Does Rescue Remedy really calm a dog during fireworks and thunder?

[…] There are a lot of holistic aids that you should utilize to assist a canine really feel much less anxiousness. There are calming tabs, CBD oil, and Rescue Treatment.  […]

I think it's a shame that people are giving these remedies to their dogs but are clearly skeptical and, like you, are expecting them not to work. Dogs will pick up on that and can be made more anxious by their owners trying something new. All changes are noticed by dogs and those prone to frights will be even more anxious by the changes. Plugs ins are a new smell, yet another change. Rescue Remedy coupled with Willow works really well, but the drops on the tongue or in their water needs to be done calmly and yes, the owners would benefit by a couple of drops too. In fact if the dog saw the owner drop some onto their own tongue, they'd be less likely to stress and would accept them. I've used Bachs flower remedies, homeopathy, oils and the Tellington Touch. They all work, but have to be administered with some optimism that WILL pass on to you dog/s. I have multiple German Shepherds and run a small independent rescue for wild animals and birds and used natural remedies on all of them. In the right hands, they have amazing benefits.

I stockpile products like these and I swear by them (Yes, Amazon, definitely has the best price on Rescue Remedy!). I recommend them often when fielding questions from folks who adopt dogs from the rescue with which I volunteer. I no longer have a noise/storm phobic dog, but when I did, a combination of Rescue Remedy plus Feel Bach's "Thunderstorm" formula worked quite well. Often times, Rescue Remedy can help enhance whatever other products one chooses to use.

My parents' current thunderstorm-phobic dog does better with Animal Essentials' Tranquility blend- it knocks him right out. Whereas their previous dog did quite well on the Feel Bach Thunderstorm remedy.

Another dog of mine suffered from extreme travel anxiety when in vehicles for the first 2-3 years of her life (it took that long to get her over it, plus getting a vehicle that wobbled less probably also helped). For her, filling out Feel Bach's pet questionnaire and having her own personalized formula made was what helped the most. I haven't given her anything when we get in the car anymore, for many years, now and she's almost 9 years old. Though I will say, in her case, the use of Rescue Remedy/Feel Bach products early on has given her kind of an aversion to them, and, at times, appeared to set off her anxiety when I would administer them, as she began to associate them with car travel. It's definitely important to apply products like these BEFORE the dog begins to experience any sort of stress/anxiety. Much like Benadryl and other medications, which don't work if the dog is already escalating, the same can be said for these.

The Comfort Zone DAP diffuser or Adaptil Diffuser is also another thing I keep on hand. I've used it for everything from moving house, to new fosters, to treating severe Separation Anxiety (paired with a behavior modification program). The Feliway diffuser is also helpful for many cat stress/anxiety issues.

My dog isn't afraid of fireworks or storms, but I have used it preemptively to keep her chilled out in a situation I know will be stressful. We went to camp together in May, and I was required to crate her for a good portion of the day with intermittent breaks. That was going to be stressful for a dog who is no longer crated at home, so I put Rescue Remedy in her drinking water.

I have also used it to take the edge off a situation that has escalated quickly, like when she was recently attacked by a visiting dog in our living room. (We were not told the dog had aggression issues, so that was fun.) I separated the dogs and dosed her with Rescue Remedy.

I've also found it works on me; I dose myself with it before Nosework trials. The trial nerves are really tough for me before that first element of the day. Once we get through that, I'm fine, but Rescue Remedy and mint tea are my go-tos for staying even keeled before and during that first search.

Rescue Remedy has never worked for any of my dogs. I now use cbd oil and it works great for any anxiety. Make sure where you get it from is reputable. I use bluebird botanicals.