How to calm an anxious dog

Thunderstorms are the most common noise phobia, and storm fears can worsen with time, so act early. Set up a haven in an interior room away from windows, close the blinds so your dog cannot see lightning, and use white noise or a fan to muffle thunder. Masking works best when the sound resembles the noise, which is why a loud fan suits thunder. (Merck, ASPCA, VCA, Riemer 2023)

Long term, train on calm days with storm recordings played too quietly to cause fear, raised in small steps over several months. Signs of fear, like trembling, are covered on why is my dog shaking. (VCA, PDSA)

Unlike storms, fireworks have dates, so you can plan. Walk your dog in daylight, set up a den it can always reach, check the microchip, then close windows and curtains and put on music or the TV. Let your dog pace or hide, make sure it cannot escape, and never leave it tied up outside. (RSPCA)

Between a quarter and half of pet dogs have noise fears, and some take weeks or months to recover from a single event, so start sound training well before the next season. (Riemer 2023, RSPCA)

Many adult dogs are anxious or nauseous in the car simply because they have never been conditioned to it. Ask your vet which it is: anti-nausea drugs help sickness, not anxiety. Then build up in small steps, from treats in the parked car to the engine running, the driveway, round the block, and on to rides of 20 to 30 minutes. It takes several days or even weeks, and visible anxiety means stop and try again another day. (VCA, Fear Free)

A walk of 10 to 20 minutes before you set off helps, and so does making most trips end somewhere fun. Many dogs fear the destination, usually the vet, more than the car. (Fear Free)

Night-time anxiety has more possible causes than the others. Give exercise and play earlier in the day, a safe sleeping spot and a steady routine. Close the curtains and use white noise if outside sounds wake your dog, and go calmly to a dog that is distressed. (VCA, VCA, Riemer 2023)

New restlessness at night needs a vet check: pain and hormone disease both cause night waking, and older dogs with cognitive dysfunction often sleep by day and pace at night. Experts suggest yearly screening for it from 7 years. If the distress starts when your dog is shut away from you, see separation anxiety in dogs. (Merck, VCA)

Give a nervous dog a job and an exit. Teach a “go to your spot” on a mat at least eight feet from the door, build the stay to at least 30 seconds, then rehearse mock visits of 5 to 10 minutes with a helper who tosses treats. Never push a dog to greet people it is avoiding, and never punish barking or growling that comes from fear. (ASPCA, VCA)

A single bad visit can make a dog fearful of every visit after it. Give a very light meal on the day, if your vet agrees, so treats work better, and bring favourite treats. Ask about “happy visits” for treats only, splitting frightening procedures over several visits, and whether pre-visit anti-anxiety medication suits your dog. (AVSAB, Fear Free)

• No punishment. AVSAB recommends only reward-based methods; aversive ones are linked to more anxiety and fear-related aggression. (AVSAB)
• No flooding. Exposing a dog to the full trigger can make it more scared. Desensitisation must keep the dog feeling safe at all times. (PDSA, AVSAB)
• Do not withhold comfort. The old idea that comfort rewards fear is wrong: you cannot reinforce an emotion. (PDSA, Riemer 2023)
• Do not force food, and never give human anti-anxiety medicine. (VCA, PDSA)

Start with your own vet: medical problems, especially pain, must be ruled out first, and your vet can discuss whether medication has a place. (Merck, AVSAB)

A veterinary behaviourist is a vet who has gone on to become a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists, after a 3 to 5 year residency and a board exam. They assess physical and emotional causes together and can prescribe. Applied animal behaviourists who are not vets cannot treat physical problems, and dog trainers are unregulated. If fear is intense, sudden or a safety risk, start with a specialist; the college lists them at dacvb.org. (VCA, ASPCA)

Every figure and threshold on this page comes from the veterinary sources below, and each one is linked where it is used. Where no source gives a cut-off, we say call your vet rather than invent one.