Many dog owners are just as leery of giving their dogs drugs for anxiety as they are themselves. And if you are a dog owner living as natural a lifestyle as possible, then chances are you want your dog to live as natural a life as possible as well. Just as with humans there are a number of herbal remedies that can work for your dog to help calm him. Herbs are a great natural remedy and there are a few that are excellent for calming the nerves of both people and dogs.
Instructions
Give your dog chamomile tea, or mix chamomile in with their food. Chamomile is especially good and works best on dogs who are anxious or stressed out. Chamomile will calm your dog and act as a mild sedative.
Fully cook oats and then mix them in with your dog's food. Oats are a great natural and safe remedy to help calm your pooch. Also, oats are just as good for your dog as they are for you, so it's a win-win herbal remedy.
Put lavender essential oil on a cotton ball or piece of cotton cloth and then put it in an area where your dog is frequently, but where he cannot get to it. The scent of lavender has calmed people and animals for hundreds of years.
Give your dog the herb valerian if he is extremely excitable. Valerian is a safe herb that you can use to calm dogs who have trouble with extreme excitability, anxiety and tension. Valerian comes in tinctures, teas and capsules. You can mix the tincture or the powder from the capsules into your dog's food, or you can brew a tea for him to drink.
Give your dog St. John's wort. People have been successfully using St. John's wort to control anxiety and depression for several years now and it can work just as well with your pet. St. John's wort comes in tincture or capsules and one or the other can be mixed in your dog's food. If you use the tincture you can even put it in your dog's drinking water, although he may notice the taste more easily than if you put it in his food.