When I was quitting smoking everyone told me how much better my nose would be at smelling wonderful scents. (Yup, I smoked two packs a day in my twenties and thirties. Hard to imagine now.) “Flowers will smell better!” they said. “Just wait until you smell cinnamon buns once you stop smoking!” They were right, things that smelled good smelled better. But they didn’t add that bad smells would smell worse. Sort of like the noontime moon no one talks about in the Arctic. Midnight Sun, yes. Noontime moon in winter? Not so much. Little did I know how aversive were the smells of engine exhaust, moldy hotel rooms and, argh, fox poop.
I also began to notice that different smells seemed to have an effect on my mood and cognitive ability. Engine exhaust made me grumpy, and moldy rooms made it hard for me to concentrate. Lucky for me, that phenomenon also worked in reverse. I learned to carry tiny inhalers with me when I traveled that counteracted some of the aversive smells. I sprayed lavender on my pillow in hotel rooms, carried tiny inhalers in taxi cabs and spoiled myself in scented bubble baths when I needed something special. One person’s experience is only that, but I can say that controlling my aromatic environment has had a huge effect on my life. I wasn’t randomly using scents just because I liked them (although that doesn’t seem like a terrible idea). I knew that lavender was said to calm and relax (vaguely remembering a study on newborns that found infants on lavender scented blankets slept more and cried less), grapefruit to stimulate and lemon to rejuvenate. These are just a few examples of the effects scents are believed to have on mood and behavior in humans.
This is not new, people have been using scents to influence mood and behavior for centuries. The Egyptians are famous for their use of scent to not only affect internal states, but also as medicines to heal disease and injury (not to mention as aphrodisiacs). These beliefs are now being confirmed by research. According to an article in The Herb Companion (Nov 2011), researchers have found that some oils (rosemary, basil) stimulate beta brain waves that indicate heightened awareness, while others (lavender, jasmine, neroli) produce more alpha and theta waves which are correlated with being relaxed. Scientists at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center found that the scent of heliotrope significantly reduced anxiety during treatment, while a study published in Lancet found that lavender helped the elderly fall asleep quicker and sleep longer than prescribed drugs.
But aromatherapy for dogs? Really? Well, on the one hand, why not? They are scent driven mammals, and have every reason to be effected by their sensory environment as are we. The question arose after I received bottles of room mists for dogs from a friend and now producer of essential oils for dogs, Nancy Tanner in Bozeman, Montana and The Scent Project. Hearing that Willie was going to be crate restricted for many months, she sent me a large bottle of Calm, a blend of High Elevation Lavender and Chamomile. It was wonderfully thoughtful of her, and I greatly appreciated it. Did it help Willie? I can’t say definitely, I have nothing to compare it to. But I can say that he was calmer in his crate than I expected him to be. I can also say that Nancy sent bottles of all the scents in the project along, including (among others) OOMPH, to cheer and heal, ReFresh to sooth but stimulate, and I’ve tried them all. Do they help Willie? I don’t know. I think so, but a one-dog anecdote is hardly research. Do they help me? The heck with Willie (just kidding), I love using them. It seems as though they have an effect on me (and if it’s placebo who cares?) and suspect that they do on Willie too.
One of my questions, though, one I’ve asked for years when this has come up, is how do we know that a scent that calms us would calm a dog? After all, they love the smell of fox poop and aren’t usually big fans of perfume that people pay hundreds of dollars for? Could it be that by calming us, lavender indirectly calms our dogs? Or does it work directly on them, even though they perceive scents differently than we do? Any thoughts? I’ll ask Nancy to chime in, along with other people who use aromatherapy on dogs.
MEANWHILE, back on the farm. Brrr, parka, hat and gloves time. Frost on the grass much less the pumpkin. The color is mostly gone, but it’s still a few weeks before the world turns brown, grey and white here. There’s a bounty of food everywhere. I made more apple butter last weekend, and will spend a few hours processing a plethora of broccoli (thank you friend Harriet!) for the freezer. Willie, Jim and I now have broccoli for the year. We picked up our local, organic chickens, and the freezer is beginning to bulge with fruits, vegetables and local chicken, pork and our own lamb. I’m already working on a menu for a special dinner for Jim this weekend–roast chicken with sage stuffing, local organic sweet potatoes and home made apple pie is on the menu. All from no more than a few miles from here, that makes it feel especially sweet.
Willie is doing pretty well, but is a challenge right now. As expected, his extra freedom has stimulated him so when he’s out of the crate he’s super active. (Just occurred to me to use Calm room mist before I let him out.) Watching him be off leash, although still in the hobbles, is a mixed bag for me. On the one hand, the first time I let him play with a toy a few days ago I got tears in my eyes. I wish I could show you a picture of his shiny eyes. I do not remember him ever looking so happy. But as he played he charged around the room in ways I’ve spent nine months trying to prevent, and even though he has on the hobbles it’s not clear if it is going to set him back. I have to try, but argh, it’s scary! We’re experimenting, given him a little freedom here and there, trying to find a balance between sanity for him and not too much stress on his shoulder. Cross your paws.
