Osella, M. C., Bergamasco, L., & Costa, F. (2005). Use of a synthetic analogue of a dog appeasing pheromone in sheltered dogs after adoption. Current Issues and Research in Veterinary Behavioral Medicine, ed. D Mills et al, 270-273 Adaptil can calm your dog in challenging situations such as fireworks, moving house and travelling. Adaptil is like Feliway for dogs! Using either a nifty plug-in adaptor or collar, you can release synthetic pheromones to soothe your dog. Adaptil is a copy of the pheromone released by mother dogs to reassure her puppies. It's ideal for introducing puppies to their new home, meeting new pets or family members, loud noises or visiting the vet. There is no high quality evidence that Adaptil works for separation anxiety in dogs. The one good study 13 found that a DAP diffuser did not improve behaviours such as barking, scratching, whining, howling, trembling, nor heart rate, eye or ear temperature of dogs. The same authors published a later study of the same puppies 4 showing fewer signs of avoidance and uneasiness when facing unfamiliar people and new environments, although the effect was not as striking. Adaptil is a pheromone collar that can reduce the effects stress and anxiety have on our dogs and puppies by emitting a specific pheromone. The collar can last for 30 days before needing replacement and is typically activated by the dog's body heat. How does it work?

My view: effects were not so great that collars should be considered essential in classes. However, for fearful, excitable or anxious puppies they are highly recommended. Adaptil For Travel Two studies have found positive effects of Adaptil collars on recently adopted puppies. The first 12 fitted collars to purebred puppies and found a benefit only in Gundogs (mainly Labrador retrievers, Weimeraners and Spaniels). Those receiving Adaptil cried for a median of three nights versus nine for the gundogs in the placebo group. Kim, Y. M., Kang, B. T., Gu, S. H., Yoo, J. H., Park, C., Jung, D. I., …& Park, H. M. (2006). Comparison of Acupuncture with Dog-Appeasing Pheromone (DAP) Application in separation anxiety of hospitalized dogs. Experimental Neurobiology, 15(2), 81-87 Many dog owners start to see results within the first days. However, every dog is unique. Depending on how long the signs have been present and how severe the signs may be, it may take longer to see an improvement. We always recommend you use the product for a full 30 days This is especially true for puppies who have just moved to new environments, unfamiliar people, and new families. The puppy may go from saying goodbye to its littermates and its mother to starting a new family in one day. It is one of the puppy's most significant life stresses and changes. In that transitional phase, puppies who used Adaptil were 66% less likely to cry at night, and 75% of puppies were less vocal during the day than those who did not have Adaptil on their side. Puppies learn better in training classes when they feel safe, which helps them become well-adjusted adults in the future.ADAPTIL Calm provides your dog with this appeasing pheromone, which you cannot release yourself: it contributes to their well-being, helps them adapt to stressful situations, and provides calm for dogs. These smokey bacon-flavoured chews contain a blend of ingredients – including L-tryptophan and L-theanine – believed to be helpful in supporting calm behaviour and in reducing anxiety, stress-related behaviours and over-activity. They are designed to help your pet cope better during stressful events such as vet visits, noise phobias, visitors, travelling and separation anxiety. The chews are seen as a treat and are easy to give, with or without food. One thing companies definitely do not do often is publish studies that don’t give the desired outcome. This is a subtle form of bias because if we remove studies that say something doesn’t work, it can make uncertain efficacy seem certain.

Adaptil is a copy of the comforting pheromone released by a bitch to reassure and clam her puppies. It has been proven to help dogs and puppies with learning, training and socialisation; it helps puppies or adult dogs settle in new homes and during challenging situations such as staying in kennels, during fireworks, a visit to the vet and Christmas. To fully grasp what DAP is, we must first learn what pheromones are. Animals produce and unleash pheromones into the environment. A behavioral response is elicited when these pheromones are detected by another species member. Pheromones are essentially information's silent and instantaneous carriers.

