6 Dog-Calming Products to Help Your Pet Feel Better

If you’ve noticed your dog pacing around the house with his ears folded back, or she’s suddenly eating less than usual, chances are the cause is anxiety, says Kait Hembree, training and behavior manager for the tele-training service PetCareNow. Taking your dog on lots of walks or giving them a distracting toy to play with can help—but sometimes, it takes more than that to calm a pup’s nerves. Here are six types of dog-calming products she recommends.

Hembree recommends supplements that contain L-theanine, a naturally occurring compound in green and black tea, like these chews. They come in three flavors dogs are sure to enjoy, like peanut butter, chicken liver and bacon.

This brand has been manufacturing pet food and supplements for nearly a century, and undergoes rigorous testing to maintain their seal from the National Animal Supplement Council. Hembree likes that dog owners can break these capsules up and mix them into their dogs’ food or favorite treat to disguise the taste.

If you’ve experienced the soothing effects of a weighted blanket, you can understand why the gentle pressure of a thundershirt might relieve your dog of some anxiety. “Thundershirts are a great way to help some dogs calm down,” Hembree says. “It makes them feel wrapped up and swaddled like a baby.” But some pups feel restricted wearing a new garment. Luckily, this thundershirt can be returned within 30 days.

This collar works to ease dogs’ nerves by emitting an odorless pheromone activated by body heat. The hormone is a synthetic version of an appeasing pheromone produced by nursing mothers to help puppies feel calm and comfortable as they are exposed to new experiences,” Hembree says. The collars are most effective when they’re worn continuously. Each one lasts about a month.

If your dog gets nervous before road trips or flights, spritz this mist in the car or on your dog’s collar, blanket, leash, crate or bed. This one gives off the same comforting pheromone as a dog’s mother to provide zen that lasts four to five hours.

If anxiety is wreaking havoc on your pup’s appetite, Hembree recommends adding a few drops of this homeopathic tincture to your dog’s water bowl. And if you have any other anxious pets, you may be interested to know that this tincture works just as well for cats, lizards, horses, rabbits and birds.