Here are the trees behind the barn right before the sun dropped behind the high pasture’s hill. I took that when I started writing this, now it’s pitch dark. Time to go rustle up some dinner…
Sherry in MT says
I have used Nancy’s scents for me and for the dogs. I have even sent an appropriate bottle along with my fosters as they go to new homes. I would say for us they do work. For me, Oomph at work for the afternoon blahs, for the pack (and indirectly of course me), Brighten in the mornings just feels good, Oomph helped perk up by ailing senior wheaten before I lost her this summer and it was an apparent help. I use Comfort in the dog room at night where they are crated to sleep to help the anxiety one of my cresteds has when he goes to crate at bedtime. I have used Calm in my bedroom at night for those nights I can’t get to sleep (have used for lavender for a long time).
Nancy Tanner says
Your Awesome! Great questions … ok, so much to say. I’ll start with Francoise Rapp, internationally renowned aromatherapist and alchemist, leader in natural perfumery, in her literature and books regarding the use of plant derived essential oils for health and beauty she almost always mentions the beneficial use with animals. Dogs, horses and cats in particular (my guess with that is because we live in such close proximity to them). Their sensitivity to their environment, their honest approach to accepting new information that is almost all of the time non verbal.
Odors affect our emotional states and moods by what is known as associative learning, the process by which one event is linked to another because of a past experience. Burning rubber smell while driving, how does that make you feel? Why?
Scent therapy, or essential oil therapy is taking plant derived essential oils that promote emotional well being, and pairing them with a pleasant event. Intention is important, as is an integrative approach.
Dogs are considered macrosmatic animals, meaning their nose knows. They have hundreds of millions more receptors for scent than humans (we are microsmatic animals). Their ability to gather information whether it is good, bad or indifferent through their olfaction is stunning. Ever see a dog smell another dogs urine and become excited/aroused from the hormone information they are receiving? Ever watch a dog when they start to air scent, body posture, eye softness, and mouth all change? Does lavender calm dogs like it does humans? Yes, in my experience and others, yes. Kristen Leigh Bell wrote a lovely book Holistic Aromatherapy for Animals and has been promoting the use of plant derived essential oils for dogs and cats for over 10 years. The AHVMA has also published a few articles in their journal on the beneficial use of lavendula while working through behavior modification programs.
We started using them in our group classes over three years ago when I had a particularly tricky group. All of the dogs had been through a major trauma, either by the hands of a human or the mouth of another dog. They had every right to be upset. I had made my own blends for my family for years so was familiar with what worked for us so I started to bring them to class in diluted forms. We messed with the formulas a bit, took out the emulsifiers, and found that misting the dogs mat before they entered the room, helped them to settle and take a deep breath a bit sooner. Did lightening strike and they were all better because of our CALM mist? Nope. But what we did see is that the dogs started to have a more positive emotional response exiting the cars, coming into the barn, laying down and looking around. They all felt comfortable taking a deep breath. The bonus was, the handlers relaxed too, whether it was the mist, the fact their dogs weren’t trying to rip each other apart any more, or they found safety in the managed group, everyone came with smiles. Soon folks were misting their pant legs when out on a walk, their dogs crate, the car, and the positive emotional response ( experience) followed. Dogs were breathing, handlers were doing better work, everyone was patterning healthier behavior.
If you watch your dogs at home or when your hiking and taking a break, (and assuming you don’t use herbicides in the area) watch to see where they lay down and then take note of the plants around them. You will almost always find they are laying next too or by a plant that has properties for calming. I have yet to see a dog choose to lay next to a chile plant!
Our mists are designed as an integrative tool, a layered effect, not to be relied on solely or seen as a cure all. Having the intention to do better, or to create a more balanced environment is the start. Creating a plan for your dog and assisting with scents that promote a more positive emotional state is a bonus for the dog and a bonus for the handler! As one of our clients has said… “from Mother Nature, through your hands, to our dogs nose… it’s all good!”
We love the work we are doing, we love seeing dogs relax, I truly think they feel better, and it all smells ridiculously good!
Marnie says
If you are strictly interested in what the evidence shows about aromatherapy, Quackwatch is a good recourse
http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/aroma.html
http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/aromastudy.html
Obviously, these aren’t studies of dogs, but as aromatherapy originates with humans and has failed to produce any scientifically credible evidence in support of it, I think there’s a fairly good chance that it’s even less effective with dogs. Surely, if smells were so influential, dogs would be prone to wild mood swings based on what is in season and where they are walking. If aromatherapy works, it can’t just work positively (i. e. it can’t just be that lavender calms, there must also be scents that have the reverse affect). Like many unscientific claims, such as homeopathy, the focus on only the positive results, suggests a problem with the theory. Truly effective treatments have side effects and adverse reactions. Placebo only has the effect you are expecting.