There is no high quality evidence that DAP assists dogs who are anxious about car travel. As always, there’s no harm in trying but you might want to consider some of these options too. These natural wheat-free minibone dog treats are designed to help anxious dogs remain calm. They contain chamomile and valerian root, known for their relaxation properties, as well as L-tryptophan, which helps form serotonin, the “feel-good” transmitter. You’ll see that different studies used different products. I’ll try to make this clear as I go. Problems With The Evidence I also suspect that if dogs who suffer from noise phobias were used (which for welfare reasons is impossible) and the noise intensity matched that of thunder, the effect would have disappeared. Read here about treatments for dogs scared by firework and thunder. Adaptil For Puppies Crying At Night

Sheppard, G., & Mills, D. S. (2003). Evaluation of dog‐appeasing pheromone as a potential treatment for dogs fearful of fireworks. Veterinary Record, 152(14), 432-436 Each species produces unique and specialized pheromones to communicate different things. Depending on the type, pheromones can influence behavior in various ways. Mating status, territory claims, or an alarm signal are all examples of pheromone uses. Pheromones that make our dogs feel good are known as " appeasing pheromones," and they are released by animals shortly after birth to aid their young in their development. Tod, E., Brander, D., & Waran, N. (2005). Efficacy of dog appeasing pheromone in reducing stress and fear related behaviour in shelter dogs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 93(3-4), 295-308 In the wild, puppies and adult dogs often live in groups and exchange natural messages released into the air -pheromones. These appeasing messages are emitted by mother dogs during lactation and from the ears of adult dogs. One better study uses normal dogs and exposed them to thunder sounds at 83.9 dB (thunder itself can be up to 130dB). They found that a DAP collar reduced global measures of anxiety and active signs of anxiety and increased the use of a den. However, have a look at their experimental schedule. Study dayAdaptil Spray: spread the synthesised pheromones around your house with this odourless spray, ideal for temporary anxiety relief and great for use on the move, including trips to the vet or car journeys. Levine, E. D., Ramos, D., & Mills, D. S. (2007). A prospective study of two self-help CD based desensitization and counter-conditioning programmes with the use of Dog Appeasing Pheromone for the treatment of firework fears in dogs (Canis familiaris). Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 105(4), 311-329

Unlike the other products in the Adaptil range ( Spray , Collaror Diffuser), Adaptil Chews donot work on the basis of pheromones. Their rapid action is obtained thanks to the synergy of 4 ingredients of natural origin with scientifically recognised soothing properties: colostrum, L-Theanine, L-Tryptophan and vitamin B1. Nursing females release DAP in the first few weeks of a puppy's life. DAP is one of the rarest pheromones produced by mammals. It appears to have the effect of promoting a calm atmosphere within the nest. The second study 3 pre-fitted Adaptil collars to puppies prior to sale from pet shops. A striking effect was observed where all 32 treated puppies settled within three days. Two thirds of the 34 puppies receiving placebo were either still disturbing their owners in two weeks or only stopped when being allowed into the owner’s bedroom or to sleep with another dog. Here at zooplus we offer a great range of ways to keep your dog calm and happy, so that everyone can enjoy life with a loving canine! My view: the results could have been different if dogs who suffer from separation anxiety were used instead. However, separation anxiety is usually severe by the time a vet is consulted, so I am not surprised that a mild treatment like DAP had no measurable effect. Of course, it is harmless to try as long as it’s not used instead of a more effective remedy. Adaptil For Barking

Adaptil Dog Calming Treatments

Formulated to help reduce anxiety during stressful situations, they can be used to ease the stress at bedtime, during puppy training or as a treat before grooming or a trip to the vet. There is only minimal evidence that Adaptil helps dogs with sound‐induced fear and anxiety. Two very problematic studies (discarded 5,8) are often quoted but neither are placebo-controlled, and both use other treatments simultaneously.