Sally wearing the Tractive Dog 4 attached to her harness.
Tractive – Wearable GPS with us on every walk
Our getting ready for a dog walk routine: call dog, dress her with collar and harness, find snacks and poo bags, get my shoes and coat, pick up her leash and make a final check she’s wearing her Tractive GPS.
Sally’s been a Tractive dog since her teenage sleddog phase, when for her safety and my peace of mind I bought a first generation Tractive. We upgraded to the new Dog 4 GPS last January, so have now field and loch and going through gorse bushes tested it.
Tractive recently asked me would I like to review their dog GPS. I said “yes” because it’s an essential piece of Sally’s kit (disclosure: this is a paid partnership, Tractive made a generous contribution to Pet Blood Bank UK on Sally’s behalf, but all views and opinions in this piece are my own).
What is Tractive?
Tractive are the market leader in pet GPS tracking. They make pet wearables that couldn’t be easier to set up and use. Here I’ll be reviewing the new model Dog 4.
In the box you get the Tractive device, a stretchy collar clip and a USB charging lead. All packaging is card/paper with no plastic!
What’s in the box?
You get the Tractive GPS device, a stretchy rubber collar clip, and a charging lead that connects to a standard USB power adapter.
The GPS is small (71 x 28 x 17 mm), lightweight (35 g) and streamlined with rounded corners to prevent it from snagging on obstacles. It sits along your dog’s collar or harness, being connected by the fragile looking but tough rubber clip (it’s survived 6 months of Sally’s best efforts to dislodge it – it’s tough!). Unlike the older devices, you don’t have to unclip it for charging as the charging pins connect at one end. The LED will turn from red to green once it’s ready and it takes only 2-3 hours for a full charge.
Set-up
Each device has a unique code, to activate it download the free Tractive app (available in the Apple and Google Play stores), make a user profile, choose your subscription plan (similarly to a mobile phone you need to pay for data usage, but this is a flat fee per month) and upload your code.
You need to take the Tractive outside for it to begin location tracking. Location finding is through GPS, but information is relayed back to you through cellular connections. Unlike your own phone, the device is not limited to one network but uses any of several cellular networks, selecting the one with the strongest signal.
Tracking
The device handshakes with the GPS satellites every 10-15 mins, so, when you open the app, the map should load with a relatively recent position. Activating LIVE mode will give you constant updates, and you can also turn on a light and sound (we don’t use these options, as the LED is invisible in Sally’s fluff and the sound annoyed her, so she tried to remove the device). There’s a choice of map types – standard, satellite, OSM and there’s also a new augmented reality mode which overlays your dog’s position on your phone camera view (see screengrab below).
There’s a few seconds timelag in position updates, but this hasn’t ever been an issue. Using the “show trace and heatmap” function, I know where Sally’s been and can see the direction she’s headed.
Bluetooth, share function and limits
On a walk near her Grandpaw’s house there’s poor mobile phone connection. The Tractive device is constantly receiving GPS data from satellites, so as soon it gets even a blink of cellular connection (far sooner than my phone) it reports its location. I’m reliably informed from Grandpaw back at home (if you choose Premium subscription, you can share your dog’s location with friends/family) that he can view Sally’s whereabouts. So, if the worst happened and you lost your dog in an area with poor cellular coverage, once they re-enter coverage, the Tractive will report in, and you’ll see where they’ve been.
It will fail to get a GPS signal in dense woodland, but I’ve found it works on trails with overhead breaks in the tree canopy cover (see screengrabs above). As most animals will use paths if they find them, I feel that if Sally became lost in woodland, I’d locate her again as soon as she discovered a path. The device also uses Bluetooth to communicate to your phone at close range. This means that if your dog is close by, you’ll be able to find them even in dense woodland (or down a rabbit burrow!).
Waterproof
It is FULLY waterproof to IPX7-standard (up to 1 metre depth, 30 minutes). This has been frequently tested by Sally going into lochs, rivers and the sea. She’s not a swimmer but she does enjoy sticking her face underwater, so when on her collar the device is completely submerged.
Sally demonstrating her fishing behaviour that washes the Tractive when it’s on her collar. The stretchy collar clips will also attach to the emergency light attachment loop on most dog float-jackets.
