10 Tech Products to Help Your Dog's Anxiety
From app-triggered treat dispensers to a canine radio, home tech can help calm your pup when you're not home.
Dogs can stress out just like humans. They're creatures of schedule and routine. And when that gets derailed by something as simple as a thunderstorm or you picking up your keys to leave, they panic. There isn't a magic wand for curbing dog anxiety. It requires patience and lots of positive reinforcement training. However, new tech is helping pup parents provide calming, supplemental training at home. If you've got a nervous dog, check out these top products.
Loud Noises
On the Fourth of July, you hear fireworks in the distance. Your dog hears the apocalypse and imminent doom from the giant meteors that must be crashing down to Earth. Dogs have much better hearing than humans. Normal to us sounds like an 11 for them. Loud sounds, such as thunderstorms or construction, terrify them. If you've tried tight storm vests to no avail, try ZenCrate. This smart bed creates a soothing environment for your pup with a vibration-reducing platform, noise-canceling insulation and motion-activated fans.
Doggie Entertainment
Dogs are social creatures and they don't like being left alone. Veterinarian Dr. Sarah Gilliam says the most common dog stressor she sees is separation anxiety. "Leave music or the TV on so it sounds like someone is home," she advised. Studies have shown that classical music, especially the piano, has a calming effect on canines.
The Pet Tunes speaker by Pet Acoustics comes with pre-loaded songs featuring the optimal frequencies and decibel-level for dogs. The Bluetooth speaker is small, making it great for travel. If you don't want to buy a speaker, you can also play free playlists on Spotify on your existing sound system.
If music isn't enough, let your dog watch TV. DogTV is a channel just for pups with programming specifically designed to calm your pup, as well as give critical mental stimulation to combat loneliness during the day. If you don't have cable, you can stream on Roku and Amazon Fire Stick.
Thinker Toys
Dog toys serve a purpose. They're designed to help pups work out their instinctual behaviors. Chew toys give dogs a safe outlet for chewing, and plushies give dogs comfort to snuggle. Most pup parents stock up on this toy category because plushies are cute and Instagram well, but it's important to buy toys from the "thinker" category, too. These toys are designed to give dogs physical exercise as well as mental stimulation, which, paired together, keep dogs happy and out of trouble.
iFetch makes it easy to play fetch inside with an automatic ball launcher. PupPod uses light and sound sensors in interactive puzzles. These games are great to help your dog burn off excess energy before you leave for the day.
If you work from home and need to stay on your laptop or take a conference call without a pup howling from the next room, GoBone is a godsend. The app-controlled bone allows you to move the toy and play with your dog from afar.
Chatting
Having a dog with anxiety probably gives you anxiety, too. If you want to check in on your pup, there are several dog cameras on the market that allow parents to interact with pets from work or on the go.
PetCube's HD home camera allows you to see and talk to your dog from your phone. And premium camera PetChatz has additional features like aromatherapy and PawCall. The button allows your dog to call you!
If you're not a fan of mounting anything to the wall, Furbo's design is discreet and easily moveable. And the app-triggered camera can launch treats for your dog while you're away.
