Carolina Dog Coach

How the heck do I get my dog to relax?!

Using food based enrichment and activities for your dog is one of the most versatile ways to help them relieve stress and anxiety. There’s a reason the term “comfort foods” exists… and that’s because eating can make us feel good! The same applies to our dogs.

There are three things that can work like magic to calm a dog down:
-Chewing
-Licking
-Sniffing

All three of these things promote stress relief and relaxation, to help your pup feel more content! One of the first things we do for anxious dogs who struggle to settle, it provide them with enrichment that fulfills one or more of those things, so that they can feel better (and behave more calmly) in every day life.

Bonus: It gives you a way to occupy your dog and manage everything else in your busy schedule so that everyone is happy!

This is our favorite slow feed bowl for so many reasons! It’s virtually indestructible… chew proof (in comparison to plastic or silicon), easier to clean, and holds less residue and bacteria than other materials. We love to fill it with wet dog food recipes, and pop it in the freezer for a few hours.

Our Favorite Food Puzzle Toys!

There are so many options to choose from when it comes to puzzle toys, and we have tried too many to count. Here are our favorites (and why we love them).

This “Snoop” toy takes the #1 spot because of how surprisingly durable it is… and how quiet! I replaced all my Kong Wobblers with this toy, and never looked back. It’s quiet, and the material is soft so it doesn’t thud against every object in the house so loudly it makes you want to pull your hair out (that’s what the Kong Wobblers did for me). It’s easy to clean, and fits about 1 cup of kibble at a time for the large size (click here for the large size!).

The smaller size (here) is of course better for the littler dogs and many young puppies, because they can easily cheat and fit their mouth inside the opening of the big one to sneak all the food out. I recommend tossing a few yummier dog treats into it the first few times to entice your dog to experiment with it!