Calming an Agitated Dog

An agitated dog can quickly become frightening or even legitimately dangerous, depending on the amount of stimuli surrounding him. A dog that becomes agitated will be more focused on the cause of his distress than on his handler, making instructing, controlling and disciplining very difficult to enforce. Socializing your dog from an early age will lessen the chance of an encounter in which the dog gets upset and will make him better able to cope with new people and environments.

  1. Remove the Source

    • Remove the cause of the dog's agitation swiftly and without excitement. If the subject is a person, ask the person to exit until you can calm your dog and restrain him properly by putting him on a leash or in another location. Removing the source will enable you to focus on calming the dog and using the situation as a training experience. The longer a source of agitation stays within view, the more upset a dog will get.

    Vocal Calming

    • Tenderly praise your dog when he calms down.

      Your voice plays a pivotal role in calming your dog down. Speak to your dog in a calm and soothing yet confident tone to give the dog the impression there is no source of excitement. Dogs will yawn to calm themselves in times of stress. Audibly yawning will cause your dog to watch you and emulate your calm demeanor. If your dog settles and chooses to sit or lie down, praise him softly.

    Isolation

    • Dogs often get more excited the more a person tries to calm them down. Instead of disciplining or speaking to your dog in a manner that can escalate into negative attention, turn your back to the dog and stand quietly. Ignoring your dog's antics will diffuse his excitement. Yelling, or erratic and harsh movements, will only upset your dog further. Calm, still and slow body language will settle your dog enough so you can restrain or move him to a quieter location.

    Distraction

    • Distract your dog with a toy or another object he is familiar with and enjoys. A toy filled with peanut butter or bits of chicken will change the dog's focus to a quiet activity. When your dog begins to get agitated, toss or roll the toy or food in the direction of the dog, or opposite the source of the dog's angst. Once the dog is interested in the toy, remove the person or subject the dog objects to, or move your dog to a different location.