How to Keep your Dog Calm and Relaxed

This blog covers how to keep your dog calm and relaxed by creating a peaceful routine, using enriching feeding methods, and providing natural, nourishing food from Naturediet to support their well-being and happiness.

Every dog is unique, each with their own wonderfully diverse personality, traits, and quirks. However, for some dogs, life can be a little more overwhelming than it is for others. As their owners and caregivers, it’s our job to provide them with a calm, reassuring, and peaceful environment and Naturediet is here to help.

1. Keeping their brains busy with Naturediet

Food is a great way to keep your dog's mind active while providing a fun and rewarding experience. Naturediet wet food is gently steam-cooked and packed with high-quality, freshly prepared meat.

Our range of wet food is especially versatile and can be easily spread into enrichment toys like Kongs or Likimats. Using these methods of feeding, not only encourages your dog to engage their brain as they work for their meal, but it also helps slow down fast eaters.

For some dogs, this kind of activity can even have a calming effect, offering a soothing distraction that keeps them focused and content while they enjoy their meal.

Unlike some other wet foods, Naturediet recipes are made exclusively by us, using wholesome, natural ingredients, offering a delicious and healthy alternative.

2. A nourishing feeding regime

Maintaining a good day-to-day regime can help your dog thrive and minimise any upsetting changes. We normally suggest splitting your dog’s Naturediet food into two daily meals—one in the morning and one in the evening. This helps ensure your dog is fuelled throughout the day and works with most owners’ daily routines.

However, there are some circumstances where you may need to tweak their routine slightly. For example, if there is a disruptive event such as fireworks night, you may need to feed them slightly earlier than normal.

Even the most food-orientated pooch can be put off their food during periods of intense sensory disruption, so tweaking their routine ensures they can enjoy their Naturediet meal in peace.

3. Positive rewards with Naturediet treats

Providing our dogs with positive reinforcement is essential for their well-being and development. This training technique involves rewarding desirable behaviours with treats, toys, or praise.

Naturediet Training Treats are perfect for this- helping dogs learn through encouragement rather than punishment, you can reward your dog knowing you're giving them the very best. Positive reinforcement not only strengthens the bond between you and your dog but also reduces stress and anxiety by creating a supportive learning environment.

For the best results, consult a qualified trainer or behaviourist who can guide you in using effective, reward-based methods to nurture your dog’s growth and confidence.

Firework night

For thousands of pets and owners, this is one of the most stressful nights of the year. To help keep your pets calm, try putting the radio on and selecting a more “relaxed station.” On the 5th of November, some stations run a 'pet special' where they play calming music throughout the night.

Depending on how your pet feels, you can either use the radio to muffle out some of the noise outside or keep the volume low as a source of simple background noise. Don’t forget to use their favourite Naturediet treats to offer a sense of comfort and a rewarding distraction from the commotion.

Contact us

Looking for advice about Naturediet? Please drop our nutrition team an email at [email protected] and we would be happy to help.

Zoe is a Registered Associate Nutritionist with the Association for Nutrition (AfN). She graduated from Nottingham Trent University with a First-Class Honours degree in Animal Biology and has since worked as our Nutrition Officer for over six years. Zoe is passionate about providing dog owners with quality, tailored nutrition advice.

Written by: Zoe Russell BSc (Hons), ANutr (Guest Author)