Virtual fence & battery saving zones
You can set up a “virtual fence” and be alerted if your dog leaves. I set it around Grandpaw’s house as it’s *nearly* a completely enclosed garden and Sally likes to snooze outside the back door but will occasionally disappear on a rabbit-chasing adventure. With Virtual Fence I get an alert as soon as she reaches the neighbouring hedgerow!
To save battery, you can set a power saving zone near your home Wifi. Speaking of battery life, it’s pretty good. I’ve found it needs charged every 2-3 days. If you use LIVE tracking, it will rapidly run down the battery, but it can cover a 2 hour walk on LIVE and then survive the rest of the day on normal use. You are sent phone notifications when the battery reaches 20%. Having a longer battery life is important to me, because if Sally were to run several miles (if she got spooked by thunder or hunting gunshots) it may be some time before she would turn for home. I always make sure her Tractive is charged up before offleash walks.
Activity & sleep tracking
This new model has activity and sleep tracking. To use them it’s recommended you leave the device permanently on your dog’s collar and the collar on the dog (except for charging). I’m not using these features to best advantage as Sally is usually “naked dog” at home, with her collar removed.
You are encouraged to set a daily activity goal and see how your dog compares with to others using local, breed, global and friend leaderboards. If you have friends using Tractive you can invite them to your “friends” board. It’s interesting to see how Sally, who only wears her Tractive for walks, measures up against the constant wearers. I worry you could go to competitive extremes and overwalk a young or infirm dog, so I appreciate the most recent update that anonymously compares your dog against others of the same breed, age and weight, plus the recent option to opt-out of the leaderboards.
The sleep tracker is interesting and will be a good way to monitor changes as Sally gets older and may start developing doggy arthritis or dementia. I’ll be able to see if she was up during the night (but she would have to wear her collar for this). Currently she’s showing unusually high sleep efficiency as her collar is off overnight so the Tractive isn’t moving.
Activity data is downloaded via Bluetooth when the app is open. The GPS device can store about a week’s worth before it overwrites (rather annoyingly if you have just managed a 100-day streak of completing your recommended daily exercise but forgot to download it, but that’s a minor grumble).
History
The History function is a great way to relive walks later, to see where you’ve been, and if you turn on the heat trace, you can see where you’ve lingered the longest and identify the good picnic spot for next time (or the rabbit warren or squirrel tree you want to avoid!). With Premium you can go back to any past date within the last year and view your adventures – and you can share the route maps with family and friends to tell everyone about your dog’s walks. Sally likes to come home and show her Granny where she’s been on her weekend trip to Grandpaw.
Pimp your device
The Tractive comes in Snow, Coffee or Midnight blue. With usage the outer plastic will inevitably become scratched and marked – see the photo below of Sally’s Tractive after 6 months of hard wear!
Tractive sell protective sleeves and covers that protect and jazz up the device – but they need removed before charging. I found the hard cover easier to remove than the soft sleeve but wish there was one that could stay on for charging. There’s a limited choice of colours and patterns, hopefully they’ll soon bring out some more, I’d like a girly pink for the fluffy princesses such as Sally!
Overall impressions – 100% Sally approved
Tractive gets the 100% Sally Approved rating from us. The small lightweight wearable disappears into her fluff to the extent it’s usually invisible, but knowing it’s there gives me peace of mind. The battery lasts a reassuring several days, and the device and attachment clip are robust and waterproof and survive all that Sally throws at them. The app is easy to use, and the new features help you better understand your dog’s daily activity. Tractive comes with us on all Sally’s adventures and it’s thanks to them I feel more confident giving Sally some offleash freedom.
Do you use Tractive? Do you find it easy to use? Any stories or comments about dog GPS you’d like to share then please comment below! And if this has encouraged you to get a Tractive for your pet then click the link https://tractive.com/en/pd/gps-tracker-dog!
First Signs of Spring? So Happy It’s Snowdrop Season
Sally in a local graveyard looking for squirrels and completely ignoring the snowdrops
There are two things I look forward to in February – sunsets later than 5pm bringing an end to the darkest days of winter, and the first signs of spring. For me, the first sign I consider an actual sign (and not just a confused garden plant that hasn’t looked at a calendar) is the snowdrops popping up. To me these wee white flowers mean spring is (finally) on the way. I’ve been taking Sally walks round a local cemetery where in the last fortnight many clumps of these small white flowers have appeared as if out of nowhere. Snowdrop season has well and truly arrived.
