The 10 Best Calming Aids for Dogs To Help Soothe Any Anxiety

Best Overall

VetriScience Composure Calming Chews for Dogs

$24 At Amazon $24 At Chewy View On PETCO

Veterinarians often recommend Composure calming chews to decrease anxiety without turning to prescription medication. Its active ingredients are colostrum, l-theanine, and thiamine, which may have properties that promote relaxation. The chews can be given every day or just as needed—like when you expect thunderstorms or a trip to the vet.

The chews are available in peanut butter, bacon, or chicken flavor. They’re made for all size dogs and you give one to three chews daily depending on weight. In times of extreme anxiety, it’s safe to double or triple the dose. There’s a longer-lasting version that can last up to eight hours and an unflavored liquid version, as well as a clinical strength formula.

Composure has the National Animal Supplement Council (NASC) seal of approval, which means the manufacturer has met several requirements including having strong quality control, a system to monitor products, a willingness to submit to random testing, and a commitment to strict labeling guidelines. The chews seem very tasty for dogs and can be given as a treat.

_{Flavors: Chicken, bacon, peanut butter | Quantity: 60 chews | Active Ingredients: Thiamine, colostrum, l-theanine}

Best Anti-Anxiety Vest

Thundershirt Dog Anxiety Treatment

$37 At Amazon $50 At Chewy $32 At PETCO

The ThunderShirt acts like a gentle hug, swaddling your pet in soft, breathable fabric. The constant pressure works to help calm anxiety and over-excitement. The jacket is easy to wrap around your dog, using big body straps with solid Velcro closures. The jacket comes in seven sizes for dogs from dogs under 8 pounds to those over 110 pounds.

The traditional gray ThunderShirt is made from a stretchy, soft blend of polyester, rayon and spandex. There’s also a “polo” version with a slightly different design and the same fabric blend. The “sport” ThunderShirt is made of 100% polyester and is the most breathable. It’s a good option for dogs that run hot or have long hair.

The ThunderShirt can be worn for long periods. Just check it every hour or so to make sure it’s not rubbing or irritating anywhere. It can be worn in the car if travel is stressful, to the vet’s office, or in the home for thunderstorms, fireworks, or separation anxiety. In a 2022 customer survey of more than 1,700 dogs, the ThunderShirt helped calm 80 percent of pets.

_{Sizes: Extra-extra-small, extra-small, small, medium, large, extra-large, extra extra-large | Colors: Fuschia, heather grey, platinum | Quantity: 1 | Materials: Polyester, rayon, and spandex (traditional), 100% polyester (sport)}

Best Chews

Zesty Paws Advanced Calming Bites

$34 At Amazon $33 At Chewy View On PetSmart

Zesty Paws is known for an array of popular multivitamins and supplements. These calming bites have nine organic ingredients that are believed to have calming properties including chamomile, melatonin, hemp seed powder, and forms of L-theanine and ashwagandha. The soft (and apparently delicious) treats come in three flavors: turkey, peanut butter, and bison.

Feed one to three treats per day, depending on your dog’s weight. Start with half the recommended amount and gradually increase it. You can divide the amount if you want to give them at breakfast and dinner. The treats have no artificial flavors or preservatives or synthetic colors and no grain, corn, or soy. The bites have the NASC quality seal and Zesty Paws offers a 100 percent satisfaction guarantee.

_{Flavors: Turkey, peanut butter, bison | Quantity: 90 chews | Active Ingredients: Hemp seed powder, chamomile, valerian root, passionflower, l-theanine, ginger root, ashwagandha, l-tryptophan, magnesium citrate}

Best Pills

Vetoquinol Zylkene Behavior

$34 At Amazon $54 At Chewy $36 At 1-800-PetMeds

Zylkene capsules from Vetoquinol contain a natural milk protein from cows called alpha-casozepine that has been found to help foster a sense of calmness in some pets. Its calming effects are well-researched in cats, but not yet widely studied in dogs, though initial results are promising. You can give the capsule as is or open it and sprinkle it on your dog’s food. They shouldn’t even notice because it has no taste.

The capsules come in three strengths: 75 mg, 225, mg, and 450. Choose based on the size of your pet. You can give them as needed in times of stress or offer them daily as a supplement. Zylkene contains no preservatives or lactose and does not cause drowsiness. These capsules are often vet-recommended but can be more expensive than some other options.

_{Flavors: Unflavored | Quantity: 30 capsules | Active Ingredients: Alpha-casozepine}

Best Calming Spray

ThunderEase Dog Calming Pheromone Spray

$20 At Amazon $25 At Chewy View On Thundershirt.com

Calming sprays can help you deal with anxiety away from home. You can spray it in the car, on a dog bed, or throughout a hotel room. The ThunderEase spray releases pheromones that copy the chemicals a nursing mother dog uses to communicate with her puppies. The goal is to inspire a feeling of calm and comfort.

Spray about 8 to 10 pumps wherever you need it, like the inside of the car or on a dog bed. Then wait about 15 minutes before bringing your dog into the area. Respray it about every four to five hours as needed. You can also spray it directly on a ThunderShirt anti-anxiety vest to up the calming effects. There’s no lasting smell that people can sense.

