7 Calming Activities to Do with Your Maltipoo

Maltipoo puppies are adorable bundles of fur that bond closely with their owners. While their loyalty can be a huge bonus, it can also be the root of this breed's deeper separation anxiety issue. Dog owners can easily help their Maltipoo puppies overcome these issues with the proper knowledge and tools.

Maltipoo Breed Overview

The Maltipoo puppy mixes the Maltese dog breed and the Poodle breed. These pets are excellent in so many different ways. They're great for first-time dog owners and single-family homes. Anyone looking for a wonderful small companion dog can find all the qualities they want in the Maltipoo puppy.

Thanks to their small size, these dogs are also excellent in homes with children or living with older adults. Thanks to this dog's hypoallergenic coat, Maltipoo puppies are also great for allergy sufferers.

This adorable pet has a fun-loving nature, and if they're well socialized, they can get along great with strangers and other pets. They can develop a bad habit of barking. Still, thanks to their ease of trainability, owners can quickly prevent this bad habit from forming by providing training sessions regularly and telling them 'no' swiftly anytime their dog begins a barking frenzy.

Poodle mixes are very intelligent dogs, and the Maltipoo is no exception. These pets respond best to concise, consistent, and positive training sessions that don't exceed 15 minutes maximum. It's essential always to use a calm voice and positive reinforcement so your dog will love training more and listen to you more. The key to a well-trained Maltipoo puppy is only using positive reinforcement and knowing when to end your training sessions. If your pet isn't responding to a command, don't scold them; instead, try a different, more straightforward command to distract them. Usually, this will be enough to reward them, but if they still don't listen, then it is best to end the session immediately and provide your pet with one last treat and a few good pets, so they always end training on a positive note. It will make beginning another training session the next day easier.

Maltipoo Size

This small dog breed can weigh anywhere between 5 to 20 pounds and might stand at 8 to 14 inches tall at their shoulders. Many hybrid Poodle mix breeds have large variations in size than some other breeds because the Poodle can come in so many different size options.

Maltipoo puppies can be mixed with a Toy Poodle puppy or a Miniature Poodle puppy. They can also have a Standard Poodle dog as a parent breed, but this dog is a minor size variation of Poodle dogs.

Maltipoo Health Overview

This hybrid breed is primarily healthy and has an average lifespan of 10 to 13 years. These dogs might suffer from minor joint issues, but most dogs in this hybrid breed will not experience any physical health ailments.

Owners must groom these dogs frequently to help their soft fur stay clean and de-tangled. Brushing these dogs three times a week minimum is the best way to care for their hair, and you should brush them anytime they start to smell or at least every ten weeks.

It is vital to their health that your clean their ears once a month and brush their teeth as often as possible. If you can brush your Maltipoo puppy's teeth daily, that is amazing, and you should do that. If daily is too often, brush their teeth twice a week at the absolute least, and provide dental oral health treats between teeth cleaning sessions since this dog can develop some pretty severe oral health issues.

While many of these dogs will not struggle with physical health concerns, almost all dogs experience stress and anxiety. However, owners can help their dogs overcome these issues by understanding the causes of anxiety in their dogs and learning how to treat their symptoms.

Anxiety Causes

When it comes to what can cause anxiety in your dog, pet owners should know there are so many causes that your pet likely experiences this condition from more than one issue.

Maltipoo dogs are more likely to suffer from anxiety due to separation. Many pets suffer from separation anxiety, and dogs rescued from shelters are more likely to struggle with this.

Many pets that have experienced homelessness, abuse, neglect, or other significant traumas are much more likely to struggle with anxiety because anything that reminds them of their past trauma can ignite anxiety symptoms. Some dogs are scared of specific cars, people in hoods, or random other objects that may look similar to something that caused them to experience fear in the past.

Many pet parents aren't aware that poor socialization skills are a common cause of anxiety in pets. If you don't socialize your dog correctly, they will become anxious around new people, places, or things.