It seems that I’m not the only one to enjoy snowdrops. These small white bell flowers have fascinated humans for centuries. Maybe because they are the first obvious spring flower that we’ll spot every year? Maybe because they are so delicate and tiny and yet so hardy, able to continue flowering even if covered in snow and ice? Maybe because they are a source of potent natural pharmaceutical compounds? There’s more to these little flowers than first meets the eye…
What are Snowdrops?
Snowdrops in the graveyard, Edinburgh week beginning 14th February 2022
Snowdrops are a genus (family) of about 20 flower bulb species thought to have originated around the eastern Mediterranean. The species most often found as a garden plant in the UK is Galanthus nivalis L. 1753 and there are over 2000 different varieties of it with more created and named each year. Most are small flowers (1-2 cm across, on stems 10-20 cm high). Snowdrops are non-native to the British Isles: either they arrived with the Romans, or they were brought here by later traders or settlers. The first written account of them in the UK is from 1597 and they were first recorded in the wild (in the English counties of Gloucestershire and Worcestershire) in 1778.
They were given their scientific name by the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus in 1753. He seemed to consider them a well-known plant, so they must have been well established in northern Europe by the 1700s. His name for them “Galanthus nivalis” means “milk flower of the snow”.
How Did Snowdrops Come to Scotland?
No one knows if snowdrops were brought to the UK and the north of Europe intentionally, or if the small bulbs were stow-aways in earth around the roots of another plant. It was probably intentional and due to their supposed medicinal properties. The bulbs and stems were traditionally used as a cure for headaches, menstrual cramps, and as an abortifacient. – Please don’t try any of these uses at home – snowdrops are very poisonous if eaten. In order to protect from grazing (fresh green growth so early in the year would be a tempting snack for just about every animal), the bulbs, stems and flowers are packed with a cocktail of toxic plant alkaloids – some of which are now being investigated as treatments for Alzheimer’s, cancers, and HIV suppression as well as showing antifungal and antibacterial properties (Kong et al. 2021 is a fascinating paper listing the ethnopharmacology of the snowdrop and current medical trials).
Significance & Symbology
Snowdrops flowering by the spring festival of Imbolc (1st-2nd Feb), St Brigid’s Day (1st Feb) and Candlemass (2nd Feb) led to their association with new life/the beginning of spring in the Celtic and early Christian traditions in the UK. I’ve found their flowering start times in central Scotland to be erratic, but certainly by February I’ll have seen a few. By mid-late February the flowers are widespread.
Good places to spot them are not in “wild” woodland or pasture but in older gardens. In the Victorian “language of flowers” snowdrops symbolised hope, purity, death, rebirth, and sympathy. It was considered unlucky to see a single snowdrop or to bring the blooms inside the house, but the flowers were a garden favourite, often planted as a memorial. It’s legal to pick snowdrop flowers (if not in a nature reserve or otherwise protected area) but it’s illegal to uproot or disturb the bulbs. They are best left alone and enjoyed where they grow – outside in the cold.
Spotting Snowdrops
Snowdrop wood
Many National Trust and private gardens have “snowdrop festivals” starting around now in mid-February, as most are dog friendly to onleash dogs (check before visiting) it’s a good way to see the flowers. Cambo in Fife holds the National Snowdrop Collection and is dog friendly. It’s also worth checking out areas that have been gardens of older houses, and around graveyards and churches as many of these will have snowdrops. My favourite secret snowdrops around Edinburgh are at Cammo and at Cramond and under a small copse of old beech trees in East Lothian, I’m not going to put the exact locations online but if anyone *really* wants to know then send me a message.
