We love our dogs, even when their behavior isn’t exactly up to par. But, if your dog is showing signs of anxiety or aggression, we need to take a more proactive approach to getting their nervous systems on the right track. Dogs with anxiety may end up developing all kinds of behavioral issues, and aggressive dogs can be a danger.

Maybe you’ve heard that many dog owners are turning to CBD as a natural way to ease their dogs’ anxiety and aggression. The research is out there to show us that this natural hemp derivative can be extremely effective when it come to addressing these common canine issues, but it’s very important that you understand how to use CBD properly to address your dog’s needs safely and effectively.

Dogs, Anxiety, and Aggression: What to Know

Before we talk about how CBD oil can be useful to aggressive or anxious dogs, we need to talk about these issues and why they can occur. CBD can certainly help, but it’s important to consider the underlying cause of their behavior, and consider a broad-spectrum approach to helping ease their nervous systems.

Both anxiety and aggression typically come from an overstimulated nervous system. This can result from problems in their environment, or trauma. Environmental causes for anxiety and aggression can include:

• Lack of stimulation: dogs require a lot of play, exploring and interaction in order to feel mentally and physically stimulated each day. If a dog is denied any of these things, they may act out in destructive ways.
• Inconsistency: Dogs may get nervous if their daily routines are inconsistent. For instance, if feeding times change frequently, this can make them feel insecure and nervous, leading to acting out.
• Lack of affection: Just like playtime, dogs typically show less anxiety and aggression if they receive affection from their owners. 
• Conflict with someone else in the home: Dogs can become anxious or aggressive if they don’t get along with someone in their space, such as a hyperactive child or another dog.
• A chaotic environment: If your home isn’t peaceful, this can negatively affect your dog’s wellbeing. For instance, if a lot of shouting takes place in your home, this can overstimulate your dog’s nervous system and cause all kinds of aggressive/anxious behavior. 

Overall, if your dog is showing signs of anxiety and/or aggression, we urge you to take them to the vet. For one thing, these behavioral issues can, in rare cases, point to a serious health condition like distemper, rabies or simply an infection that is negatively impacting their quality of life, and forcing them to act out. Even if no serious health condition is present, a licensed veterinarian can take into account your dog’s medical history and current health status, and make suggestions that are personalized to their needs and situation.

What is CBD?

CBD, aka cannabidiol, is the dominant chemical compound in the hemp plant. It’s nonintoxicating, and wholly nontoxic to the body. It’s also a cannabinoid, which means that it’s a type of compound that attaches to cannabinoid receptors found throughout the body, to stimulate the regulation of individual, critical bodily processes, like mood, sleep, pain, inflammation, and more. These cannabinoid receptors make up the endocannabinoid system, which is a system of the body that aims to keep us in homeostasis.

CBD comes in a wide range of product types, and it’s perfectly legal. It’s also widely available, and can be taken daily for maximum results.

Is CBD Safe for Dogs?

We said earlier that CBD is nontoxic and nonintoxicating, and that’s not only for humans. All mammals have an endocannabinoid system, and can safely consume CBD. The most common side effect associated with this compound is grogginess, mainly if the compound is taken in unusually high doses.  And again, it won’t get your dog high in any regard.

However, CBD is not been approved for pets by the FDA yet, and because of that, you may find that some veterinarians don’t feel like they can ethically recommend it. Just know that many studies have been done evaluating the effects that CBD has on canines, and there has yet to be any instance of danger caused by administering the cannabinoid to dogs. Not only that, but researchers have found that the cannabinoid can indeed provide distinctive potential benefits to dogs.

How Does CBD Work with My Dog’s Body?

Like humans, dogs have endocannabinoid systems, which use CBD to regulate processes of their bodies through attachment to cannabinoid receptors. There are primarily two cannabinoid receptor categories in all mammals: CB1 receptors, found in the nervous system, and CB2 receptors, found in the nervous system, digestive system and immune system, primarily. CBD attaches to both types of receptors to regulate a wide array of physiological processes pertaining to our overall wellbeing.

CBD for Aggressive Dogs and Anxious Dogs: What Can it Do?

The key to managing your dog’s aggression and/or anxiety is soothing their nervous system, so that they become less reactive and overstimulated. And, fortunately, CBD’s potential calming effects are well-documented, not only for humans, but dogs as well. Studies have shown that dogs who were administered CBD were less reactive to loud noises, giving clear indication that the cannabinoid directly improves nervous system function in canines.

Not only that, but researchers have found that CBD can offer anti-inflammatory benefits to dogs. In fact, a Cornell University study found that CBD could be incredibly useful to dogs who have osteoarthritis. The reason why we bring this up is because dogs may be more aggressive and/or anxious when they’re dealing with pain, which makes them feel vulnerable, and can cause psychological distress.

Can CBD Make My Dog More Anxious?

