Dogs are extremely influenced by our emotions. If we are feeling slightly anxious, it is likely that our dogs will in turn display some anxious behavior as well. Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) is a therapeutic treatment that uses acupressure points to relieve pain and stress. Below is a way to use EFT to relieve your stress brought on by your dog’s behavior.

Step 1: Assess your subjective unit of distress as it relates to your dog’s behavior using a 0-10 scale. Zero would signify no problem while ten would indicate extreme distress. Be sure to pick a number before moving on to step two.

Step 2: Create a “set up a statement” that is specific to your dog’ behavior and how it affects you. An example of a set up statement pertaining to your dog could be, “Even though my dog [Rover] is anxious in his crate, I deeply and completely love and accept myself.” You also could make the set up statement reflect yourself. For example, “Even though I’m feeling [anxious] because [Rover] is in his crate, I deeply and completely love and accept myself.” Repeat this statement three times while tapping the karate chop point shown below with four fingers from your opposite hand.