6 Calming Products That Help My Dog’s Anxiety

All pup parents know the golden rule: Kong is king. Kong toys have long been the godsend for dog parents dealing with separation anxiety, boredom and the simple desire to watch Netflix and take a bath in peace. As much as the Kong is a solve for those issues, it’s even better for de-stressing your pup. A perfect combination of treat and puzzle, the Kong is a stress toy that all dogs can enjoy – especially as they come in different sizes and rubber types to best fit your dog’s needs.

Nicole wholeheartedly believes in the power of the Kong: “Most dogs go back to the Kong multiple times throughout the day, which I love. The shape of the Kong gives the dog the ability to hold the Kong and just lick it, and allows them to settle in a spot, while the fun shape can allow them to roll it and chase it. This helps them explore new areas that may be causing stress and anxiety.”

Even though the Kong was a bust, I decided a lick mat might be a better solution after reading that licking is a calming activity for dogs. It worked for about 30 seconds more than the Kong (which is to say it worked for 30 seconds).

Early on in this training, I realised I would have to get creative. Enter Snuggle Puppy, a stuffed dog that comes with a heat pack and heartbeat accessory designed to calm your dog with companionship. Moose loved it – as a chew toy (or a gum toy, in his case). It quickly went to our toy pile – but did nothing to help his separation anxiety.

The Thundershirt was a game-changer for us in this training. Outside of being left alone, the Thundershirt did a great job of calming Moose down by using compression and pressure to simulate being held or hugged. When left alone, the shirt by itself wasn’t as effective – but combined with other products and techniques it soon became a large part of our training. 

This diffuser contains a liquid that mimics the pheromones mother dogs emit after giving birth, which is intended to calm her new puppies. The pheromone is marketed as odorless, but does give off a faint rubbing alcohol scent that didn’t really bother me. I was happy enough that it seemed to work and did a fair job of calming Moose both in and out of his crate. However, like the Thundershirt, the pheromones on their own weren’t enough to keep Moose relaxed — but in combination with our other training, they became an important weapon in our arsenal against separation anxiety.

When I first started this training I had gotten mixed suggestions on where to leave Moose to allow him to feel most calm. Some said that a crate would be too claustrophobic, others said that allowing him to wander would make him feel too uncontained. We ended up trying three different methods: a five-foot wide pen, a crate, and a room with a closed door. Left to his devices in the closed room, I watched on camera as Moose parkoured off of every piece of furniture I owned – leaving behind nervous accidents on many of them.

Even scarier was leaving him in the pen, where Moose, a very short dog, would attempt to leap over the gate, sometimes getting his belly stuck on the pen before falling to the ground. In the end, the crate is where both Moose and I felt he was safest and calmest. A little trick that helped us even more was leaving Moose in the crate for 40 minutes before I left the house – allowing him to calm himself while I was still there.