Robin L. says
I love the scents that Nancy sells. I was fortunate to attend one of her seminars on using aromatherapy and have been buying them and using them. I love lavender and spray the rooms every evening when it is time to wind down. Like others I can only give anecdotal evidence but I believe they work.
Joanna says
I am very sensitive to scents and I can’t stand to be around people wearing artifical scents, whether it’s perfume/cologne, aftershave, or hand lotion. I pity the dogs who live with owners who apply those heavily!
I believe that one has to be careful using essential oils around cats, is that right?
RachelB says
When my family’s beloved collie / lab mix was in his last weeks, he was having seizures. After the seizures, he’d shake like a leaf– he just looked so rattled and confused and stressed out coming to. I started doing aromatherapy with him, just gentle strokes with dilute rose oil, which is supposed to be grounding. I don’t know if it worked on him, or if it just decreased my anxiety level to feel that I was doing something for him, but it seemed to be soothing for both of us.
teresavet says
I’ve used lavender for me, and for my baby, to relax and help sleep.
Of course, I use smells for my patients, to help them get friends with new pets (mixing their blankets), or make new associations, or to relax (get them to a sniffing post just as the scary person walks by, for example).
Aromatherapy, I’m beginning to use it. I’ve been associating cinnamon smells with a state of profound relaxation (massage the dog till almost falls asleep, present odour, repeat next day… for a week) and I’ve found they later find this smell deeply relaxing, and you can pair it with mild upsetting events to help them relax (cinnamon odour in hands of visitors, cinnamon scented candles during thunderstorms…). Really helps!
Dogs have huge smell brain centers, deeply connected with their amygdala, so its logical, but it sure feels like magic!
Sue says
The timing is perfect for us! My current high-needs boy, a dog from a rescue courtesy listing, is an aging Lab with separation anxiety manifested by panting, pacing, salivating excessively, abanconed-puppy vocalizations, etc.. I tried a lavender blend collar last March and after some introductory sessions didn’t observe any difference in his behavior while he wore it. At that point he had been with me 4 months. Just this week I’ve begun working with a consultant who advised me to try the collar again in conjunction with some specific moves during times he is in a state of relaxation. I’d kept the collar wrapped to maintain freshness. I *do* see a response with its use now as we approach our first year anniversary. Perhaps time has helped him feel more secure, but I suspect that taking advantage of his normal period of reduced vigilance (evenings) and adding the soothing strokes and words helps as well. I’ll be watching for other responses to this post, for certain!
Jeff says
I have noticed this a long time ago. Even with dogs and especially lavender. My sisters dogs love me, as much as my own dogs but 2 weekends ago she learned my secret to calming them down and loving me up so much when she had to baby sis my boys. I use dial body wash, the lavender scent. So I always have that scent about me. Her dogs will fall asleep on my lap and love to cuddle with me. So do my dogs. I have a 13 week old puppy and even though he is 30lbs I still pick him up and hold him in my arms, especially when he gets really wound up. in about 10 minute he is sound asleep in my arms and gently put him down near me and he takes a calm little nap. Well my sister could never do that so I told her to go get a bottle of the body wash and give it a try. She had her 2 boys and my 2 boys all normal healthy labs, all happy to greet her when she came out of the shower and then she sat on the floor with them and they all came and smelled her and laid down around her. Just relaxing.
I like to think it was the lavender and not the familiar smell of me and my soap that calmed everyone down. But I also know when my sister used certain phrases I used these had similar effects. Like when my 13 week went in his kennel at night he wasn’t going to sleep for her. Sorry blushing, but when she said, “Night night, daddy loves you.” He curled right up and went out like a light switch was thrown. So this goes more towards consistency in sayings sounds and smells i think.
I use Lavender and vanilla, scents a lot. Pumkin scents seem to make them hungry. This is all I have noticed as far as scents go though. Hard to tell all the scents dogs can pick up in the air as a human and all the effects. But then there is also the familiar scent of home. Just recently I went to visit my mom which is a long drive, I had the windows cracked and when i was about a half mile from my childhood home I perked up and I noticed it was the familiar smells in the air, the fall and everything. I so wish sometimes my dogs could talk to me more than they do through body language so I knew. But that is probably the same wish of everyone on this forum.
Shannon says
It is interesting to read the comments and links both for and against using aromatherapy. I recently stopped using all artificial scents in cleaning products and personal care products and now I can’t stand being around any synthetic perfumes/scents.