_{Flavors: Unscented | Quantity: 60 milliliters | Active Ingredients: Dog pheromone}

Best Collar

Adaptil Calming Pheromone Collar for Dog

$19 At Amazon $22 At Chewy $30 At Walmart

Vets often recommend this Adaptil collar for calming anxiety and nervousness without medication. The collar is infused with pheromones that are released by nursing mother dogs to communicate with their puppies. Pheromones are chemicals that act like hormones but outside the body and they can have an impact on the behavior of others in the same species.

The collar comes in three sizes—puppy, small, and medium/large. Place it snugly around your pup’s neck and your dog’s natural warmth will activate it to release the pheromones. Keep it on all the time except when giving your dog a bath. The effects typically last about a month before the collar will need to be replaced.

Adaptil also makes a plug-in diffuser that releases the same pheromones. The scent is not noticeable by the human members of the family.

_{Sizes: Puppy, small, medium/large | Quantity: 1 | Active Ingredients: Canine-appeasing pheromone}

Best Calming Toy

West Paw Zogoflex Qwizl Dog Puzzle Treat Toy

$27 At Amazon $20 At Chewy $20 At Walmart

The Qwizl from West Paw is one of our very favorite dog toys. The twisty, durable Qwizl has an opening that runs through the whole length of the toy and then little open spots along the ends and sides. That allows you to slather in a soft spread like peanut butter or yogurt and then poke in some dog treats or kibble and freeze the whole thing. The act of licking can be self-soothing when a dog is anxious or nervous, so giving them a long-lasting treat toy can help them calm down.

You can also poke a bully stick down the center of the toy, making it a challenge for your pup to get to it. The Qwizl is made of a trademark material called Zogoflex, which is a hard, rubber-like substance. It comes in two sizes—small or large—and three bright colors. Qwizls also float so they can be used at the beach or lake and, because they’re so sturdy, some pups just like using them as a chew toy. When you’re finished, the Qwizl is easy to clean in the dishwasher.

_{Colors: Aqua blue, granny smith, tangerine | Quantity: 1 | Materials: Zogoflex (hard rubber-like material)}

Best Calming Cap

Zoni Pets Happy Hoodie Calming Cap for Dogs

$13 At Amazon $13 At Chewy $13 At Walmart

The Happy Hoodie Calming Cap from Zonie Pets is designed to minimize noise to keep a dog calm and reduce their level of anxiety.

To use, the cap slides on over a dog's head, keeping their ears covered to reduce external sources of sound and stress. While in place, some dog are noticeably more calm during typically high-stress situations, including thunderstorms, nail trims, car rides, and trips to a vet's office. But not all dog enjoy wearing the Happy Hoodie Calming Cap over their ears.

It comes in multiple sizes, from small to extra-large. It should fit snuggly but not too tight. With that in mind, you might want to consider trying two sizes to find the right fit.

^{Sizes: Small, large, extra-large | Colors: White, black, pink, purple, navy blue | Quantity: 1 | Materials: Cotton}

Best Supplement

Purina Pro Plan Calming Care Supplement for Dogs

$31 At Amazon $34 At Chewy View On PETCO

The Calming Care supplement from Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Supplements is designed to support a dog's digestive system with probiotics that also neutralize stress-hormones for a calming effect.

Each liver-flavored packet contains a unique strain of bacteria, Bifidobacterium longum, often referred to as BL999, which reduces the effects of cortisol—a hormone connected to stress.

Giving your dog a daily dose can help keep their digestive system functioning smoothing while reducing the level of stress they experience from separation, trips to the vet, thunderstorms, and more. The supplements come packets of 30 or 45, and one packet can be given daily, or as needed, to a healthy dog by sprinkling over or mixing into their food.

Studies conducted by Purina and partnering institutions, including Cornell University's College of Veterinary Medicine, have demonstrated positive results from addressing a pet's stress with probiotics. Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Supplements are a top choice among veterinarians and pet parents alike with products suitable for both dogs and cats.

^{Flavors: Liver | Quantity: 30 packets | Active Ingredients: Bifidobacterium longum BL999 1x109 CFU}

Best for Fireworks

Famikako Dog Ear Muffs

$70 At Amazon $70 At Walmart

If you've tried the Happy Hoodie Calming Cap from Zoni Pets but still feel like your dog needs more protection from unwelcome noise, the Dog Ear Muffs from Famikako might be the product you and your nervous dog need.

With cotton and sound insulation material packed inside soft leather pads, the Famikako Dog Ear Muffs are designed to shield a canine's eardrums from up to 25 decibels, so they can effectively minimize the noise your dog experiences from fireworks and thunder to help keep them calm.

The ear muffs are equipped with an elastic band that adjusts and stretches to fit your dog's unique head. The calming aid is made in four sizes: small, medium, large, and extra-large, and three colors: orange, blue, and purple. The brand, Famikako, provides a detailed size chart, but the ear muffs will not fit every dog, and some dogs will not tolerate having their ears covered and/or something covering their head.

^{Sizes: Small, medium, large, extra-large | Colors: Orange, blue, purple | Quantity: 1 | Materials: Cotton, leather}