Dog
Appeasing Pheromone
Pheromone
was first noticed back in the 50's. Certain insects, plants,
and animals can communicate through smells. Called ecto
hormones, these chemical messages are sent out to alarm, look
for romance, and marking territories to just name a few known
capabilities.
In
recent years there has been synthetic pheromone produced to
try and help modify behavior in domesticated animals. Both
dogs and cats appear to be calmed down when this synthetic
pheromone is developed to provide pleasing messages and
dispensed in the local area. Since
cats are more prone to stress, you see many more cat owners
using this than dog owners. The pheromone is different for
dogs and cats. This synthetic pheromone is odorless to humans.
Depending
on your dog's breed and temperament, you could try Pheromone
to calm them down in situations where it's a problem.
Transporting, during big changes in their environment like
moving or holiday parties, introducing another animal into the
household, etc.
Does
it work? That's dependent on who you talk to and what results
they may have experienced. All animals are quite susceptible
to stress. Stress caused by environmental changes, other
animals, human interactions, and state of health. Many dogs
are hyperactive and have a tendency to be quite agitated and
even aggressive when confined.
A
common treatment to calm down animals when transporting is to
give them a drug to calm them down. This can chill them out to
handle the stress and make them more docile to handle. There
are quite a few drawbacks and possible side effects when using
these types of drugs. Pheromone on the other hand has no side
effects and could be used to accomplish the same results with
no issues.
The
catch 22 is that not all animals seem to react the same when
Pheromone is used. You will see many different results when
talking to a number of people and their results. For the
animals it works for, it's a very good solution. But some just
don't react at all.
Pheromone
comes in two ways. One is a dog collar, the other is a
dispenser much like the room fresheners use that is plugged
into a wall outlet. The collar is used when you need to transport your
pet or know some stressful experience is coming up. In the home, the automated dispenser can
used and most units cover up to 600 sq feet.
The
most popular brand for dogs is Comfort Zone D.A.P. in auto dispenser units.
The
dispenser is around $35-$38 at most PetCo stores. You can also
get a collar made by Sargeants called Sentry HC GoodBehaviour
Pheromone Collar at Petco and many drug stores and pet shops
for around $15. Certainly low enough cost to try
to see if it can help with any stressful situations.
Behavior
problems can be difficult to find solutions for with drugs or
chemicals. Many times it can be solved by figuring out the
triggers and then working with your dog to overcome the
issues. You can also try and eliminate situations or
circumstances that contribute to the behavior.
One
thing to always consider, health issues also cause stress and
your dog may have some underlying medical issue. If you see
changes in your dog's behavior and unusual aggressiveness, it
could be something other than stress. Your vet can run a
simple blood test and usually catch anything like kidney,
bladder, or urinary infections. If it is a medical problem,
early detection is important for your dog and your vet bill.
.
