How To Create The Perfect Space For Your Dog

Anyone with an affectionate pooch will probably know that, as much as they love cuddles, even the friendliest of dogs need their own space. We often talk about the importance of this for the health and wellbeing of humans, but we sometimes forget the same principles apply to our beloved pets. If you have an anxious or shy pup, such as a rescue, it’s even more important that they can autonomously remove themselves from any stressful atmosphere. In this article, we’ll focus on the needs of your family friend and the different ways to create the perfect space for your dog.

There are many ways to create this space and the method you choose will largely depend on your dog’s personality and the area you have available to you. No matter where you set up their safe zone, you’ll want nothing but the very best set-up for your furry friend.

Before getting started, there are certain things you need to consider when creating the perfect space for your dog.

Causes of Anxiety

You’re creating a haven for your pet, so it needs to be as free from anxiety and fear triggers as possible. Anxious triggers for your dog may include:

• New visitors in the home
• Travelling
• Unknown objects or noises
• Boisterous noise or shouting, like anger or arguing
• Commotion, like cheering on the football
• Deviating from their regular schedule
• Being left at home alone (separation anxiety)
• Banging or loud noises, like fireworks

Dogs often only get aggressive or nippy when they feel threatened, nervous or trapped, so having an area that makes them feel calm can drastically improve problematic behaviour. Likewise, separation anxiety is estimated to affect between 14–20% of dogs, and they’re much more likely to self-soothe when you leave if they have a safe space to wait for you to come back.

Space Available

Unless you have a very large breed, you don’t need to dedicate enormous areas of your home to this. In fact, your dog’s safe space shouldn’t be big enough for them to turn around too much – you want to discourage them from going to the bathroom there.

A lot of the time, a crate or pen is a good option if you want it to be a defined structure. Equally, for example, a high-quality donut bed is cosy and calming while still allowing them the option to come and go as they please. Giving them this freedom often reduces anxiety in itself.

If you’re lucky enough to have a lot of space available, you could even consider building a nook under the stairs for your dog.

Creating the space

This is a space you want your pet to love… so make sure it’s comfortable and fun! Place their favourite toys in there so they can play independently. Layer up with blankets and comfy bedding for your dog to curl up and snooze. Be sure to create a positive association by feeding them in this area too.

Take your dog’s choice into account by taking note of their favourite spaces and setting up there. If they gravitate towards a certain corner or room to relax, they’re already giving you a clue about where they feel safe. It just needs to be warm enough in cold weather and cool enough in hot weather.

When they retreat to their safe zone, try to teach any youngsters in the family to respect this and give your pet the space they need.