Experience with Rescue Remedy for Dogs

[GreenGranolaMama]

I have a jack russell terrier who is extremely high strung. His bouncy nature and seemingly endless supply of energy are what attracted us to him, however in some situations, he becomes extremely stressed and agitated. He will sometimes shiver and shake during car rides and having guests over can sometimes become an issue as he gets very, very excited (although I have heard of some that become aggressive, so we consider ourselves lucky in that respect). Anyone have experience using rescue remedy in their smaller breed dog? Any other natural tips? Thank you!

[Nicole915]

Rescue remedy is awesome for cats, but we've not used it in dogs. When we have fractious cats that come in for extensive exams, we just put some on the inside of the ear, wait a bit and they're much easier to handle. There are also DAP diffusers for dogs that release a relaxing agent into the air.

It sounds like you might have better luck with training than with holistic remedies. Teaching your pup that the car ride is a good thing by starting slow and associating it with the positive will go farther than supplemental therapy. When guests come over, have them interact with your dog until he gets overwhelmed, then allow him to have some time in his crate to relax and get re-centered.

Also, lots of exercise is his friend. These little guys need long walks, and something to engage their brain.

He sounds adorable, wishing you the best of luck getting his confidence up!

[SquishyKitty]

I agree with the PP. Our jack russell needed way more exercise than we would have thought, he got 2 2-mile walks a day, plus lots of play time, plus about 30 mins of training every day.

Jack russells are extremely smart, and need the constant mental stimulation. They are one of those dogs that is never "Trained", but always in training because they're smart, and will challenge and push boundaries when they get bored.

Tracking is an activity that was recommended to us, also, if you're a runner, take the dog with you. Basic obedience training is a good way to start, and then go up from there. We went through that, which also helped us work through the excited freak out things he did when new people came over.

For the car ride, how does he ride? In his crate? IN a harness, buckled in? On a lap? I would harness him in, and then have somebody sit next to him and encourage him through the ride.

Also, our second dog was terrified of the car when we got him, but our first LOVED the truck. The second dog really kind of followed our first dog in how she rode in the car, and now he gets super excited any time they get to go on a ride. So, if you have a friend or somebody with a dog who likes the car, get them together and drive them around for awhile. It'll help, dogs have a pack mentality and will follow each other.

[greenmagick]

THe holistic vet I have gone to uses it a lot. My dog who was petrified of shots was ok for a blood draw even...he wasnt totally calm, but he wasnt doing the total freak out he usually did.

I have heard a lot of people having great results with it, but as others have mentioned, it wont help if the dog isnt properly exercised and properly trained

[Lynn08]

We gave the cream to mil to use on her Boston Terrier who is terrified of thunder, fireworks, etc. She rubs a little on him when the bangs first start (or if she knows about it, a little beforehand) and he is much calmer. Still a little scared and shiver-y, but not so bad that he hides under the bed and whimpers all night long, poor guy.