Finding the Best Calming Treats for Pets
There are tons of calming treats for dogs on the market, and navigating the endless options is overwhelming. To help you get through some of the products, we’ve compiled a list of our top calming treats for dogs that your pup will love.
Our guide is an excellent place to start and will hopefully help you narrow down a few options to find the right calming treat for your pup.
How We Chose Our Top 8 Calming Treats for Dogs
Our dogs, cats, and other animals are just as much family members as their human counterparts—and picking out products for their health should be taken just as seriously.
Several considerations go into choosing our top 8, from different aspects of the manufacturing process to the ethos and intentions of the brand itself.
Quality Sourcing and Processing
Hemp is a particularly greedy plant when it comes to growing. Its roots will happily suck up any and all things it finds in the soil, be it helpful nutrients or harmful chemicals.
That's why finding farms pledged to organic growing practices is particularly important when investigating CBD or any hemp-based products. For our methods, quality sourced means hemp grown domestically, without pesticides, and preferably under organic farming practices.
Processing can be an equally tricky area for CBD products. Many extraction processes also involve harmful chemicals or otherwise less-than-appealing extraction agents. That's why CO2, cold-press, and ethanol methods are preferred, particularly when taken place in accredited facilities and performed by qualified personnel.
Test Results
At this point, testing batches of CBD oil is still a voluntary step for companies. Obviously, the businesses that go the extra mile are the ones that stand out in the field. And posting those results online shows even more commitment to quality.
We search for third-party lab test results in our top 10 companies. We pay particular attention to ensuring the results are updated and accurately describe what's inside the product and state that whatever's being sold is free from pesticides, herbicides, solvents, and chemical fertilizers.
Effectiveness
Most people don't like spending money on something that doesn't work. That's why we take the effectiveness of these products into account when creating our lists.
To help determine the effectiveness of calming treats for dogs, we look at things like current test results and the inclusion of any specific supporting cannabinoids, terpenes, or other compounds.
Compounds like chamomile, valerian root, and L-Theanine are all good signs when considering products well-suited to treat an anxious dog.
We also comb through verified online reviews to ensure that customers seemed happy with their results overall.
Quality Ingredients
There's hardly any point in taking herbal supplements when those natural health aids are mixed with artificial chemicals. We ensure each product on our list utilizes all-natural products and healthy botanicals, giving their CBD a quality boost from Mother Nature.
Mission-Driven Brands
The landscape of the CBD market is still widely unregulated—and left wide-open to schemers and get-rich-quick brands hoping to cash in on a trend.
In our research, we've found that the best CBD hemp oil usually comes from mission-driven brands, showing that the people selling the product aren't just out to make money but to do something helpful, giving back to the people, pets, and even the earth itself that supports them.
When You Should Use Calming Treats for Dogs
When considering how and when to use calming treats for dogs, cats, and other animals, there are generally two prevailing methods: The treats can be administered as part of a regular regimen or given to animals on an as-needed basis. Both approaches have their benefits.
Regular Regimen
CBD can take some time to build up in the body before reaching levels that offer the desired effects of the product. And once a certain baseline has been reached, it can become even more impactful, making the body more responsive to CBD and other cannabinoids.
Using a regular CBD regiment can help build—and maintain—the presence of CBD in an animal's system. This can be a beneficial method for animals with chronic stress or other health issues, giving them the best chance of receiving all the best benefits of the best calming treats for dogs.
Again, you should always consult with your veterinarian about the specifics of your animal before starting them on a CBD regimen.
As-Needed Basis
Offering CBD treats as needed is also an excellent option for many pets and pet owners.
This type of treatment is beneficial if you know your dog has particular stress triggers, such as:
- Having company over
- Going for rides in the car
- Hearing loud noises
If you know one of these situations is coming up, offering your up calming treats for dogs can be an effective and proactive way to help them get through the experience.
How quickly the calming treat takes to kick in depends on the strength of the CBD, the ingestion method, and the size of the dog, cat, or animal, among other factors. However, many companies claim their products start to work between 30-60 minutes.
What is known is that dogs have a faster metabolism than humans, making the CBD run through their system more quickly, with studies finding CBD staying in an animal's system for anywhere from 4 to 9 hours.
Daily Use?
Many people wonder whether they can give their dogs calming treats every day.
While a regular CBD regimen can undoubtedly benefit pets, many experts are wary of recommending dosing as a daily routine.
CBD has proven itself safe in many studies on humans and lab animals, though studies focusing on dogs, in particular, are still very rare, making some vets hesitant to suggest it.
Still, while falling short of making a full endorsement for daily use, the American Kennel Club has noted that evidence for the benefits of CBD on dogs is "compelling."
As always, the best recommendation for how and when to use calming treats for dogs will come from your veterinarian.
What to Look for in Soothing Dog Treats
As with any calming treatment for dogs, not every type of treat will be the right one for your dog. You need to do your research to pick the right one for your canine friend.
Some things to take into consideration when choosing the right dog calming treats include:
- The size and breed of your dog
- What you're trying to treat (e.g., anxiety, stress, other health issues, excessive barking, aggressive behavior)
- Whether your dog would prefer soft chews
- If your dog is prone to an upset stomach (look for ingredients like organic ginger root to help calm their tummies)
- Ingredients (choose calming treats that have high-quality ingredients)
- Whether your dog is a picky eater (most dogs may prefer peanut butter or bacon flavor)
Potential Benefits of Using Calming Treats for Pets
here are many potential benefits of using calming treats for dogs, cats, and other pets.
First and foremost is the stress relief such a routine can offer your animal. Stress is equally as uncomfortable for pets as it is for pet parents—and perhaps even more so, without the same ability to understand why certain situations are happening.
Also, like in humans, stress can go on to manifest physically in dogs, leading to:
- Pacing and shaking
- An increased heart rate
- Compulsive licking or chewing
- Diarrhea and other digestive issues
- Shedding
- Destructive behavior (e.g., tearing apart couch cushions, biting)
Keeping pets calm can help combat all those physical ailments that come with anxiety.
A calmer pet is also typically better at socializing, which can be hugely beneficial for both animals and humans.
Positive socialization is a crucial step for puppies, helping them build a happy and healthy foundation, and rescue animals who may be struggling with challenging issues like PTSD.
While these brands are reputable and take reasonable care to create safe and reliable pet calming treats, every animal is different and can have different reactions to these products. It's important to always consult with your veterinarian before giving your pet a CBD calming treat.
Other Ways to De-Stress Your Pets
Of course, natural supplements aren't the only calming aids for dogs.
Exercise
Exercise has long been one of the best and most consistent channels for stress in both dogs and humans. If your animal is showing signs of anxiety, physical activities like walking, running, or even playing a game of fetch can help them utilize the excess energy that would otherwise be spent on stressing them out.
Training
While it may sound counterintuitive, having your dog sit and respond to routine commands can also help.
Just as with people, a routine can be hugely comforting for dogs, and having them run through their known set of tricks can both distract them from whatever is making them anxious and help provide a sense of normalcy.
Removing the Stressor
Understandably, if a particular situation seems to be stressing your dog out, removing them from that situation is the best and most immediate way to deal with their anxiety. Though, experts warn against the instinct to pamper them too much in these instances. If you want to give them a treat, it's better to ask them to sit, stay, or shake first.