We understand that you want to be careful whenever you introduce a new product into your dog’s routine. And, naturally, you want to be sure that there’s nothing about CBD that could make your dog more anxious. The good news is that there are no recorded anecdotes about CBD increasing a dog’s anxiety or aggression. If your dog is showing elevated signs of anxiety after taking CBD, you should bring this up with your vet, and consider whether or not there’s another factor that’s making their anxiety worse.

How Can I Use CBD for Dog Aggression?

If you’re considering CBD for dogs with anxiety and aggression, it’s important that you go about it in the right way. Here are the things to consider when starting your dog on a CBD oil routine.

Make Sure it’s a Dog-Friendly Product

First off, we strongly recommend only choosing a CBD product that’s made for dogs. While there are some CBD oils on the market made for humans that dogs can tolerate just fine, companies that make CBD products for dogs will typically provide much more detailed canine-friendly dosing directions and other suggestions. Besides that, a lot of CBD oils for humans are not safe for dogs, because of the inclusion of essential oils or other flavoring ingredients that can be harmful to canines. And, on top of that, CBD oils for dogs will have milligram strengths more appropriate for a dog’s body.

Make Sure the Formula Agrees with Your Dog

Always read through the ingredients of a CBD oil to make sure that it agrees with your dog. For example, if your dog is allergic to certain types of flavoring, you’ll need to strictly avoid that ingredient when shopping for a CBD oil product to give to them.

Consider Medications Your Dog is on

Keep in mind that some medications may cause an interaction with CBD. CBD may bind up certain enzymes needed to metabolize medications that your dog is taking. If your dog is on any medications, please speak to your vet before giving them CBD.

Follow Proper Dosing Protocol

Like we said, most CBD oils made for dogs come with clear dosing directions, which you should follow carefully. If these directions are nowhere to be found, you can find milligram-based dosing charts for dogs online. The dosage is highly dependent on your dog’s weight, since dogs’ weights can vary so much from one breed to the next. Because CBD oil is nontoxic to your dog, there really isn’t any major concern associated with giving them a higher dose as directed by the manufacturer.

Wait 2 Weeks Before Making Changes

It can take up to 2 weeks of daily administration before visible changes start to occur in your dog’s behavior. That’s about the length of time it takes for CBD to build up in their system, to be used by the endocannabinoid system to its fullest potential. Basically, this means that you should wait 2 weeks before making any changes to their routine, like upping the dosage you give them, or considering a different product.

Monitor Their Behavior

After giving your dog CBD, keep an eye on their behavior. Mostly, if they seem to become groggy after taking CBD, you might want to consider giving it to a time that’s closer to when they usually go to bed. Of course, if you’re giving CBD to a dog because they become aggressive/anxious due to a specific stimulus, like when going for a walk, then administer CBD oil shortly before their walk.

Employ Other Techniques

Like we said earlier, you’ll want to address behavioral issues with other methods as well, such as making changes to their daily routine, increasing their playtime, or supporting their bodies through an improved diet. CBD can help a lot, but it’s good to tackle these kinds of issues through a variety of techniques.

Find the Best Way to Administer it Based on Their Needs

CBD oil can be administered to dogs in a few ways. Some dog owners find that their canines are more likely to take CBD when they mix the oil into their food. Others find that administering the oil below their dog’s tongue is the best method. Experiment with different methods to find what works for you and your furry friend. Keep in mind that when administered sublingually, CBD oil can be faster-acting and shorter-lived, and when ingested, the effects can last for a few hours longer, and take about an hour to fully kick in.

Give Your Dog CBD Daily

Like we said before, it’s best to give your dog CBD once a day, rather than sporadically. This way, their endocannabinoid system is getting total support, so that the CBD’s positive effects can become cumulative.

Where Can I Find CBD Oil for Dog Aggression?

Now, we know that your canine can certainly benefit from hemp oil for anxiety. But, where can you actually find CBD oil for dogs? Keep in mind that not all CBD oil is made equally. You always want to stick with dog-friendly CBD oil made by a trusted company with lots of good reviews, who makes third-party lab reports available on their website, so that consumers can read reports straight from an unbiased laboratory about the safety and quality of the product.

That being said, the CBD Pet Oil from Kore Original is perfect for anxious and aggressive dogs. It contains only natural, canine-safe ingredients, comes in a variety of strengths for different breeds, and is sold in two irresistible flavors: Canadian Maple Bacon and Seafood Medley.  

Does CBD Help Dogs Calm Down?  Researchers Say Yes

If you’ve been wondering, “Will CBD calm my dog down?” the answer is likely yes. Research has shown that administering hemp oil for dog anxiety is extremely useful. CBD oil can help with dog aggression and anxiety, especially if you make sure to choose a top-quality formula from a trusted name in the business. So, explore the CBD Pet Oil and other pet-friendly CBD dog products at Kore Original, and get your dog started on a cannabidiol routine to help ease their nervous system.