When I first started My Anxious Dog all those years ago, one of the biggest problems with yellow dog accessories was the general public not understanding what a dog wearing yellow means.
And so, I made it my mission to be the voice anxious and fearful dogs don’t have. To spread the word about how easy it is for people to help by simply learning that a dog in yellow needs space.
Over the years, I have been joined by an army of dog lovers who are equally passionate and determined to help dogs all over the globe receive the compassion, care and understanding they need to live a comfortable and happy life.
These people are the #yellowarmy and together, we’ve achieved so much.
Let’s take a look back together over what we’ve all achieved together for anxious, nervous and reactive dogs in 2023.
#DogsInYellow day goes BIG
Following our #dogsinyellow report in 2022, I knew that what we were doing was making an impact, but I never imagined just how much it would grow in its second year. A whopping 91% of owners who responded to our survey said that that wearing yellow accessories enhances their walks.
20th March 2023, marked the second national #DogsInYellow day. Following on from the huge success of the first campaign, we were overjoyed at just how many big brands with massive followings got involved for the day.
Pet Plan, Dorwest, Pet Remedy and Furr Boost are just some of the incredible well known brands who made some noise to raise awareness for anxious and nervous dogs.
Alongside the household names who joined the campaign, was a veritable dog loving army of folk who posted, shared and spread lots of yellow love across social media.
You can join our #YellowArmy here and get your free campaign pack.
Pet Industry Federation Awards: #DogsInYellow
My Anxious Dog was nominated as a finalist for the Pet Industry Federation’s marketing campaign of the year for our national awareness day #DogsInYellow.
This was a huge highlight of the year, not just for us, but for the dogs who this is all for!
The Pet Industry Federation is a nationally recognised organisation that strives to raise standards and be the voice of the canine and feline sector at government level.
Their influence is huge, so for #DogsInYellow day to gain recognition and celebration by the Pet Industry Federation is a massive milestone for our anxious dogs.
This momentous nomination was featured in the press too, extending awareness for our #dogsinyellow across the country.
#DogsInYellow day is a day dedicated to raising awareness for all dogs who need space - whether they are anxious, fearful or have other needs, yellow symbolises a need for compassion and distance.
The success and impact of #DogsInYellow Day wouldn't have been possible without the support of a compassionate and dedicated community of our #YellowArmy. It's a testament to the power of love, empathy, and a shared commitment to making the world a safer and more inclusive place for all dogs.
While we didn’t win the award, to be up against some huge marketing agencies and to have made the finals was incredible. The Pet Industry Federation is a nationally recognised organisation that strives to raise standards and be the voice of the canine and feline sector at government level.
My Anxious Dog Community
Over the last year, our community of advocates and anxious dog owners has grown exponentially. We’re now over 10,000 dog lovers strong and it’s a wonderfully supportive space for owners of nervous, anxious and reactive dogs.
Sharing your life with an anxious dog can feel really isolating at times. You may have got a dog and looked forward to walking with others, taking your pup everywhere with you and having a merry old social time with them.
And while your dog is amazing and is loved, there is no shame in admitting that it can be hard sometimes.
Our community is dedicated to supporting both anxious dogs AND their humans. So if you’d like to be part of a community full of people who totally get what you’re going through, why not join us?
My Anxious Dog - On Tour
In 2023, we took our anxious dog accessories and our awareness raising boots on tour! We travelled up and down the country on a mission to educate and support more dog owners than ever before.
We were at the North East Dog Festival for the first time, and my oh my were we welcomed?! The fabulous event organisers very kindly partnered with My Anxious Dog to help us further our #DogsInYellow campaigning and reach more people.
This was also the North East Dog Festival’s first year in a bigger event space, making more room for dogs to get the distance that some of them need. I also presented my first ever talk at this event, talking to lots of dog lovers about anxious dogs and how we can all do our bit to help them.