My dog does scent tracking, so he’s very sensitive to smells. I wonder, since canines have millions more scent receptors, is the amount of scent humans use in everyday products another form of “over-stimulation” in our domesticated friends? Now that I’m aware of how my dog uses his nose everyday, I’ve changed many of my cleaning products to “scent-free” or no additional scents – though I’m aware that even scent-free can mean they’ve added something to mask the natural scent of the product.
Using the same quantity of even natural essential oils that humans require to notice the scent would be too much for our more sensitive-nosed dogs, wouldn’t it? It would have to be soooo diluted to be used on a dog – so much so humans may not really pick up on the scent. I know that I love the smell of natural almond oil to clean my wood furniture and floors, but my dog hates it (because it’s very powerful smelling I suspect).
My dog is very reactive, so I try to limit overstimulating touches, sights and sounds – why wouldn’t I want to eliminate overstimulating scents as well? Food for thought.
Karissa says
We have been to several agility trials that have a booth selling aromatherapy products. All I can say is that they give me a massive headache — And if they do that to me, what must it do to my dogs, who’s sense of smell is far more sensitive than mine?
I did test out one of the calming scents on two of my more sensitive/nervous dogs and I don’t feel it made any difference.
Jen says
I haven’t used aromatherapy for Elka, though I’d love to be able to try the lavender to calm her in the car (my fiance is allergic). She isn’t “bad”, just clearly stressed. I’ve heard very good things about aromatherapy, both for people and for animals, and I think that for dogs especially, with their “super noses”, it is definitely an option to be looked upon favorably.
trisha says
Excellent points made about the importance of being careful. After all, if it has the ability to do good, it has the ability to do harm (as a pharmacist once told me). I would add though that the scents I’ve used come diluted for dogs and come with clear warnings about over use, including LESS IS MORE. And Marnie, regarding research, what about the research at Duke and Slone-Kettering?
Judi says
I used to have a noise-sensitive dog for whom July 4 and thunderstorms were hell. I found that putting peppermint essential oil on her paw pads would take her from a restless quivering, panting, drooling, shedding clinger-on-er to a dog who was able to lie quietly at my feet (her choice, no cue/command from me) and sleep during the noise. I’ve also seen people use peppermint essential oils at shows, demos, or competitions to calm both themselves and their dogs. It doesn’t work for everyone, but it can be very useful for some.
Jane says
Is anyone aware of any study on aromatherapy in dogs published in a peer reviewed journal? I think it
Nancy Tanner says
With our products, we went through a year of blending trial and error to come up with just the right scents, that were light enough for a dog and still pleasing to the human nose. We found that humans wouldn’t use it if they couldn’t smell it. I think we might be funny that way. We did trials with 50 family pet homes, 2 veterinary offices and two shelters. We did our research!
I don’t believe aromatherapy or essential oil therapy is quackery and here is why. As far back as 4500 bc essential oils were used for healing, cosmetics and embalming. References in historical text are filled with the use, application and benefits with plant based oils. Shoot, even Cleopatra used to soak the sails on her boat in rose oil to entice her suitor.
The word aromatherapy came about in the 1920’s by French chemist Rene Maurice Gatte Fosse. He actually used lavender oil in his lab to heal burns and relieve pain. He then started to investigate other possibilities with it’s aroma – therapy qualities.
There is plenty of historical evidence of plant oils and therapy oils being used in ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome and even references in the Bible. Hippocrates, Claudius Galen, Avicenna all played a huge role in aromatherapy as a tool to heal ‘the whole body/self’, and were widely regarded as the best in their field, wasn’t Hippocrates even referred to as ‘The Father of Medicine’?
Two books that are still widely regarded today are ‘Aromatherapie’ by Dr. Jean Valnet (World War II) and ‘The Secret Life of youth’ by Marquerite Maury (1961)
But sometimes too much information is not necessarily a good thing, we tend to over think and it effects our decisions, sometimes you just need to try something, have an open mind and see what happens.
I do believe our dogs are sensitive to their environments and have a ridiculous sense of what is going on by relying on scent information. To be able to provide scents in an environment that encourage balance and deep breathing just makes sense. Some dogs can smell low blood sugar, some chemical imbalance in there seizure stricken owners, some drugs, some explosives. This is beyond human comprehension from the ‘nose perspective’.
Brown University did a great study on Scent and Emotion. Environment & Behavior published a good little article on scent in stores and how it effected customers and buying more/less. Stephanie Lane wrote ‘Why it makes Scents’, and on and on. There is great information out there.