How to Grow
If you plan to buy snowdrops then the bulbs are best transplanted “in the green” shortly after flowering. Gardening catalogues or any garden holding a snowdrop festival will sell you bunches or potted bulbs. It’s best to buy from a garden you’ve visited as then you know your bulbs weren’t harvested from the wild, plus you have a memento of your visit. The bulbs will be expensive (at least several pounds a stem up to many hundreds or even thousands of pounds for rare varieties). They are costly because they are mostly propagated by letting the bulbs naturally split and double and this is a slow process with new bulbs needing 3-4 years to reach flowering size. Snowdrops can be grown from seed (in warmer springs, the flowers are pollinated by the first early queen bees emerging from winter hibernation) and the seeds would naturally be dispersed by ants. It takes at least 7 years for a snowdrop seedling to be large enough to flower. Once acquired, snowdrops are hardy (the bulbs don’t like to dry out, so water occasionally over the summer) and need little maintenance. They’ll happily grow in a flower border or in a pot in most soil types. There’s no need to do any pruning or tidy up. Simply let the leaves and flowers die back naturally and they’ll be ready to flower again next spring.
As the snowdrops are finishing get ready to spot the next spring flowers. Crocuses, early daffodils, flowering currant, viburnum, primulas, some early prunus species, witch hazel and forsythia are all beginning to come into bloom so keep an eye out! Have the snowdrops near you started/finished their flowering yet?
The first signs of spring? Hopefully warmer and longer days are coming soon.
About the Wild Walks Blog Series
During the first UK total lockdown from March 2020, Sally and I went for long walks while we waited for the world to heal. I started filming one walk per week and posting online as “Wednesday Walks”, as people locked down in cities, and people far from Scotland were asking me to show them our surroundings.
Surprisingly to me (since my Instagram is supposedly focused around Sally), the big attraction wasn’t Sally herself but the landscape, and the little things. I was asked for the names of flowers, the bird calling in the background, the rock types of the bright pebbles in the stream, for the history of the cottage I walked past, the families on the gravestones in the kirkyard? Since lockdown ending, I’ve mostly stopped filming as I often walk Sally alone, so I’m uncomfortable giving out exact location details. Instead I’ve decided I’m going to do a nature walk photo essay blog series. I’ll try to put up a post once a week/fortnight focusing on something I’ve seen on our walks and showing and telling you about it. I hope you enjoy these little glimpses into the world of the fluffy wolf. Please enjoy the natural world around you, look for the hidden beauty and wonder, leave only footprints and take only photographs, love Claire and Sally xx
Finding Footprints – How to Spot the Hidden Wildlife On Your Walks
During the first UK total lockdown from March 2020, Sally and I went for long walks while we waited for the world to heal. I started filming one walk per week and posting online as “Wednesday Walks”, as people locked down in cities, and people far from Scotland were asking me to show them our surroundings.
Surprisingly to me (since my Instagram is supposedly focused around Sally), the big attraction wasn’t Sally herself but the landscape, and the little things. I was asked for the names of flowers, the bird calling in the background, the rock types of the bright pebbles in the stream, for the history of the cottage I walked past, the families on the gravestones in the kirkyard? Since lockdown ending, I’ve mostly stopped filming as I often walk Sally alone, so I’m uncomfortable giving out exact location details. I’ve decided instead, I’m going to do a nature walk photo essay blog series here. I’ll try to put up a post once a week/fortnight focusing on something I’ve seen on our walks and showing and telling you about it. I hope you enjoy these little glimpses into the world of the fluffy wolf.
Snow captures all the footprints
Leave Only Footprints, Take Only Photographs…
How About Take Only Photographs of Footprints?
Telling a story about snow, in the hope we get another snowfall before winter is over, because that would make the fluffy one VERY happy.
I was walking in the last remaining patches of snow with Sally a couple of weeks ago and it was completely quiet. We had the whole place to ourselves, and as it was late afternoon even the birds were mostly silent as they were tucked up for the night. I’d have thought we were the only living creatures to have ever been that way, except the path was covered in footprints both human and animal. Also, since this last snowfall I found rabbit prints in the garden in an area where I didn’t know we had rabbits, the large stag’s footprints much closer to the house than I’d expect him to come (I guess that’s this year’s crop of snowdrops about to get eaten too), and smaller dainty deer prints further up the hill – do we have roe deer? I didn’t think so but maybe we do… I’m now a wee bit obsessed with looking for tracks to find out who shares my walking routes. So I really hope there’s more snow soon!
Not only is snow a beautiful background canvas for your photos, but every wild creature will have left their mark in that blank canvas. Ever wondered why your dog always sniffs round a particular bush? Now the pheasant tracks give the game away.
I’ve found that the best time to go looking for prints isn’t immediately after fresh snowfall, but the next day. Give it time for all the nocturnal creatures to have left their marks. Yes, the prints will sometimes be starting to melt away, but other times the frost will have baked in every detail.