Other common causes of anxiety include noise anxiety and chronic anxiety. Many dogs suffer from anxiety when they hear loud noises they don't understand. So many dogs cower from sirens, fireworks, and thunderstorms. Some dog breeds are likely to suffer chronically from anxiety, and toy breeds have this issue more commonly than others. Because the Maltipoo is such a small dog, some Maltipoo puppies may suffer from chronic anxiety, and their owners will have to continuously find ways to treat their symptoms and calm their dogs down.

A huge factor of anxiety is exercise. Over half of all adult pet dogs in the United States are obese because their pet parents don't provide enough daily activity. When your dog doesn't get to release their energy healthily and productively, it bottles up in them and bursts out in undesirable ways. It also occurs if your dog doesn't get enough mental stimulation. Many dog owners forget that mental stimulation is just as important as physical stimulation, and this is especially true for such mentally active dog breeds like the Maltipoo. This hybrid can productively use their mental activity by playing with their owners, partaking in training sessions, or using puzzle toys. But, if they don't get to release this activity healthily, it becomes anxiety in their tiny little bodies.

Symptoms of Anxiety

If you can't tell, there are plenty of different causes of anxiety. While it is essential to understand what is causing your Maltipoo puppy's anxiety, it's arguably more important to notice the signs your dog will show when they struggle with anxiety. Dogs first communicate with body language, so it's essential to look for your dog's body language to understand their anxiety symptoms. Many owners will naturally appreciate their dog's body language simply by spending time with them. The more time you spend with them, the more you'll be able to recognize their emotions by their stance.

Smaller dogs like the Maltipoo might show anxiety symptoms by hiding behind their owners or trying to stand under their owner's feet. Sometimes dogs with anxiety will also try to nudge their owners toward whatever is scaring them.

Many dogs will bark, whine, cry, or howl when experiencing anxiety. If your dog does these things anyway, you'll be able to tell if it's caused by stress because your dog will likely show more than one sign of anxiety.

The most common signs of a dog struggling with stress and anxiety occur when your dog tucks its tail between its legs or lowers its head to a cowering position. These dogs might also pace or shake like they're wet to relieve themselves from the stress.

Often people forget that when a dog shows signs of aggression, it is out of fear and many dogs experience stress and anxiety when they're in fearful situations. These dogs might try to escape their own homes or prevent their owners from leaving their homes. Maltipoo puppies in this situation might also growl, bark, or bite their owners but these symptoms only accompany dogs with pretty severe anxiety symptoms.

Some more intense signs of anxiety are if your dog is urinating, vomiting, or defecating. Some dogs get so anxious they even eat their defecation, although if your pet has separation anxiety, it can be hard to discover this issue, as there will not be much evidence when you return home.

7 Calming Activities to do with Your Maltipoo

1. Make Your Dog's Safe Space Full of Calming Things

While it might not sound like the most 'active' activity, providing your dog with a safe space can be one of the best things you can do to treat their anxiety. You should allow your dog to use this space on their own if you can, enabling them to have many comforting items in these spaces. Some owners fill this area with aromatherapy or classical music, and these things have some research supporting the fact that they can calm dogs the same way they can calm humans.

2. Play Fetch

Fetch is a classic game for entertaining your dog and spending time with them. This activity is an excellent option for owners who don't have enough energy to run around with their pets. A well-trained dog should be able to retrieve and return to its owner without the owner having to move at all. This game is also an excellent option for Maltipoo puppies because Poodle dogs used to be waterfowl hunters, and many breeds still maintain a similar prey drive thanks to their years of service. Fetch can nourish this craving they have to chase and retrieve while being a healthy way to express their stress.

3. Go on a Walk

Many dogs in the United States suffer from obesity simply because pet owners don't take their dogs out enough. If you know you are one of these owners, take your dog on a walk. It can be hard sometimes to provide something as simple as a walk. Life gets busy, people get stressed out, but hey, good thing walking is also a natural remedy for stress in humans. You can also use your leisure walk with your pet to take a break from work, which is a win-win.