Martha says
Trisha, reading your post made me think right away of how my dogs seem to relax when they hear the Through a Dog’s Ear CDs (the calming ones). Right now I’m fostering some 9-month-old cooonhounds, and in the last week, playing this music, they’ve calmed down more quickly after they get in their crates. I’ve been crate training them for about three weeks, and this is the first week that there was a noticeable change. I know that’s sound and not scent, but isn’t a dog’s sense of hearing more acute than ours too? I’m no scientist, but it seems like mammals just enjoy using their senses. We know dogs enjoy all kinds of scents, in the right amount. They sneeze when they smell something too strong, like a cleaning product, but they like to stick their noses in whatever else you’ve got. So I can believe that certain scents could influence some dogs on a relatively consistent basis. I remember you once mentioned in your blog that maybe scent could be used as an incentive (no pun intended) or deterrent in training – that you wished someone would study that. I do too!
Also, since this is my first time posting, let me say that as far as I’m concerned, you’re a national treasure. I love your books, videos, and blog. Thank you so much for all you do.
Larry C. says
I think providing a number of scents for a confined dog is an excellent idea. I just got back from a one hour casual amble with my dogs, and we spent the whole time sniffing and looking. I would walk over so see what they were sniffing at, they would walk over to see what I was looking at, and we all had a great time. Their noses never quit working.
Scents are a major part of a dog’s sensory input, but I would try to localize a dozen or more different scents rather than flooding a room with only one smell.
Katherine says
I use and now sell Aromadog’s aromatherapy products and find that their relaxation spray, Chill Out, is excellent for both me and my fear-reactive puppy. I am also finding that my sheltie seeks out the spaces where I spray it, and sleeps there. This dog generally sleeps in any location that suits him (under the couch, the middle of the floor, where ever) but by spraying a particular spot with Chill Out spray I can almost guarantee he’ll be napping there within the hour. Clearly he does not find it overwhelming or repulsive!
At the IAABC conference someone (Katenna Jones?) shared this research information about aromatherapy and shelter dogs. Check out the bottom of page 2 and the top of page 3: http://csuvets.colostate.edu/pain/Articlespdf/AromatherapyLavenderNothingToSneezeAtmodified.pdf
“Results indicated that dogs exposed to lavender or chamomile spent less time barking and moving. Atmospheric peppermint or rosemary created the opposite effect by encouraging significantly more vocalizing and physical activity. From an animal welfare perspective, then, diffusing essential oils into the atmosphere of sheltered dogs may help the inhabitants by reducing noise stress and providing overall sedation.”
mungobrick says
You don’t refer to DAP, which I would think would be the same sort of thing. My dog, a normal if shy dog until three weeks ago, has spent the last three weeks refusing to go outside except to pee, refusing to get out of the car at the walks she loved every day…The vet prescribed some medication and suggested DAP spray on a bandana while we wait to see if the drugs work. I can’t say I’ve noticed any difference – I sure wish I did…
Amelia says
I’m really keen to see peer-reviewed studies published in third party journals on many of these alternative therapies. If anyone knows of any, please post links! I too can’t help but think that the biggest source of environmental stress in a dog’s life is his human. The sounds and smells of home are fairly constant, but humans can be pretty unpredictable. Any change that results in a more relaxed human will probably relax the dog. Nonetheless, it’s worth looking into in a serious scientific way.
The problem with studying things like alternative medicines, special formula pet foods, and other unproven pet products and services is that there’s no appropriate third party to fund such studies. For humans, we have consumer advocacy groups and government agencies that fund research for the public good. Pet products are such a huge industry; we should really form a pet owner’s consumer advocacy group. Beef cattle producers have a system where one out every hundred dollars made on the sale of an animal goes to a third party organization that funds education and research on beef cattle production. A system like that could work if pet owners worked to set it up. (Won’t I look silly if such a thing already exists!)
Thea Anderson says
How about the soothing scent of a great big greasy bone?
Roberta says
Thanks for a very interesting and challenging post. I particularly liked when commentators had used scent in combination with a good experience for the dog repeatedly, then used it to help the dog when distressed. For blind dogs, I have read of using different scents to help differentiate stairs, carpet to tile, etc. I particularly like the idea of using aromatherapy to help dogs calm and kennel. LOVED the lab needing the verbal cue about daddy :). I also have a very positive prejudice toward MT, to where I may retire some day in my little house (now rented) in Great Falls.
I, too, use mostly “unscented” products not so much for the scent but to decrease allergens and irritants in detergent. My main cleaner is vinegar and water; can’t stand bleach though use it for the dog bedding – wonder what scent THAT leaves. Nancy, I will be checking your website.
My best to Willie in your struggles to achieve a homeostatic state of rest and release!
Marnie says
Trisha, to your question, since you didn’t provide a link of any sort, I did a search for aromatherapy and Duke and Slone-Kettering and the first link was to Sloan-Kittering’s page on lavender which says:
http://www.mskcc.org/mskcc/html/69277.cfm
is there a particular study you are referring to?