Have a look next time you are out walking after snow. What wild animals share your local areas?
On Sally’s walk we found numerous bird tracks,deer hoof marks and rabbit paw prints along the path.
Some Top Tips For Finding Tracks –
Look around bushes and trees as many smaller animals and birds like to be next to shelter
At night the larger creatures such as deer and foxes often use the main trails so check the path. There could be animal tracks as well as human footprints.
Beside water is a good bet because although the animals can use the snow for hydration, many seem to prefer flowing water if there’s still some available.
Take photos and use your boot for size comparison if you need something for scale.
Look up the species later, most old school ID guides have a drawing of the tracks, and online guides use either drawings or photographs.
Be aware that if the prints have melted and refrozen several times they will have increased in size. You most probably don’t have giant deer, direwolves or yeti (in welly boots) living nearby, just that the freeze-thaw cycling has stretched the prints! Or maybe you do, you never know… Happy hunting!
The Story of the Scaredy-Wolf Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Bangs…
Updated November 2021
“Remember, remember the 5th of November”, or so goes the rhyme. No one (and that includes us) with a firework-reactive dog is ever likely to forget. The first fireworks of bonfire-season went off near us recently and Sally went back to hiding in the (empty) bath – it’s a cold, enclosed, small space so it makes her feel safe.
Sally is firework phobic and has been since a fear period after her second season coincided with the Edinburgh Festival. She was exposed to the Tattoo and then the end of Festival fireworks at a time her hormones made her frightened of everything. Her phobia has expanded to include shotgun shots (there’s often deer and grouse shooting near Grandpaw’s house), the birdscarer guns used to protect crops, motorcycle engine backfires and any sudden sharp loud noise.
It severely impacts our quality of life. There are places we can’t walk at certain times of year, walks have to done in daylight around Bonfire Night, and no one in our house celebrates New Year as we have to stay home and comfort the dog! She’s on the leash more around firework season to protect her from bolting off and she wears a GPS tracker everytime she leaves the house. In the evenings we stay inside and all curtains are closed and I play the radio or TV to mask outside noises. So, needless to say, if there’s a remedy or treatment for noise-phobia we’ve tried it. We’ve found a few things that help, and a lot that have no effects whatsoever, and we’re still searching for that magic cure…
Remedies We’ve Tried
Spoiler for the TLDR folks:
Adaptil calming pheromone and high strength (tincture) valerian are the only two things that significantly ease Sally’s noise-phobia. We’ve tried just about every type of non-prescription “cure” on the market so I’m going to go through them systematically and give you our honest reviews.
Every dog is different so things that didn’t work for Sal might be the solution for your pet. If they are in severe distress then please talk to your vet who can prescribe tranquilizing medication (not to be taken long term but can see you through Bonfire Night or New Year etc).
Remedies that we’ve tried can be classed into:
Sound Desensitisation
Physical Comfort
Herbal Calming
Amino Acids
Pheromones
I’ll give you a rundown of what we’ve tried and whether it worked for us.
Physical comfort is important, make sure your pet has a cosy safe space during fireworks.
Why Are Dogs Scared of Fireworks?
First, why are some dogs so scared of fireworks? And just how widespread is this fear?
I did a quick survey on Sal’s Instagram Stories and found about 45% of respondents said yes, their dog was terrified. Adaptil claim up to 50% of pets show some fear of loud noises. But why? I couldn’t find any scientific studies that identify whether the trigger is the noise, the bright lights or the chemical smell. In Sally’s case, I think it’s the noise as she reacts similarly to motorcycle backfires and to shotgun blasts.
I always believed the snow dog story that it makes good evolutionary sense for some members of the pack to be scared and lead their pack away from loud sharp noises such as the cracking when an ice-sheet breaks. But then I had an interesting experience when there was forestry work up the glen and a tree was felled on the opposite hillside. The first sharp “snap” as it fell sounded like a loud gunshot and Sal was terrified. She immediately turned and tried to run for home. After this experience, I still think it’s an evolutionary adaptation, but I think it’s far more likely that she’s reacting to noises that sound like falling trees (a more likely hazard to all wolves/dogs than northern breed specific arctic ice breakup). I also think there’s higher frequency harmonics she can hear that are beyond our hearing and that aren’t recorded on tape. My reasoning is that I can play war movies (she’s happily snoozed through the whole of the Sharpe and Hornblower series) with cannon and gunshot and she doesn’t react, not even at deaf Grandpaw sound-up levels!
