Reducing Stress with Your Canine
Life is full of a million things to be stressed out about. Whether it’s your next bill, an assignment at work, or your car’s in the shop, you need to find a quick solution to help with reducing stress. If you’re a dog parent, you luckily have a built-in stress reliever by just having a pup in the household! Research shows that owning a dog, and therefore spending regular time with your canine, helps to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression in people! Who wouldn’t shed their worries away after seeing their dog’s smiling face and wagging tail anyway? Here are easy and fun ideas to destress with your pooch:
Exercise with Fido
After a long day of being cramped up from working, you need some movement! Exercise is a medicine in itself as being active releases endorphins, therefore helping to reduce negative feelings like stress. Plus, your dog needs healthy movement too, so why not do it together?
Walking can be a great stress reliever to do with Fido as it improves your mood, mental clarity, general health, and can lead to some unexpected exploring! Pick a new dog-friendly area, park, or trail to burn off some steam and enjoy a quality walk with your furry friend.
Road Trip Time
Changing your scenery can always help in a time of high stress, even if it’s not far! Try going on a road trip to get a fresh perspective. You and your dog will both enjoy some time away to adventure out to new sights! Be sure to book a dog-friendly hotel to ensure your road trip stays stress-free! It’s also a good idea to try and get a room on a lower level so it’s easiest to take your furball outside for the bathroom.
Don’t forget to pack a doggie bag of all your pooch’s essentials like:
- Their car crate or seat belt
- A bed
- Food and water bowls
- Food
- Travel water bowl/bottle (for going out exploring)
- Collar and leash
- Treats
- Poop bags
- Toy(s)
Puppy Picnic or Doggie Double Date
Whether you’re riding solo or have a partner with a dog too, treat yourself to a night out together! You can both bring your pups or you can have a picnic on your own with your dog by your side for companionship.
If you’re looking to eat out at a restaurant with your pooch, call ahead or check on their website to see if they allow dogs! This will be an exciting outing for all, don’t forget to bring a few treats for your canine to munch on too!
Wine Time
Bringing your dog to the winery sounds silly, but there are tons of places out there that are pup-welcoming! Why not enjoy your dog, some friends, and a blissful glass of sauvignon blanc to cure your stress aches?
Find a vineyard near you that will accept your four-legged friend with open arms so you can sip away some stressful feelings with your furball by your side. PS, don’t forget your doggie on-the-go necessities!
Beach Belly Rubs
Listening to the waves make their way to shore is one of the most popular ways to destress. So, why not enjoy the actual thing in person with your canine companion? Dogs, like humans, love going to the beach so this destresser is a match made in heaven!
Whether you want to play fetch near the water, read your book, or take turns sunbathing, you and your dog are sure to have a stress-free day at the beach. Before going, make sure the beach is dog-friendly, you have packed everything you and your pup need, and put on your dog’s sun protection as much as you would reapply on a baby!
Whatever you decide to do to destress with Fido, have fun and enjoy the company of you two together! And just maybe what you need is a good old-fashioned cuddle session with your forever best friend.