Calming Collars

Dogs wearing calming collars.

Calming Collars

By: Deborah Mendez

A low rumbling in the distance, a clap of thunder, a flash of lightning – and so it begins. You know the drill – a normally calm dog begins to tremble, whine and begins to hunt for a safe place to hide.
It is pretty common, but it is never easy to watch your dog (or cat) deal with thunder phobia. For some it is just the wind blowing, others may panic when rain starts to fall. Some can wait for a full on thunderstorm – or even worse – fireworks before stress and anxiety set in.

What is a pet parent to do? There are many potential solutions or aids to choose from but I’m going to focus on the one I know best – herbal Calming Collars.

After a corporate restructuring many years back, I started making “people” aromatherapy products. My techie husband built a website and I started sewing and marketing. A few years later, a customer mentioned sharing her “relax” blend eye pillow with her dog. She’d put it in his crate when she went to work to help curb his separation anxiety. She wanted me to make something for him so she didn’t have to share! You can guess how that story goes.

Fast forward to 2016… we send out dozens of Calming Collars every day all across the US and the rest of the world, too.

Sample of a Calming Collar

Although most customers buy a Calming Collar to help their dog deal with thunderstorms and or fireworks – they can help with a number of issues. Reducing stress helps with hyperactivity, excessive barking and separation anxiety. We have helped many better deal with obsessive compulsive behaviors like too much licking and scratching.

The aromatherapy from a Calming Collar can help keep a dog calm all day long. When used now and again for stressful situations most get a year or so of use. Just store in a plastic bag when not in use. When a dog is anxious all the time, they can wear one 24/7. The only downside is the herbs may dry out in 3 or 4 months.

Customers can choose from over 20 fabrics and we make them up in the size ordered. We don’t stock “pre-made” products on our shelves – everything is filled with herbs as orders come in. Our most popular blend is the Calm Me Down and is for overall stress and anxiety. We use a mix of lavender, chamomile and balsam. No essential oils or fillers, just the actual dried herbs. We also have a blend for dogs that get car sick, our Good To Go blend. In addition to the lavender, chamomile and balsam “base” we also add peppermint, spearmint and ginger to help with nausea. For the really tough cases – usually severe separation anxiety we can use our “extra strength” blend. We do that by request only because it just doesn’t smell as nice as our other blends.

I wish I could say that a Calming Collar will always help. The truth is that 3 to 5% of pets just don’t seem to respond to aromatherapy and a Calming Collar won’t help them. The good news is we try to make refunds pretty painless. Just let us know within three months if your pet wasn’t helped – you be the judge – and we refund your $36 purchase price. More often than not, we have you donate the Calming Collar to a local rescue group or shelter instead of returning it to us.

You can learn more at our website, www.calmingcollars.com. They are $36 and s/h within the US is free for orders over $50. Use Coupon Code CHLOESPLAYHOUSE to receive a discounted price for reading this post!

Dog wearing Calming Collar

***For Pet sitting and Dog Walking needs in South Charlotte visit www.chloesplayhouse.com.***

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