What Can We Do to Stop Our Dogs Being Scared?
1. Undiagnosed Pain
First of all look for undiagnosed pain. A ground-breaking study claimed a link between dogs reacting anxiously to loud noise and undiagnosed muscular or skeletal pain. Once put on a course of painkillers they were less reactive to noise. They claimed that when a dog with chronic pain tensed up in response to a scary noise, this caused additional hurt, setting up a negative feed-back loop that noise = hurt, which caused them to be fearful of noise as it caused them extra pain. So, if you have a dog who seems irrationally scared of fireworks, it might be worth booking them an appointment with your vet or vet physio to check for any underlying issues. Don’t give your dog over-the-counter medication, if your vet thinks your dog would benefit from painkillers, they will prescribe pet-safe drugs. Personally (after getting Little Miss Fluffy checked out by an excellent dog physio who found nothing wrong), I’m somewhat skeptical of the claims about untreated pain always/most likely being the cause. I do think that if you prescribe painkillers to a scared dog, you will see a reduction in anxiety – simply because drowsiness is a common side-effect of most painkillers. However, it’s a fair point that the fear *could* be the result of untreated pain, so I’d suggest a vet/physio trip to rule this out.
2. Sound Desensitisation
This is a really simple idea – play the scary sound at low (well below threshold to scare) volume and reward with their favourite treat/toy etc. The idea is to create a positive association with the sound. Start days/weeks before the fireworks are likely to occur and SLOWLY work the sound level up. The UK Dogs Trust produced a guide “Sounds Scary”, and audio tracks to play with the whoosh and bang noises of fireworks. We tried this last year. Sally lay mildly twitching her ears and showing no signs of distress while I cranked it up to full volume. Clearly for her what’s scary about real fireworks didn’t pass over onto the recording. Some vets and behavourists now advise against this method as it can cause more fear to an already terrified dog to expose them to the noise. For us this wasn’t an issue as Sal just didn’t react.
You can also find tracks of supposedly comforting classical music to play to drown out the noise. In the UK, Classic FM schedule an evening of relaxing music on Bonfire Night with the aim of helping scared pets. My personal view is that it doesn’t matter what you play, but turning up the radio/TV volume, and shutting the windows and curtains before the fireworks start are good ideas to drown out some of the noises from outdoors.
3. Physical Comfort
As I said at the start, one of the places Sal likes to go if she’s scared is the bath tub. It’s cold (always desirable with her fluffy coat), enclosed, and she feels safe there. Many animal behaviourists advise making a safe “fireworks den”, a small space (behind the sofa, a dog crate, under a table) and encouraging the dog to view this as their safe space (put their favourite toys/chews inside and generally make them comfortable). Leave them well alone in their den so they associate this place as somewhere safe where they will be undisturbed.
The next level in physical comfort is to use a “Thundershirt” or wrap. This is a tight-fitting wrap or jacket (you can make one from a scarf tied tightly, or you can buy a special tight jacket) which puts gentle pressure on the dog’s ribcage. Being tightly held makes the dog feel safer. It sounds crazy, but it does work for many dogs. I tried the DIY version on Sal last year with a long scarf. Compressing her fluff meant it lost it’s magic thermoregulation capabilities and she started stress panting due to overheating. This year we were gifted a Thundershirt from Adaptil to try out. She doesn’t seem particularly comfortable wearing it as she stress/overheating pants with it on, whether it helps her be less reactive to the bangs I’m not sure.
But, I have found that she’s less reactive to bangs on walks when she’s wearing a harness (with a tight belly strap) than when she’s just on a flat collar. So much so that during fireworks season I’ll walk her in her harness on walks where she would normally only be wearing a collar, as the “hug” from the harness seems to be sending her fluffy brain relaxing signals. Given our experiences, I do think a Thundershirt would be worthwhile on a shorter-haired dog.
4. Herbal Calming Aids
Valerian
There are many different herbs noted for their calming properties: lavender, chamomile, valerian, lemon balm, mistletoe etc. Of all of these, only valerian has been clinically proven in veterinary medicine to reduce brain activity associated with anxiety and increase the supply of “feel-good” GABA neurotransmitters in the brain.
