Using the Anxiety Wrap For Dogs May Calm Your Distraught Dog

During the 20 plus years I have had the pleasure of working with dogs, I have seen numerous different categories and levels of anxiety in dogs. There are plenty of options to try in helping to calm your dog's out-of-control stress. One of these is to use an anxiety or body wrap for dogs, which will be discussed in this article.

One cause of irrational anxiety is having an expectation of pain, such as the anxiety brought on by the fear of nail clippers, possibly due to having a nail clipped too short at some time causing pain.

One type of anxiety can develop in a very insecure dog being left alone, also known as separation anxiety. There are several degrees of this stress, from continuous pacing, panting and barking to trashing furniture, doors and even walls trying to get back to the "pack".

Lightening storms can precipitate hysteria in dogs that are normally calm to the extent of sending them crashing through sliding glass doors, hiding in dark closets, panting, trembling and lost within their terror or even running frantically for miles.

Riding in a vehicle may also bring on irrational stress in dogs, possibly from having a bad experience on their first car ride. They might have been injured in an accident at some point. It's always a good idea to crate a dog in any vehicle if at all possible.

Determining why a dog reacts with panic to a certain situation is really not as vital as helping your dog calm that overwhelming anxiety.

One technique in calming a dog during a "panic attack" is by using a tool called a body wrap or anxiety wrap for dogs. The principle behind this tool has been promoted and documented in great depth by Temple Grandin, who developed a "hug box" with the same principle of deep touch pressure. Throughout her early years of living with autism, Temple could not tolerate being touched, yet while at her aunt's ranch one summer she observed the calmness of a cow while in a squeeze chute for handling. She decided to develop a similar tool for herself. She found that her body and mind were calmed by the deep touch pressure of the adjustable box. It also helped bring her over-reactive senses to a focused plane that she could then deal with and accept.

The anxiety wrap for dogs uses this method by way of a body shirt that exerts pressure on the nervous system for a soothing effect. This healthy approach to behavior modification can assist in easing your dog's anxiety in most situations, including panic over thunder and lightening and separation anxiety.

It is extremely imperative that when ordering any kind of anxiety wrap you get an accurate measurement of your dog to experience the desired results. Fitting the wrap too tightly will only make your dog uncomfortable and irritated. Fitting it too loosely could also make your dog irritated and not induce enough deep touch pressure to have a calming effect. So measuring your dog correctly is crucial. The way to do this is by measuring your dog in a standing position around the fullest part of the ribcage, usually the girth area, with a cloth or vinyl measuring tape. Pull it snug, but not overly tight, and don't round off the measurement. Be exact in your measuring.

The anxiety wrap for dogs is a great tool to help your dog achieve balance, focus, self-confidence, and relaxation. However, it will not work for every dog in every situation, just as there is no one tool that will work in every capacity for a total population of people or animals. It also may not altogether cure the panic your dog experiences, but may bring it down to an acceptable level. You might also need to use the wrap a few times on your dog to acquire its full effect. Some dogs seem to be effected instantly. A few may take a little longer to experience the desired calming effect and some don't seem to benefit at all by the body wrap.

The idea is to use whatever healthy methods you can to alleviate your dog's unwarrented stressful state. If this just doesn't seem to an effective tool for your dog, there are other options such as canine massage therapy, desensitization, homeopathic medications, just to name a few.

What's important is that you not give up on finding a method to help your dog if it has anxiety issues that are causing stress not only for your dog, but also for you and your family. Using a tool such as an anxiety wrap for dogs may be an answer to calming your dog's anxiety level and readjusting your dog back to a healthy balance of mind and body.


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Karleen Lindsey has worked with dogs for many years. In her work as a foster care giver for rescue dogs and in her grooming career, she has come across many behavior
problems and has worked extensively to help each dog overcome these obstacles of fear and anti-social behavior, with patience being the main ingredient of success. To read more, visit her review site for anxiety wraps for dogs.