How Dog Toys Can Reduce Stress and Anxiety in Dogs
Dogs, like humans, can experience anxiety, stress, and many forms of agitation. These emotions often stem from factors involving their environment and health. Let’s start with the basics – what are the most common types of anxiety in dogs?
Separation Anxiety
Separation anxiety can occur when dogs are away from their primary caregivers. This is widely considered to be a major contributor to stress in many dogs.
Rescue and Shelter Anxiety
Dogs may feel uneasy in a new home after being rescued. Many canines may also experience emotional abandonment during their time in a shelter.
Identifying the signs of anxiety in dogs is crucial to understanding their situation. Major symptoms include excessive barking, pacing, and trembling. Signs in their body language may consist of a tucked tail, ears laid back, and dilated pupils. In many cases, sleep and appetite patterns may also be disrupted.
No matter the type of anxiety, every dog deserves comfort when facing these emotional challenges. When feeling anxious, dogs may resort to destructive chewing, which may damage their teeth and the environment around them.
Dog toys are a great solution for alleviating anxiety in dogs. Not only do they soothe dogs, but chewing on a toy can provide mental stimulation. In 2023, a study observed how toys affected a group of dogs’ ability to complete a maze and also examined whether toys truly provided learning stimuli. Conducted by Sarah Krichbaum and her team, the study concluded that toys can improve dogs’ memory and ability to learn. According to Krichbaum, “Dogs that chewed more during consolidation would perform better on the maze at retest similar to the effect of post-learning play demonstrated in previous work” (Krichbaum, 2023).
While most people may believe dog toys are not completely essential to our furry friends, they truly are vital to dogs’ well-being. One seemingly simple toy can immensely benefit a dog’s mental health and even their life. Pupcycled provides dogs without caregivers the comfort they need during their stay in shelters. Helping one dog at a time, we strive to craft happy and healthy lives for all canines.
Written by Effie Wang
Edited by Ishita Tenjerla
Bibliography:
Krichbaum, Sarah, et al. “No Bones about It: The Effect of Chewing on Cognition in Dogs.” Applied Animal Behaviour Science, vol. 268, 1 Nov. 2023, pp. 106078–106078, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2023.106078.
Mount Tibet. “Can Dog Chews Help with Dog Anxiety?” Tibetan Dog Chew, 15 Dec. 2022, tibetandogchew.com/blogs/blog/can-dog-chews-help-with-dog-anxiety. Accessed 9 Feb. 2025.
Sandra. “Dog puppy anxiety about fireworks, thunderstorm or loud noises hide under a curtain.” Spain, 13 Aug. 2020, https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/dog-puppy-anxiety-about-fireworks-thunderstorm-or-loud-noises-hide-under-a-curtain-gm1266105615-371067341?searchscope=image%2Cfilm Accessed 9 Feb. 2025.
Tatomm. “Welsh corgi dog pembroke puppy playing or bite owners shoes or flip flop stock photo” Thailand, 13 July 2021, https://depositphotos.com/photo/welsh-corgi-dog-pembroke-puppy-playing-bite-owners-shoes-flip-483934556.html Accessed 9 Feb. 2025.