4. Give Your Dog a Puzzle Toy

Many dogs don't get enough mental stimulation to support their active minds and needs. Poodle mix puppies will need plenty of mental exercises to keep them entertained or risk developing anxiety symptoms. Puzzle toys also often provide treats to your dog, so depending on the intensity of your pet's situation, you can use this as an opportunity to provide one of their favorite treats or supply them with calming treats. Using a puzzle toy to feed your pet de-stressing treats is a double-whammy activity.

5. Try Enrichment Activities

Sometimes you are already giving your dog exercise, and they have plenty of toys to play with, but your puppy might still experience anxiety symptoms. It's important always to try as many natural remedies to relieve your dog of stress before moving on to more expensive methods. Enrichment activities can be that extra boost of activity that your dog needs to help tire them out, so their anxious pacing at home turns into cuddle time in your lap.

6. Start Training Lessons

Often, dogs get stressed out because of something that is happening at that moment. If your dog sees another dog and freaks out, or if they hear sirens and get stressed, a distraction might be the best way to help them. Using training lessons to help your dog de-stress can be a great way to target their mental health needs while also helping them develop better behavior.

7. Go to the Dog Park

It should go without saying, but if you need to read it, do not take your dog to a dog park if you don't know if they like dogs. There is a right time to train your dog to be social, but it is not when they are already experiencing signs of stress. However, Maltipoo dogs are little social creatures, and many of them would love nothing more than running around a dog park making new animal and human friends. Dog parks are excellent places to take an anxious dog as they provide social, mental, and physical stimulation, which are all critical parts of your dog's overall health.

Anxiety Treatment Methods Accompanying the Severity of Your Dog's Situation

While these calming activities can undoubtedly help your pet calm down, if your pet suffers from more severe anxiety levels, you will need more intensive treatment methods.

Also, it's worth mentioning that you can do a couple of things as the owner to help your pet calm down. Comforting your dog in stress is excellent, but don't hug them or follow them around. If your dog is within your reach or comes to you in times of stress, provide help by using a calming tone, verbal praise, and giving them plenty of pets.

In the same way, you will be able to read your dog's body language to understand their emotions; your dog can read yours. It's also essential to allow yourself to de-stress as being in a more positive mood can create a more favorable environment for your pet.

If your dog has more severe signs of anxiety, these seven calming activities might help them, but you should probably use them in conjunction with other anxiety treatment methods. One excellent way owners treat their dog's anxiety is through dog CBD, calming supplements, or zen treats. These helpful additives have very few side effects, and many pet parents sweat by these tools.

Sometimes, you will need professional help to aid your dog, especially if they show aggressive signs of anxiety or have extreme separation anxiety. A dog trainer can provide counter-conditioning treatment, a dog training method that targets your pet's anxiety trigger. This method uses positive reinforcement and plenty of treats to get your puppy to live their best lives.

There are many options for treating your Maltipoo puppy's anxiety, and it is up to you as a pet parent to decipher how severe their health problem is and then take decisive action on how to help them be as happy as often as possible.

Conclusion

Maltipoo puppies are lovely little dogs, but like all animals, stress and anxiety will affect them and their behavior from time to time. Owners can best support their pets during these times by being patient and empathetic, no matter how their anxiety manifests itself. Having a pet is a responsibility and privilege, and while it might be upsetting to see your dog trashing your home in your absence, it's heartbreaking to learn its cause. They are having such an intense panic attack of your absence that trashing your home is the only way they know how to release this intense feeling.

There are so many ways owners can help their Maltipoo puppies overcome these conditions, and all owners have to be willing to do is observe their pets and work alongside them regularly. Helping your dog overcome stress and anxiety might also unexpectedly help you overcome some tension in your own life, mainly because spending time with animals is a great way to provide boosts of dopamine in your brain.

You can combine many of these calming methods to make them more effective and efficient. Understanding your dog's symptoms is the first step to treating their anxiety. However, knowing where their fear stems from is the ultimate key to helping them overcome this struggle completely. Many dogs have a combination of stress-causing factors, and locating all of these is the best way to help your Maltipoo puppy as much as possible. Giving them their best life is possible, and it will help you and your dog feel so much happier in the end.