Jane says
Marnie, it took me awhile to find any info on those studies (which were incompletely referenced in the Herb Companion article Trish had a link to). I did find the Sloan-Kettering paper from 1994 in the J. Magn Reson Imaging, and this was the abstract:
“Fifty-seven outpatients received either heliotropin (a vanillalike scent) with humidified air (n = 20) or humidified air alone (n = 37) via a nasal cannula during magnetic resonance imaging in the diagnostic workup for cancer. Delivery of heliotropin and air was determined by a computer-controlled schedule. Fragrance administration resulted in a statistically significant reduction in average overall patient-rated anxiety (on a visual analog scale) during imaging in patients who found the fragrance moderately to extremely pleasant. Administration of fragrance was associated with 63% less anxiety than administration of humidified air alone. Physiologic measures (pulse and heart rate) did not show a statistically significant effect with fragrance administration.”
I think the Duke article was from Schiffman et al., 1995, and sought to find the effect of “pleasant odors” (they used cologne) on men from 40-55 years old. The final sentence from the abstract: “The main conclusion of this study was that use of pleasant odors improved the mood of males at midlife.”
Interpret these as you like, but I do have some problems with taking results of studies with humans and applying them to dogs. Just so hard to dissociate the mental/placebo aspect of it that can so easily enter into human studies, but not studies with dogs.
Nevertheless, I have a friend who absolutely found a way to make scent work for her very noise-phobic dog, by creating a “safe room” in her basement where only good and relaxing things happen: massage on a very cushy bed, soft music, the very best treats…and lavender oil. Maybe the dog didn’t automatically respond to the lavender at first try, but I have no doubt that she came to associate it with the whole package of Really Great Stuff, that only comes out during thunder or fireworks. And for anyone who swears that their dog responds favorably to a scent, and instantly relaxes in its presence–I agree, if it works, keep doing it!
Carolyn says
Not sure if this is helpful or not, but the AHVMA published a case study in it’s January-March 2008 (Vol 26 Number 4) Journal. It’s a PDF on their website. Here is the link to access the pdf: http://www.ahvma.org/index.php?option=com_docman&task=cat_view&gid=66&Itemid=58
It’s the first article.
Not sure why some folks are so put off by this idea. It’s not like this product is being advertised as a magic potion or a cure-all. These mists aren’t like the nightmare of stink created by scentsy, yankee candle, or other companies that use synthetic scents and advertise as “aromatherapy”. Really it’s just a bit of essential oil and water.
I have trouble sleeping and I’ve included the mists in my nightly routine to help me relax and fall asleep easier. Perhaps that’s the key here that some people are missing: Using these products as part of a ROUTINE with your animal. The case study I posted mentions that….oh, and I believe Nancy markets her products that way, too.
Does it work? That’s up to you to decide. But I know the nights I mist the bedroom, all the creatures in it seem to find sleep a little easier and a lot faster.
trisha says
Thanks so much to those of you who have taken the time to dig into this. I’m slammed right now doing research for the upcoming Madison seminar, so I appreciate the effort. And I too am interested about how much we can generalize from people to dogs (and also why the potential of aromatherapy appears to be so problematic to some) . Certainly we can classically condition dogs to associate a particular scent with an emotional state brought on by other things (as Carolyn describes), and I think that’s a fantastic use of scents. And if a scent calms an owner, I would imagine in many cases it would indirectly calm a dog. I am, however, very curious how much we can relate our responses to certain scents to those of dogs. Not doubting, just thinking about this logically. Until there is research, n the absence of other information, anecdotal observation can be of great value, as long as we understand its limitations. If people have found it helps calm dogs in classes then it seems reasonable (more than) to keep using it, and if one has found it helps their dog then I can’t imagine not continuing its use as long as it is used judiciously. Of course, the questions are 1) does it really help or are our observations inaccurate and 2) if it does help, what is the mechanism? We won’t know that until someone does some good research on it: PhD anyone? Meanwhile, I’m going to keep exploring this issue–there is so much we have to learn about how the environment affects behavior…
Erin says
What an interesting topic. The topic of smell is particularly engrossing to me as I am a congenital asnomic (I do not and never will have a sense of smell). So as topics such as aromatherapy are completely foreign to me they are also fascinating. I do however believe that dogs have differences in opinions when it come to smell. I have a microwavable rice? bag that I heat up when I go to bed. It apparently also has a very intense smell, according to others in my family. One of my dogs, a 4 year old lab, absolutely hates the smell and will run away if you hold it out for her to sniff. However my 7 month old puppy in training loves the smell and is very interested in the bag. I wonder then if there is the potential for dogs to have an adverse reaction to things like lavender?
