A recent study revealed that different types of anxious behavior in dogs have increased by as much as 700% since 2020! It makes sense when you think that most people were at home 24/7 for several months, leading to a lower tolerance for separation in their pets.
Keeping pets calm when we aren’t around or can interact with them should be a priority for all pet owners. Aromatherapy is one of the leading ways to achieve this goal. Keep reading this handy guide to all the calming scents for dogs and find out how you can help your buddy out.
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Aromatherapy for Dogs
Knowing how to conduct canine aromatherapy safely is foundational to keeping your dog calm with aromatherapy. The main aim is to have something near or on your dog that emits a calming and healing smell. It’s important to note that dogs have a much stronger sense of smell than humans, so the guiding principle is that a little goes a long way.
If you want your dog to have the option of being near to or far from the source of the scent, you can use an aroma diffuser. There are many different types of diffusers on the market, so be sure to buy the correct kind of scent for the diffuser or the suitable diffuser for the scents you have with you.
Set the diffuser up in the room you want to be the dog’s “calm room” or area. Make sure to dilute your oil or fragrance before putting it in the diffuser, so as not to overwhelm your dog’s sense of smell. Many fresh scents for aroma diffuser devices are available on the internet, so if a certain scent isn’t working, you can conveniently shop for a different one online.
The other method is to apply an essential oil directly to the dog’s coat. Essential oils differ from fragrance oils in that fragrances are only made up of chemical compounds with no natural healing molecules. Be sure to dilute the oil before applying it, and avoid applying it too close to the eyes, nose, ears, or mouth.
Calming Scents for Dogs
The sense of smell has a “memoiristic” characteristic; brains associate memories and feelings most efficiently with smells. There are naturally relaxing scents that you could use to keep your dog calm, but over time they’ll also learn to associate that smell with a sense of calm and peace. It’s these factors working in unison that make a truly happy puppy.
There are also scents that agitate animals. Researching a particular scent before using it is crucial to avoiding accidentally making your pet more anxious or aggressive.
Bergamot
Bergamot is one of the quintessential calming scents for dogs. When a dog smells Bergamot, its mood is immediately uplifted and balanced. Bergamot is especially effective when used as a type of canine-calming anti-depressant.
Bergamot is one of the scents on this list that has to come in essential oil form. The plant itself is a type of citrus tree native to Italy and, unlike some of the other entries on this list, does not calm dogs down in its natural state. One must first process the fruit and extract the oil to get a calming effect.
Geranium Rose
Geranium rose is a species of Pelargonium plant from Southern Africa. This wonderful little plant can grow anywhere in the world (with the proper care), and its oil serves as the jack-of-all-trades among pet scents. Its calming properties are subdued when the plant is in its natural state, so you really want the essential oil.
Geranium rose calms dogs just like Bergamot. However, unlike Bergamot, it also keeps them alert or energized while soothed. This means that it’s great for traveling because they’ll be attentive to your commands, and if you have a guard dog that you don’t want sleeping on the job.
Lavender
Lavender calms dogs down so well that some essential oil brands include it as the “sedative” ingredient. However, it doesn’t make them so calm that they fall asleep, but instead settles their mood into a tranquil state, making it suitable for both household use and when traveling. It’s also good enough to plant lavender in your garden if you want to restrict the effects to that area alone.
Sweet Marjoram
Sweet Marjoram has a slight calming effect on dogs that is not quite as strong as some of the other entries on this list. Most essential oils brands describe it as stress relief, meaning it only takes the edge off. This is still very useful if you want your dog to be alert, for instance, if it’s a guard dog or service dog.
Blends and Honorable Mentions
Two other prominent scents that prevail in doggy aromatherapy are Ylang Ylang and Tangerine. Both provide a reprieve from stress rather than full-on sedation.
Most essential oil products contain a blend of several different scents. It’s up to the owners to read the labels and choose the scents based on their pets’ needs while also considering the roles their pets play. It may be fine to have your pug knocked right out by Bergamot, but overdosing your German shepherd with the scent may lead to undesirable effects.
It’s also a good idea to investigate how diluted the oils already are when you purchase them. If they’re concentrated, then it’s a good idea to dilute them a lot. Mixtures that are already diluted only need to be cut down a little bit, and some not at all.
Help Comfort Your Best Friend Today
Dogs are cherished members of our families, and that’s why it’s important to provide them with comfort as an act of love. You can remove a lot of stress from your puppy’s life by using aromatherapy.
There are many calming scents for dogs available, some that have strong effects and others that are more restricted. The best scents for pets are the ones that provide the necessary comfort without impacting the role the pet plays in the household or their behavior on a trip. If you want more lifestyle tips for yourself and your dog, visit our lifestyle blog today.