In the UK, valerian tablets or tincture can be purchased from Dorwest Herbs or as a spray/plug-in from Pet Remedy (where it is mixed with a number of other (supposedly) calming herbal essential oils) or as a spray “Calm and Balmy” from Bella and Duke. I first tried the Pet Remedy spray two years ago as I felt that a spray was less intrusive than administering tablets, and it came highly recommended by the owner of another scaredy Samoyed. I saw absolutely no effect after three weeks of use during the sporadic fireworks in the run-up to Bonfire Night. I tried the Bella and Duke Calm and Balmy spray this springtime during birdscarer season but I’m not convinced that it had much positive effect on Sally.
Valerian tablets (Dorwest Scullcap and Valerian) also had no noticeable effect on her anxiety, but she seemed sleepier during the daytime (whether this was because of the meds, or because she was having disturbed sleep due to her anxiety I couldn’t say).
Next I tried the Dorwest alcoholic tincture. This had a noticeable effect within about half an hour of administering, she came out of hiding and wanted treats and attention again, she was still not happy and still ran to hide with each new bang, but we had time in-between where she wasn’t terrified. But again, the next day she was wiped out and only wanted to sleep. I honestly don’t know if this is a reaction to the drug, or a comedown from the heightened fear and adrenaline during the bangs. I now use Dorwest valerian tincture, but only for the actual night of Bonfire Night/New Year/during a thunderstorm. Based on our experience, I would suggest trying valerian, but start with a spray and see if this has any effect before progressing onto the tablets or tincture if required. Spray on a cloth or toy rather than directly on the dog to begin with so they can move away if they find the smell distressing.
I worry about the effects on her liver/kidneys from taking the tincture, because as a breed Samoyeds seem prone to drug side-effects. I suspect because they are an arctic breed that evolved in an area with almost constant access to fresh water (snow in the winter, meltwater in the summer), they may have poor kidney function compared to desert dwelling breeds, so may be inefficient at drug detoxing. This brings me onto the newest herbal cure-all, CBD oil, and why I haven’t tried it.
CBD Oil
You’ve probably heard of CBD oil, derived from hemp (cannabis) plants without the psychoactive compounds. It’s used in human patients for chronic pain management. One of the very many claims made for CBD oil is that it can cure anxiety. There are at present no published veterinary studies to prove this claim and in the UK there are no listed conditions for which vets may prescribe CBD oil. However, it is freely available to buy online and there are brands marketed for use with pets, there are even “hemp infused” dog treats on sale.
I haven’t tried it for Sally for two reasons: firstly, in humans, CBD oil can either help ease anxieties or in a small number of cases make them worse. I don’t think I could cope if Miss Fluffypaws became even more anxious… And secondly, more seriously, a veterinary study into CBD oil for managing arthritis pain in dogs found increased levels of liver enzymes after only 2-4 weeks, leading them to conclude that long-term use could possibly result in liver disease. As I suspect Sal’s Samoyed liver and kidneys are not the best able to cope with drug detoxifying, I’ve avoided the use of CBD oil. If you’ve used it, I’d be interested to hear about your experiences.
Bach Flower Rescue Remedy
A dilute tincture of various herbal extracts supposed to help ease anxiety. No effect on Sally, neither from the pet-specific (not in alcohol) or the standard preparation after a few weeks of usage. The dosages used are so low I feel this is a “safe” preparation to try. Sadly for us, it had no effect.
5. Amino Acids and Peptides
There are several brands of supplement that provide additional amino acids to increase the supply of GABA neurotransmitters, and the feel-good hormones dopamine and serotonin in the brain, which will allegedly help to reduce anxiety. One such example is YuCalm which contains the herb lemon balm which may increase GABA levels, the amino acid L-Theanine used as a precursor for serotonin and dopamine production, and fish protein hydrolysate which they claim also supports GABA and dopamine levels. It can take from a few days to up to 6 weeks to see an effect. I used one course of 60 day supply with Sal and saw no effect.
Another option is Zylkene, a peptide isolated from casein (milk protein). It supposedly has a calming effect as dogs have evolved to feel calm when (as puppies) their stomachs are full of milk, so this peptide has a role as a calming neurotransmittor. I tried a course (3 weeks) with Sally and saw no effect.