Nicola says
As far as scents go, I’ve used DAP with great success – most noticably the collar which calmed my nervous girl at the dog park and other outdoor venues. The home diffuser also worked wonders for my kelpie, who used to go and sniff it first thing in the morning – it calmed her slightly, but she definitely seemed to enjoy it.
I haven’t tried lavender or any of the other oils, though I had a friend who swore by rescue rememdy.
(Does second hand anecdotal information count ?)
Marnie says
Thanks Jane. That’s interesting indeed. Of course, the results are contingent on first finding scents the test subject finds “pleasant” which even further brings into question the efficacy for dogs. The reason this stood out for me is that I find the smell of vanilla really cloying and unpleasant so it’s easy for me to imagine how this test would fail on me. I don’t think the abstract suggests that homeopathy is effective, it only says that for people who like a particular smell, they respond positively to that smell. I’m not sure that’s a huge scientific leap to make. It’s pretty big leap from “people respond positively to a smell they like” to “the smell of X is effective for treating symptom Y in all individuals.
Merciel says
My own experience with aromatherapy (and DAP, and Rescue Remedy) has been neutral to negative — I noticed no calming effects whatsoever on any of the dogs I’ve tried them on. I still have all the little bottles in my pet-supply box, waiting to be tested on whatever new nervous foster pups come my way (and why not? they don’t seem to help, but they don’t seem to hurt either, so maybe I will eventually find a dog on whom they work, and I’ve already sunk the cost of buying these things so I might as well try…), but honestly I’m not super enthused about these products because, well, they cost money and they don’t seem to do much.
I do really like the idea of associating positive experiences with a particular scent and then using that scent to calm a dog in other situations, though. I hadn’t heard that one before and it definitely seems like a great idea.
AnneJ says
One form of aroma therapy that has been recommended for years- if you have a new puppy leave a t-shirt that you’ve worn in his bed with him to comfort him when he’s going to sleep.
em says
Hmm, can’t say that I’ve ever really considered this issue before. It seems very logical to me that theraputic scents might be a useful tool for dogs. Classical conditioning seems to me like the best way to use a scent intended to induce relaxation and calm, but it also strikes me that an emotionally neutral scent, like lavender or rosemary, might alter a dog’s mood by masking or distracting from the stress-associated scent that is already in the environment. This may be part of why aromatherapy works on people, too, though people are generally less aware of it. I can totally imagine that a product that masked the characteristic scent of the dentist’s office might diminish my conditioned emotional reaction to being there. Once.
It strikes me, though, that the operation of scent for theraputic purposes has many, many subjective variables in humans-do I like a scent? Do I associate that scent with pleasant things? Does the scent distract me from the other smells in my environment that I like less? Does the scent distract me from non-scent related things in my environment? (cinnamon and vanilla do, for me–the minute I smell them, half my brain starts thinking about bakery treats and where I can get them-bad for a diet, but maybe good if I need distracting from a low-level stressor). Add to this the difficulty of assessing these variables in dogs, and it seems almost unstudy-able.
The impact of scent strength and dog perception is an interesting question too. Despite an extremely acute sense of smell, dogs LOVE strongly scented things-cow manure, fox urine, green tripe, skunk spray (on the ground, not directly on themselves), eau de dead thing. Smells that turn my stomach are evidently ambrosia to my more sensitive dogs. If a dog sneezes, avoids or otherwise seems to not like smelling something, safe to say he doesn’t like it. If not, I wouldn’t worry.
Even if a dog doesn’t like a smell, if one of the mechanisms by which aromatherapy works is distraction from familiar but negatively associated odors, bad smells can be just as effective as good ones, maybe more so. If all I can think about is the reek of horrible perfume, I notice that I’m far less likely to notice other environmental irritants, though I’m also less able to focus on my tasks. So I guess if aromatherapy is something that you enjoy and your dog seems to respond well, go for it.
em says
re AnneJ
Otis would do that scent-comforting trick for himself when we were phasing out the crate-if we were out of the house more than an hour or so, he’d go into the hamper and pull out a piece of dirty clothing (usually a shirt, oddly enough) and be snuggled up with it when we returned. And my childhood dog used to sleep most nights in the front entryway- on top of the family’s shoes. They’d be squashed but warm when we put them on in the morning 🙂
L says
I appreciate this discussion for bringing attention to a topic with great possibilities. Scents usually just happen; they’re the byproduct of circumstance.
At the very least, carefully and moderately controlling the introduction of a scent, then monitoring the reaction- like any toy, treat, or activity we provide our dogs- could be another way to know the individual dog a bit better. At most, we could be onto a way of improving quality of life.
Despite a subjective element being present in scents, seeking majority and/or common reactions might help point out directions of study. The skunk, having relatively few predators, comes to mind as an animal who effectively controls its environment using scent. The spray is unpleasant enough to deter interaction in the majority of animals. What about the scent stops most chases?