Our partnership with North East Dog Festival was featured in Northumberland Gazette, Yahoo News and all over social media. There were posters at the entrance to the event and all over the show - introducing so many new dog lovers to #DogsInYellow.
In addition, we had stands at Edition Dog Live, All About Dogs in Newbury and Paws in the Park in Kent. Alongside meeting many owners and presenting educational talks, we helped many owners find their perfect fit #dogsinyellow accessories.
We also attended Crufts and were lucky to meet with Victoria Stillwell, Andrew Hale, Pet Remedy and Debby Lucken of Kids Around Dogs. Having the opportunity to speak to so many influential individuals who share our dedication to making the world happier for dogs was truly fabulous.
In December, I also met Clare Balding at an event and she was really interested in our #dogsinyellow campaigns - she even said she’d give us a shout out at Crufts which is very exciting!
In 2024, we’re looking forward to exploring new collaborations with professionals, behaviourists and brands who share our vision of a happier more compassionate society for our dogs.
Talking Anxious Dogs on the Animal Friends Podcast
I was overjoyed to be invited on to the Animal Friends Podcast to talk about #dogsinyellow and how we can support anxious dogs. I joined their fabulous host Patricia and canine behaviourist Natalie Light from Joii Pet Care for a fabulous conversation about anxious dogs.
We talked about how and why anxious behaviour might develop, how to advocate for your anxious or fearful dog and how #dogsinyellow can help.
New nervous dog accessories
Alongside all the campaigning, we launched 3 new products to help anxious dogs and their owners in 2023.
NEW - Lead slip covers with different warning messages
You asked, we listened! Our community often talks about the most effective messaging for their yellow space awareness accessories. Our dogs have a multitude of different reasons for needing space and people have different personal preferences for messaging.
Balancing keeping the messages easy to read and clear to understand is always front of mind for us, as we want them to be an effective visual communication to other members of the public.
So we designed our new longer lead slip covers which allow plenty of space to display the messages our community want - without losing the visibility of the message. The messaging is embroidered on both sides so it can be seen from every angle (and won’t fade in the wash!).
Our new longer lead slip covers with new messaging:
- Ignore my dog
- Keep your distance
- Rescue dog
- Beware blind dog
- Caution deaf dog
Squeezy reward treat dispenser
This is an absolute gamechanger for rewarding your dog on walks! Gone are the days where you have to carry a tube of squeezy cheese or pate - our new squeezy reward treat dispenser makes rewarding on the go easy peezy!
It attaches to your dog walking belt, belt loop or the d-ring of your dog lead for easy access and hands free carrying! The nozzle is small enough to feed through most well-fitting muzzles too - helping you reward your dog while out walking together.
Get your squeezy reward treat dispenser for walks here
What’s Bella been up to?
I couldn’t round off our year in review without sharing what my own anxious dog Bella has been up to! Thanks to her #dogsinyellow gear and a growth in compassion and understanding in the world - Bella’s had so much fun over the last 12 months.
We’ve continued enjoying partaking in training, Hoopers and Mantrailing together. I love doing these activities with Bella - in spite of her not wanting other people to touch her, we can fully enjoy having fun together at these dog events where people understand her needs.
We’ve travelled lots in our camper van, enjoying hikes up mountains and running free on many beaches.
And she’s featured heavily in all of our campaigns, using all her gorgeous allure to draw attention where there’s no fear of her being touched! Social media is a truly brilliant way for dogs like Bella to share their stories and raise awareness for all their fellow dogkind.
Celebrating your impact on anxious dogs
I want to finish this off by saying a huge thank you to our army of supporters, advocaters and dog lovers. We wouldn’t have spread our message anywhere near as far without your support - and I know so many dogs are benefitting thanks to you.
Every social media post you share, like or comment on - has the potential to help us reach someone new. And that someone will now know exactly what to do when they see a dog in yellow.
Thank you for being a dog’s best friend - together our voices make a big difference.