out.
Help to heal your dog’s existential anxiety. He deserves to live life in a mind as pure as his soul.
Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed here by Impakter.com columnists are their own, not those of Impakter.com. — In the Featured Photo: happy Golden Retriever. Featured Photo Credit: Happy Dog Specialty Care 1,200 × 801.
