Many dog owners ask whether or not CBD will help their anxious dog, and the answer is, generally, yes.
In the case of Kiwi the energetic, anxious miniature Australian Shepherd, the improvement in behavior was nearly instantaneous after administering a half-dose of CBD.
Jeff and Roxanne arrived at my house a bit after 9AM on a Thursday to pick up some free decorative rocks listed on Craigslist. They pulled up in an older Chevy pickup – the “farm truck” – of about the same vintage as my daily driver.
A retired handyman, Jeff’s silver beard and quick smile matched the friendly text message exchanges leading up to the event.
We shook hands, and the first topic of discussion was the beautiful little cattle dog, with one bright blue eye, peering out through the back window of the truck. It was a miniature Australian Cattle Dog.
“Is that your breed?”, I asked, referencing the affection many dog owners have for a particular breed of dog.
“Yes, it is, but she might be my last one. I’m gettin’ too old.”, he replied.
His little dog, Kiwi, has lots of energy, experiences separation anxiety, and her behavior is a challenge to manage.
Despite our best efforts, the exercise requirements for these types of dogs can be difficult to meet. Kiwi is a smart, high drive dog, who was bred to herd livestock all day long.
Roxanne, sitting in the passenger seat of the truck while we chatted, cracked open the door and tried to exit. Kiwi attempted to escape as soon as the door was opened.
“Jeff, can you give me a hand over here?”, she asked.
Kiwi was over-excited, and exiting the truck required two people to prevent her from jumping out. While chatting with Roxanne, Kiwi began frantically barking, yipping, and pawing at the back window.
Roxanne, too, was experiencing stress from Kiwi’s over-excited behaviors, particularly the constant barking. We collectively decided to test a (half) dose of CBD on Kiwi to see if it might improve her anxiety.
Starting at a lower dose than the suggested 2-3 milligrams per pound of body weight allows the owner to monitor the effects of the CBD, and gradually increase the dose.
Read more about this in the How Much CBD To Give My Dog For Arthritis blog post.
Jeff and Roxanne began collecting the rocks for their planned embankment.
Inside the house, a dropper of Vibrant Dog Full Spectrum Hemp Extract, containing 33 mg of CBD, was added to a small portion of slow-cooked brisket with gravy.
Because everyone loves some gravy, right?
Kiwi is roughly 30 pounds, and 33 mg was half of the suggested 2-3 mg per pound of body weight dose.
Showing the small plate of meat to Jeff, he opted to feed it to Kiwi himself to “watch her eyes bug out” when she was given the brisket. Not surprisingly, Kiwi gobbled up the treat, and we stepped to the back of the truck for more small talk.
And then it happened. Silence. Kiwi was peering out the back window, smiling. No pawing, no barking, no whining.
The change in her demeanor was nearly immediate, and Jeff confirmed that this was unusual. We stepped inside the fence, out of Kiwi’s line of sight.
Still, silence.
Roxanne soon came up the path pulling a a two-wheeled hand cart holding a large rock.
“It’s amazing!”, she said, visibly happy that her dog’s intense, anxious behavior had de-escalated to a quiet state.
It’s worth noting – as the pictures clearly show – that the tincture did not make Kiwi lethargic, which it sometimes can. It did take the edge off of her behavior enough to stop the frantic barking, whining, and pawing.
Having experienced such a dramatic change in their dog’s behavior, they purchased a 1-ounce, 1000 mg bottle on the spot. Our collective happiness, including an exuberant, energetic Kiwi, is evident in the picture.
Jeff and Roxanne are coming back for more rocks next week, so check back soon for an update, pet lovers!
