Sometimes, your Springer Spaniel won’t settle down for various reasons, including boredom, anxiety, excitement, etc. All they want is to bark, pace up and down, or play while you want to sit back and relax, making you feel overwhelmed. So, what should you do when a Springer Spaniel won’t settle down?
Here are tips on what to do when a Springer Spaniel won’t settle down:
- Give your dog a calming break.
- Take the Springer Spaniel for a long walk.
- Give some mental stimulation exercises.
- Keep the Springer Spaniel busy.
- Massage your dog to help them settle down.
- Use technology devices.
- Use music therapy.
- Visit the vet if your dog still won’t settle down.
In this article, you’ll get some tips on what to do when your Springer Spaniel won’t settle down. The tips will be helpful to you, your family, and your Springer Spaniel.
1. Give Your Dog a Calming Break
When your Springer Spaniel is anxious or excited, they might cling to you, bark continuously, pace up and down, etc., and won’t settle down. One great way to make your Springer Spaniel settle down in such a scenario is to give them a calming break, as explained below.
Sit Quietly With the Springer Spaniel
You can sit on the grass, floor, or the couch with your dog and give them a nice snuggle. As you snuggle, stroke your dog gently, and reassure them using soothing words. If there are family members around, ask them to settle down too so that they don’t excite the Springer Spaniel. Once the dog settles down, you can reward the good behavior with a treat. A popular training treat my dogs love are the salmon flavored Blue Buffalo Wilderness Trail Treats Wild Bits (available on Amazon.com).
Put the Springer Spaniel in A Crate
You could also put your Springer Spaniel inside a crate, making sure that you and other family members are calm to prevent the dog from getting excited. This trick is likely to reduce your dog’s excitability and help them settle down.
Once the dog has settled down, you could give them a treat while they are still in the crate as a reward for settling down. This strategy will reinforce the behavior and the Springer Spaniel will remember that settling down is a desirable behavior.
If you’re in the market for a dog crate, check out Midwest Homes crates on Amazon.com. They come in multiple sizes and are very durable.
2. Take the Springer Spaniel for a Long Walk
If your Springer Spaniel doesn’t settle down, it could be because of over-stimulation or boredom. You could thus take your dog out for rigorous physical exercises to tire them out and help them to settle down. One great physical activity for your Springer Spaniel is taking them for a long walk.
If your dog has a reliable recall, you can allow them to run freely during the walk as they explore and follow their nose. A long walk could take about one hour or more. After the walk, the Springer Spaniel will be exhausted and likely curl up and settle down in a corner and sleep.
3. Give Some Mental Stimulation Exercises
A Springer Spaniel is an intelligent dog and loves mental stimulation exercises, which are more tiring than physical ones. The idea is to tire your dog through mental stimulation exercises to settle down.
Below are some mental stimulation exercises for your Springer Spaniel to help them settle down:
- Use a tennis ball. Throw the tennis ball and make your dog retrieve it. You can make it harder for the dog to retrieve the ball by throwing it into the long grass. By the time the ball game is over, the Springer Spaniel should be mentally and physically drained and will want to settle down.
- Play mental games. Some mental games like hide and seek, obstacle courses, and rollover can also help tire the Springer Spaniel mentally and physically and help them settle down later. There are even interactive toys for dogs. A popular one on Amazon.com can be found here.
4. Keep the Springer Spaniel Busy
The other thing you can do when your Springer Spaniel won’t settle down is to keep them occupied. When you notice that your dog won’t settle down, give them the following to keep them busy:
- Bones
- Chew toys
- Puzzle toys
- Other interactive toys
If you provide your dog with something meaningful to do, they will most likely settle down.
5. Massage Your Dog To Help Them Settle Down
As stated earlier, one of the reasons your Springer Spaniel won’t settle down is anxiety. When your dog is anxious, their muscles may tense, thus worsening the situation. One way to settle your dog down is by giving them a good massage starting from the neck and working downward using long strokes.
A good massage is ideal when your Springer Spaniel won’t settle down before bedtime. You could make your work easier by investing in pet massage tools. If you are like me and love spoiling your dogs, check out the PAW WAVE PERK Percussion Pet Massager (available on Amazon.com). My dogs love being pampered and this tool does the trick getting them to calm down.
6. Use Technology Devices
Interestingly, you can use technology devices to settle down your Springer Spaniel. For instance, you can use a compression wrap, which provides a gentle, calming pressure to your dog’s body that helps them settle down.
Such tools are ideal when your Springer Spaniel won’t settle down due to anxiety resulting from separation, thunder, fireworks, etc. The ThunderShirt Sport Dog Anxiety Jacket has great reviews on Amazon.com. Make sure you get the right size (the size chart is included in the photos on Amazon).
7. Use Music Therapy
Incidentally, music therapy is beneficial not only to humans but also to pets. If your Springer Spaniel won’t settle down, you can use music to help them calm down, relax, and eventually settle down. You can use music therapy conveniently in the car or at home.
The best music to help your Springer Spaniel settle down is harp and classical music because it has a calming effect.
8. Visit the Vet if Your Dog Still Won’t Settle Down
If you tried some of the above tips and your Springer Spaniel still wouldn’t settle down, you should consider visiting your vet. Continuous growling, whining, barking, or pacing could signify illness or stress. In such a case, it’s best to take the Springer Spaniel to the vet to rule out anything serious.
Final Thoughts
Some days, you may notice that your Springer Spaniel won’t settle down. When this happens, you should not panic. Springer Spaniels have moments of anxiety and excitability like other dogs. If you patiently, calmly, and lovingly apply some of the tips above, you can eventually help your dog settle down.
However, if you notice that the problem is getting worse, it’s good to consult your vet. The inability to settle down could be due to stress or an underlying issue, and visiting the vet will help your pet and give you peace of mind.
