Help fearful dogs naturally.

New Year's Eve or summer thunderstorms

Violent summer storms, the banging and hissing of New Year's Eve or visits to the vet - in certain situations, our dogs are overcome with fear and react with maximum stress. We'll tell you how you can help your dog in such situations.

Fear in dogs

Fear is an important and natural defence mechanism of the body against (potential) danger. A feeling of fear warns the dog or alerts it to the fact that something could be dangerous. Every dog expresses and shows its fear differently.

What happens in the dog's body when it is afraid?

Stress is an enormous strain on the body. Adrenaline and noradrenaline are released, blood pressure and pulse rate shoot up. The blood is now primarily pumped into the muscles to prepare them for flight or fight.

The digestive organs and certain areas of the brain now have to cope with less blood. If this condition persists, it is not only unpleasant for the dog but also unhealthy. It is therefore important to support him.

What helps dogs with stress and anxiety?

Every dog deals with fear differently and so there is no one-size-fits-all solution. This is why empathy or the much-cited "gut feeling" of the human is required to help the dog in a stressful situation in the best possible way.

Keep Cool

If you want to help your dog, you also need to pay attention to your own behaviour. Because with their fine sensory perceptions, they recognise exactly when we humans are stressed or afraid. A clear, calm demeanour and body language helps the dog. Allowing closeness and cuddles also help the dog. Contrary to popular belief, which assumes that the dog's fear is then confirmed, affection has a positive effect on stressed dogs.

Fear of thunderstorms and New Year's Eve - this will help your dog

5 simple tips to help the dog with loud (banging) noises:

Action	What to do?
Close windows and doors	If available, lower the shutters. This way the animals will hear less of the storm
Create places of retreat	Many dogs also like to "hide" in caves, e.g. a transport box with a blanket over it or, for very small dogs, a cat cave.
Distraction through familiar noises	Some animals respond well when you switch on the radio or the television. A familiar noise level distracts the pets
Playing as a distraction manoeuvre	Some dogs can also be distracted by playing. Especially dogs with a pronounced play instinct have a good chance of doing this.
Food and treats	Chewing also calms the nerves of our best friends. The favourite food or treats can work wonders.

Natural help against anxiety

Many dog owners swear by the gentle but effective power of nature in natural preparations. Herbs, CBD hemp oil, B vitamins and magnesium for strong nerves - nature provides a colourful potpourri of gentle helpers. Most dogs respond very well to them. And as they are not chemical pills, they can be given with a clear conscience.

How dogs deal with fear

Dogs' strategies for coping with fear are also known as the 4 F's:

Strategy	Explanation
Flight	Flight: The dog moves away from the potential threat as quickly as possible.
Freeze	Freeze: The dog remains in a state of immobility and keeps every single muscle in its body under full tension. The lurking position is one of the freeze patterns.
Fight	Fight: The dog tries to put the threat to flight or indicates "Don't come near me" The last resort is to attack.
Flirt or "Fool around"	Fooling around: Also called appeasement and is reminiscent of puppy behaviour. Although it doesn't seem like it, the dog is stressed.

Which behaviour a dog shows in a stressful situation is very individual and also depends on what options it has at the time.