Calming products for anxious dogs: what actually helpsPet Remedy, plug-ins, sprays and bandanas — what the evidence supports, what to expect, and what no product can do on its own.

I specialise in nervous and anxious dogs, and I know firsthand how hard it is to watch your dog feeling overwhelmed. I am a Pet Remedy ambassador, and the honest reason is that it helped Gatsby when I needed something to help.

What happened to Gatsby

Gatsby is a gentle soul. When I got him at twelve weeks the trainer I had employed, an ex-police-dog trainer, told me he was nervous.

In early November 2024 he developed noise sensitivity — fireworks, gunfire, any loud bang, and bird scarers. Those are all noises you cannot predict or manage. It broke my heart seeing him quivering and shaking every time we went out for a walk.

Now I carry a little bottle on every walk. When Gatsby hears a bird scarer I spray some on my hand and apply it to his muzzle. The shaking has stopped. He still looks towards the noise, but he is able to carry on.

What we use

Since introducing it he has become noticeably more settled and less reactive.

What Pet Remedy actually is

A natural blend of calming essential oils — valerian, vetiver, sweet basil and sage — which gently support your pet's own calming mechanisms. It is safe for dogs, cats, small mammals, birds and horses. It is non-sedative, so it works alongside behaviour work rather than flattening the dog you are trying to teach.

What no product can do

This is the part that gets left out of most product pages. A spray will not resolve a fear response, and it will not touch a behaviour that is being driven by discomfort.

We cannot wrap our dogs up and give them a completely stress-free life, much as I would like to. What we can do is make them more resilient and better able to cope, so they can go back to doing what they love best — exploring new places with those wonderful noses.

Calming support helps a dog get to the point where they can learn. It is not the learning.

If noise sensitivity has appeared suddenly in an adult dog, it is worth a veterinary check as well. Pain lowers the threshold for everything else. More on pain and behaviour.

As a Pet Remedy ambassador I have a discount code, GTSBY25, which gets you 25% off at petremedy.co.uk. I would recommend it either way.