Home renovations can be extremely disruptive and unsettling for dogs. The loud noises, strange people coming in and out of the home, furniture being moved around, and their normal routines being disrupted can all trigger anxiety and stress in dogs. Some common signs your dog is having trouble coping with home renovations include:
– Excessive barking or whining
– Pacing and restlessness
– Hiding or wanting to escape the house
– Loss of appetite
– Trembling or shivering
– Aggression when approached by workers
Dogs feel most secure when their environment is stable and predictable. Renovations disrupt their sense of safety and familiarity in the home. The sounds of sawing, hammering, and drilling can also hurt their sensitive ears and further unnerve them. Your normally calm dog may act out, misbehave, or become destructive if feeling highly anxious.
Prepare Your Dog Ahead of Time
Before renovations begin, take steps to get your dog accustomed to the idea of changes in the home:
– Play recordings of construction noises at low volumes to desensitize your dog. Gradually increase the volume as they adjust.
– Take your dog on regular walks through hardware stores and lumberyards so they become used to those new smells and sounds. Have them meet workers in safe contexts.
– Set up a small construction area indoors and practice having your dog relax in their bed or crate while you simulate work. Reward calm behavior with treats.
– Feed your dog in their designated safe spot during practice runs so they associate it with good things happening.
– Stock up on your dog’s favorite toys and chews to occupy them during real work. Kongs filled with frozen peanut butter or puzzle toys work well.
These advance conditioning techniques will help prevent some anxiety when real renovations occur.
Create a Safe Space for Your Dog
Designate an escape-proof room or area of your home where your dog can retreat when overwhelmed by the sights and sounds of remodeling work. This safe space should meet the following criteria:
– Located farther away from renovation areas
– Buffered from noise (a basement or interior room works well)
– Off limits to workers
– Filled with familiar toys, bedding, treats
– A place they already associate with rest and relaxation
Feeding, playing music, and using pheromone diffusers can further soothe your dog in their safe area. Closing doors or using baby gates blocks sights and muffles noise. Make sure your dog has access to water, their crate, and potty areas.
Provide Plenty of Exercise & Playtime
Make sure your dog gets plenty of vigorous exercise and playtime on days when renovations are underway. This will help them relieve anxiety, expend nervous energy, and settle down easier during work hours.
Aim for an extra long walk in the morning before workers arrive. Try more intense exercise like running or swimming in the evenings to tire them out. Fetch, tug of war, or brain games can also provide mental stimulation and distraction.
If your dog seems extremely anxious, consider hiring a dog walker or pet sitter to give them a break from the chaos for several hours a day. They deserve as much of a getaway as you do!
Use Calming Aids When Needed
For many dogs, natural supplements or anti-anxiety medications may help take the edge off during this hectic period. Consult your veterinarian to discuss options and ensure they are used under proper guidance.
Some calming aids to consider:
– Pheromone diffusers/sprays/collars release scents that mimic natural soothing pheromones. These can instill calmness in some dogs.
– Prescription medications like fluoxetine and clorazepate may help dogs with greater anxiety.
– Natural supplements containing chamomile, tryptophan, CBD, ginger, valerian root, or melatonin. Research dosages.
– Anxiety wraps or vests apply gentle, constant pressure that has a pacifying effect.
– Calming chews with relaxing botanicals or l-theanine. Only use reputable brands.
Work closely with your vet to determine if any remedies are appropriate. Proper timing, monitoring, and discontinuing are important. Never give your dog medication without your vet’s guidance.
Provide Plenty of Affection & Reassurance
Your dog will pick up on your own stress and tension during renovations. Make an effort to remain as calm, consistent, and upbeat as possible around your dog. Stick to their normal routine as much as you can.
Give them plenty of affection and reassurance when you are home together. Engage in relaxing activities and make it clear through your body language that everything is OK. Your stable, happy presence will help keep their anxiety in check.
Have family members trade off dog duty if you must be away for long stretches. Try to minimize disruptions to their feeding, walking, play, training, and bonding routines with you. This consistency is very comforting.
Use Baby Gates for Gradual Exposure
The sights, sounds, and vibrations of contractors working can be jarring for dogs unaccustomed to it. Rather than forcing them to be in the middle of a remodeling zone, use baby gates to slowly introduce the sensations from a distance.
Position a baby gate far enough away that your dog seems indifferent – not stressed, but noticing the activities. Reward calm behavior with treats or praise. Very gradually move the gate closer each day as your dog relaxes. This gentle acclimation makes the new experiences less alarming.
Aim to eventually have your dog relaxed and chewing a bone on the opposite side of an open doorway as work happens in the next room. But take it at their pace and don’t progress too rapidly.
