The term aromatherapy refers to the therapeutic use of aromatic oils, or “essential oils.” Essential oils are the concentrated aromatic essences extracted from plant sources, such as woods, flowers, fruits, stems, leaves, and resins.

Aromatherapy is an effective complementary therapy to training and behavior modification because it is beneficial in alleviating many conditions, such as anxiety, stress, and depression.

There is an undeniable connection between smell and memory in both humans and canines. Because canines have an incredibly sensitive nose, it takes only a very dilute concentration of essential oils to have a powerful effect. Breathing in these scents eases stress by activating positive emotional responses from the part of the brain that controls memory and emotion. Lavender and chamomile affect the central nervous system, helping to alleviate stress and to engender calming and grounding.

Aromatherapy is popular because it’s gentle and effective without being costly. When used properly, there is virtually no risk of serious side-effects, which is not the case with many prescription drugs.

How to Use Aromatherapy on Your Dog

Caution: Never allow your dog to consume any essential oil (whether diluted or not), and do not use essential oils on pregnant or seizure-prone dogs without first checking with your veterinarian.

The safest, most effective way to use aromatherapy is to spray it on a bandanna that your dog wears around his neck (check out our collar and bandanna in one!)

If you have a dog that is nervous/anxious/stressed at home, place an aromatherapy diffuser in the room where your dog spends the most time. You may also wish to spray your dog’s bedding to make him more comfortable. This can be especially helpful during any major transitions (when you bring your dog home, after a move to a new home, when you are introducing a new pet to your dog, etc.)

How does aromatherapy help my anxious dog?

While the right aromatherapy blend can be extremely beneficial, it isn’t necessarily a cure-all for your dog’s stress and anxiety. There is no quick fix for most anxiety-related behavior. In order to resolve your dog’s anxiety/fear, you first need to understand what’s causing it.

Anxious, aggressive, or fearful behavior is sometimes caused by an underlying medical concern. If your dog is constantly fearful, stressed, or anxious, I strongly encourage you to take your dog to the Vet for a thorough check up.

If your dog is given a clean bill of health, then it’s time to consider behavior modification training. An experienced, reputable, positive reinforcement-based trainer should be able to accurately assess and address the specific triggers that are provoking your dog’s stress and anxiety.

As a trainer and behavior consultant, I’ve helped highly stressed/fearful/anxious dogs for more than 15 years. Whether the problem is leash reactivity, excessive alert barking, destructive chewing, reactivity to loud noises, or aggression around strangers, the root issues are usually fear and anxiety.

I’ve found that integrating natural calmatives (primarily aromatherapy) into the behavior modification process has been incredibly valuable because it calms the dog’s mind, allowing him to unlearn his habitual anxiety/fear-driven responses, and affords him the ability to learn a desirable replacement behavior in response to fear-provoking stimuli.

In what situations might calmatives be helpful to your dog?

• Anxiety-related alert barking, territorial barking, etc.

• Leash reactivity/aggression related to underlying fear and anxiety

• Mild isolation distress and/or separation anxiety

• Anxiety related to unfamiliar situations and environments

• Fear and anxiety related to the arrival of unfamiliar visitors (dogs and pets) at home

• Stress related to car or plane travel

• Crate or pen training

• Puppy socialization (encounters with people, objects, dogs, cars, new environments)

• Major transitions (a move, a new baby, a new pet in the home)

• Distracting environments where your dog has problems with focus and attention (the mall, the park, Starbucks, group classes, etc.)

• Psychological discomfort/anxiety related to post-surgical recovery or trauma• Dogs that are timid or that startle easily

• Distress caused by loud noises, i.e. thunder or fireworks

Can you tell when your dog is feeling uncomfortable, stressed, or anxious?

Dogs use a variety of body language signals to communicate how they are feeling. To an untrained eye, it’s easy to misinterpret a dog’s body language. Many people assume their dog is ignoring them when he or she is simply feeling a little stressed.

Though there are many ways for dogs to signal fear, anxiety, and stress, it’s common for most dogs to exhibit certain body language signals more than others. It’s important to observe your dog to determine what signals he or she most commonly uses to indicate that he’s uncomfortable, stressed, or anxious.

Dogs use a wide variety of calming signals for several reasons: to calm themselves when they are stressed or uneasy, to diffuse tensions with dogs and people, and to convey friendly intentions.

Calming signals include (but are not limited to): nose licking, ground sniffing, frequent yawning, turning the head and/or body away from people or other dogs, shaking and trembling, pinned ears, tucked tail, disinterest in food, pacing, excessive panting, dilated pupils, and lethargic behavior.

Calm dogs are physically and psychologically healthy. Here are some tips to make sure your dog is at his best: