Our dogs get anxiety too, and if you don’t want to drug them, you may be looking for an alternative. Weighted blankets may end up being just the thing.
Do you have a dog that suffers from anxiety? Are they a bit older, or maybe a rescue with a few issues that still need to be worked through? Either way, there is a solution out there to combat their anxiety, and you don’t even need to go the medicinal route. Instead, you can choose to go with weighted blankets, just like people use.
According to Pop Sugar, if you are looking to soothe your pup’s nerves, then look no further than weighted blankets. Unlike the blankets humans use to combat their anxiety, these are designed with our dogs in mind. This means that they are designed to better distribute the weight, while also being sturdy enough to handle your dog and anything they throw at the blanket.
And just like the weighted blankets people tend to use, these canine friendly options make your dog feel as if they are in close contact with another pup or their favorite human. If you look on Amazon, you can find different options available, including one that says it is able to “reduce stress without expensive or risky medications.”
One of the other weighted blankets on the market, known as the Canine Coddler, is actually veterinarian approved, and comes in two different sizes, one for smaller to medium-sized dogs, and one for larger dogs weighing over 50 pounds.
Among the things that these blankets can help combat are anxiety from fear or even excitement. In fact, the Canine Coddler says that their blankets are good for helping to calm, “dogs in stressful situations such as thunderstorms, car rides, barking, separation anxiety and restless sleep to name a few.”
We actually really like this option for pups dealing with anxiety, especially for those that tend to burrow under covers (and even if they tend to sleep on top of the blanket, they will still find comfort in these blankets). These blankets are easily maintained, will help with anxiety without using medications, and are durable enough for even larger dogs to use. And considering how many dogs deal with skittishness and anxiety, we think this might be a great option, especially for our rescue pups.
What do you think of these weighted blankets for dogs? Do you think they are a better alternative to drugs? Will you give one of these a try for your pup? Tell us what you think in the comments.