Keep Dogs Away from Hazards
An actively remodeling home is filled with potential hazards to dogs, who are notoriously curious explorers. Be vigilant and take precautions to keep them safely away from these dangers:
– X-pens, crates, or leashes prevent access to work zones. Do not let unleashed dogs roam.
– Floors may have debris, unstable surfaces, exposed nails, wet paint or chemicals.
– Dogs can get burned by hot equipment or supplies.
– Watch for falling tools or materials if they access scaffolding.
– Cover and seal off dumpsters and trash cans holding dangerous items.
– Check behind trucks or equipment before moving vehicles.
– Prevent access to mold, asbestos, or rodent poisons in demolition areas.
Discuss any other hazards with contractors and develop barriers or containment plans. Given the chance, some dogs may eat, lick, play with, or step on harmful items. So constant supervision or restricted access is a must.
Use Obedience Commands
Having a solid foundation of obedience training is invaluable for maintaining control of your dog during hectic renovations. Refresher sessions on commands like “leave it,” “sit,” “down,” “stay,” “go to your place,” and “settle” will help reinforce their good behavior when you need it most.
Work on desensitizing them to loud noises and distracting environments. Practice having them follow commands amid controlled noise or chaos to improve their focus. This will bolster their training for when real work begins. Reward and praise generously!
Teaching new skills like “go to mat” gives them a transportable safe spot for any room. Place training builds confidence for voluntarily going to their crate or bed. Both are extremely helpful during unsettling events.
Provide Interactive Toys
Interactive food puzzles, cheese-stuffed rubber toys, automatic ball launchers, hide-and-seek games, oscillating treat dispensers – these types of enriching toys will help keep your dog’s mind engaged and stimulated amid the commotion.
Rotating a variety of novel, challenging toys prevents boredom but will capture their attention for long stretches. Look for toys that encourage licking, chewing, pawing, rolling, and chasing – they fulfill natural instincts while being physically and mentally tiring.
Try to interest them in these toys during planned breaks when no active work is happening. This prevents associating the toys with stress during actual construction noise. It makes the activities positively reinforcing.
Ask for Breaks from Noisy Work
Most contractors are willing to temporarily pause or postpone extremely noisy work like hammering if you explain it is causing household distress. Just knowing they have a brief reprieve from the ruckus can ease a dog’s anxiety.
Plan noisy construction tasks for when you can take your dog out for a long walk or errand. Cluster noisemaking so it happens during a short time frame if possible. See if work can be halted for 30-60 minutes during times when your dog normally naps or eats.
Having a clear start and end to the most raucous activities prevents the uncertainty of random bursts that keep dogs perpetually on edge. Noise-sensitive pets do much better with predictable patterns. Discuss options with your contractor.
Try Noise-Blocking & Distraction Tools
Soothing music, white noise machines, tight-fitting anxiety wraps, pheromone diffusers, and toys stuffed with peanut butter or treats can all help muffle and distract from unsettling construction noises.
Noise-blocking tools like Mutt Muffs gentle clamp over your dog’s ears and pipe in calm music to drown out frightening sounds. Anxiety vests exert gentle pressure that has a calming effect. Optimize the safe space you create by using as many auditory buffers as possible.
Providing powerful distractions is also key – puzzle toys filled with irresistible food motivate dogs to focus on the game rather than the chaos around them. Match stimulation level to your dog’s unique energy needs.
Remain Patient and Positive
Living through weeks or months of home renovations tests the patience and fortitude of human and canine residents alike! Remind yourself this disruption is temporary and focus on maintaining as upbeat and empathetic an attitude as possible.
Celebrate small successes like a quiet nap during drilling, reward partial progress generously, back up several steps if your dog becomes overwhelmed, and tirelessly reassure them. Maintaining structure while introducing changes gradually and remaining flexible is the name of the game.
You know your dog best. Pay close attention to their signals, advocate for their needs, troubleshoot anxiety triggers, and provide extra love and support. With preparation, creativity, compassion, and teamwork, you can weather this challenge together! The end result will be a more comfortable home you both deserve.
So in summary:
– Condition dogs to construction noise and people in advance
– Create a designated safe space they associate with good things
– Provide abundant exercise, playtime, and affection
– Work with your vet on calming supplements if needed
– Use baby gates for gradual exposure to the sights and sounds
– Prevent access to hazards and supervise closely
– Practice obedience commands for focus and control
– Keep them occupied with stuffed puzzle toys and chews
– Request work breaks or quiet periods when possible
– Play music, use Mutt Muffs and anxiety wraps to buffer noise
– Remain patient, flexible, and empathetic throughout the process
With proper preparation and vigilance, you can navigate home renovations smoothly while keeping your four-legged friend feeling secure. The extra effort is well worth preserving your dog’s peace of mind and emotional wellbeing.