Regardless of reinforcing or deterring quality of a scent, is the act of intense smelling in itself reinforcing for dogs? If sniffing is an essential part of a dog’s social and internal life, regulating the amount of opportunities a dog has to deeply smell (stand in one spot for 5 minutes kind of smell) could influence behavior as well.
Possibly taking more ‘smell breaks’ on walks to help relax anxious dogs?
And… what role does the connection between scent and taste play, or is any reaction to food scents just the role of conditioning?
Anyway, thanks for the discussion, and thanks in advance for the future studies on this topic, to those looking to expand/improve our relationships with dogs.
em says
On skunks: I just wanted to add that dogs who have never been directly sprayed, in my personal experience, do not find the smell of skunk on the ground or in the air to be aversive at all. In fact, most of the dogs I’ve owned have seemed to actively like the diffuse scent of skunk, eagerly sniffing or rolling in it. It certainly doesn’t stop a chase.
It’s the experience of being sprayed that seems to do the trick. When the concentrated liquid hits a dog’s eyes and mouth they vomit, their eyes swell shut, their noses and mouths burn and run with snot and drool–it’s an evidently extremely painful and unpleasant experience, usually compounded for dogs by hysterical human dismay and disgust, and round after round of bathing in one cleaning solution after another.
It’s no surprise that a dog or other animal would come to associate the smell of skunk with unpleasantness and avoid it in the future (though I can say for a fact that they don’t always…I know several dogs who have been skunked multiple times), but it’s not something that they are automatically averse to. I’m not saying that common unlearned canine responses to scents, good or bad, don’t exist, but skunk is definitely not a general negative. So I wouldn’t say that skunks control their predators with scent exactly-more that they do so with a caustic liquid that is foul smelling in high concentrations.
chloe De Segonzac says
I do not have any experience with aromatherapy and dogs although I know how important smells are and when I have a new dog staying with me I always asked the owner to bring along a piece of clothing prewash.
My most endearing moment with my current BC is when she was just 4 months old and we lived with a housemate she loved. It was morning and the dog and I were on our way out the housemate still sleeping. Baruch sniffed one of his shoe and started wagging her tail wildly. I just loved that so much….
001mum says
If I am calm
will my dog be calm(er)
why not?
(I love lavender) (dislike perfumes)
combine a not-too-strong scent with a “loose leash”, a slower walk, a deep breath,
a special toy, I’d think it would be another distraction .
Good scents combined with good memories last forever,at least in humans
(still get warm and fuzzy when I smell certain kinds of fresh smelly fish (that might make some people vomit) memories of a summer love and keeping warm in the jacket he used for fishing-and that was 41 summers ago!
I used rescue remedy on a pup that had motion sickness
but I can’t say if it helped or time did its thing, finally he stopped throwing-up
all over us through the crate! 😮 (big crate, small car)
wh0 cares if it’s placebo. I think it would be a great research paper
JJ says
I just had a fascinating conversation with a co-worker. We are a ‘fragrance-free’ work-place, but someone came in today with a strong lavender scent. We don’t know who it was, but my co-worker is very allergic to lavender. Her eyes started to swell and tear up and she started having trouble breathing – all because someone walked in the hallways with a lavender scent about them. I’ve never heard of someone being allergic to something like lavender before. But apparently it is a real thing.
I bring this up here with the thought that: what if a dog has a similar reaction? He/she might not be able to tell us and if the reaction is not as severe as my co-workers, we might not notice.
I’m not bringing this idea up to say that since some dog *might* have an allergic reaction, we should automatically not use a scent with any dog. But I do think it brings up an important caution: the scent might do what we want it to do or not. Aside from that, it could potentially have a really bad effect and anyone using such therapies on their dogs might want to be very careful. As Trisha says, (I’m paraphrasing I think): If something has the power to effect change for the good, it could also affect change for the bad.
Essential Oils says
Another suitable use for lavender is to help relieve anxiety which many people are now suffering from. Anxiety is usually found to express itself as racing thoughts and a pounding heartbeat, but one of the first signs of any form of anxiety is for the person not to be able to think clearly. The mental stress that many people are feeling now days inevitably causes the mind to become cloudy and people find it difficult to solve life
amy says
Perhaps aromatherapy sometimes works with dogs because it BLOCKS out the plethera of smells that may be overwhelming due to the sheer numbers?
RIley says
I have no idea what aromatherapy is meant to be in practise.
But I don’t see why you couldn’t use it to classically condition your dog. You’d need to do the experiment to find out if it would work though. If you find a scent you think the dog likes, associate it with something good. Although I wonder if it would become a cue to get excited about e.g. food if that’s what you associated it with.
I have no bright ideas at the moment, but I’d like to see someone try to use this in classical conditioning.