I suspect that for dogs on a limited diet of ultra-processed food, the extra boost from these tablets might help their brain activity, but for dogs such as Sally, fed a quality raw diet, the extra supplementation doesn’t amount to anything. There’s nothing in the tablets that can harm, and extra will simply be excreted, so it’s something that’s safe to try, but I’m not convinced it actually “works” (although the science behind them is sound, and they may help dogs on a restricted diet). This moves us on to the next “might work, can’t cause any harm” choice:
6. Calming pheromones
Mother dogs produce calming pheromones when nursing their pups. One is available to buy without a prescription from Ceva/Adaptil as a collar, a plug-in or a spray. Not all dogs will react to the Adaptil pheromone, but for those that do, it makes them less reactive to scary stimuli and more able to cope with life generally. It’s not possible to overdose, there’s a threshold dose needed for a reaction, more than this their brain simply ignores.
I first tried the collar (a plastic collar similar in appearance to a flea collar) as it seemed the best choice for Sal as the dog is supposed to wear it 24/7, so she would have it for reassurance in case we encountered noises on walks, and when she was home hiding from scary firework bangs.
At first, I thought I didn’t see much difference, but after three weeks I observed her starting to shy away as large lorries drove past, and jumping at small noises and I realised that I’d had three weeks of peace where she hadn’t jumped at little things (collars are supposed to be effective for up to a month, less if regularly submerged in water, and Sal had done a lot of sea and loch bathing). So, I bought a replacement collar. Within a day I noticed that she was calmer and more able to deal with scary noises. Birdscarer guns (we were now into the February planting season) were scary but she could cope and continue on her walk rather than turning and running for home every time one went off. When this second collar began to run out I saw her begin to get jumpy again, and it was at this point I realised just how much of a difference it had been making to her.
Then I bought the Adaptil travel spray (as this was into March and the main issue was birdscarer guns on walks, not fireworks at night) and sprayed her collar and a bandana before each walk. The spray is supposed to last least 3-4 hours, and there are 60-70 applications per spray bottle so this worked out more economical than the collars. Another consideration is that when pierced and washed out, the spray bottles are recyclable, the collars are not currently recycled.
I now use an Adaptil collar for Bonfire Night (starting a week or two beforehand as soon as the fireworks start) and another over New Year, but the rest of the time I use the spray on a bandana before walks. Adaptil doesn’t cure Sal’s anxiety, but it dials it down significantly. We’ve also tried the Plug-in and this also seems to add to Sally’s general resilience and ability to cope with bangs.
Happy Sal with her blanket sprayed with Adaptil.
And She Lived Happily Ever After?
These are our experiences with the main remedies being sold for pet anxiety. Nothing “cures” her fear, but valerian and Adaptil make her less terrified and more able to cope. If there’s a magic bullet cure, we’re still looking for it.
One final word – the remedies don’t work in isolation, I’ve found it just as important to try to project calm, to make a calming environment for Sal to hide in, and to prevent “trigger stacking” so she’s not exposed to the same scary stimuli again before she’s had time recover from her last fearful encounter. This means that if she’s had a bad night with fireworks, we might not go a walk the next day (as I can’t guarantee there won’t be bangs), but play games in the house/garden instead. She trusts me to look out for her, to get her out of trouble, and if I put her into scary situations I am breaking that trust. I’ve learnt not to coax “just a wee bit further Sal, it’s okay” when she’s scared, because then the next time, she will refuse to leave the house/car. Now if she wants to go home, we go home. She knows she can trust me, and this means she’s more willing to try a walk, even when she’s clearly scared. I’m proud of how far she’s come, but it’s still a long journey ahead.
I’d be interested to hear your stories, what remedies work for you? Can you pinpoint an event that made your dog scared, have they always been reactive, or are they one of the lucky ones that know no fear?
Note: I have bought and tried (following manufacturer’s guidelines) all the remedies discussed here after consultation with Sal’s vets. We have been gifted Adaptil products, a Thundershirt and Calm and Balmy. Please always consult your vet or a qualified animal behaviourist before medicating your dog. These are only our lived experiences, sample size one fluffy wolf, experiment duration five years and counting…
