As pet parents wanting to give our pet companions the absolute best lives possible, we know that training can be the perfect recipe for a headache. But guess what? Training doesn’t have to be stressful! While CBD is a wonderful supplement to support a normal inflammatory response, a healthy digestive tract, and overall wellness, it can also promote calmness and relaxation during the most stressful moments. It’s time to make for much calmer training sessions by administering your pet’s favorite CBD supplement beforehand!
Why Training Can Be Stressful for Pets?
When you feel stressed, your pet most likely can sense it too. If you start to bring negative energy into your dog’s training session, probably, it won’t be a pleasant experience. It’s extremely important to know that perfected dog training does not happen overnight, so we need to treat each experience with positivity, so you and your dog don’t get discouraged. Bringing optimism to your pup’s training session can do wonders for you and your pet’s relationship.
Just like it can be stressful for us humans to grasp a new concept, it can be stressful for dogs to hear commands over and over—especially when dogs are not born to understand English. It can be beneficial to demonstrate what you want your dog to do along with the command word to help them understand easier.
Consider using positive reinforcement when demonstrating commands to your dog. Positive reinforcement is a training technique that rewards good behavior with treats, praise, or affection. This technique has been proven to be more effective than punishment-based training, as it encourages dogs to repeat good behavior rather than avoid bad behavior. When demonstrating a command, give your dog a treat or praise them when they perform the desired action. This will help them associate the command with positive outcomes, making them more likely to follow it in the future.
It can also be helpful to keep your training sessions short to not overload your dog’s brain so they can retain information better. About 15 minutes of dog training per day is the goal, this timing can be split up into shorter sessions throughout the day as needed. If your pup can’t focus for 15 minutes, start with 5 min long training session a day.
How Can CBD Help Promote Calmness?
You may be asking yourself, what is CBD? In every mammal’s body is an Endocannabinoid System (ECS). When a human or animal consumes CBD, it activates their ECS. The ECS creates a two-way communication system between the brain and various parts of the body. This is why you may hear of CBD helping out in so many different areas.
Many pet parents use CBD to keep their pets calm during stressful situations. The most common uses for using CBD for pets are during fireworks or thunderstorms, traveling, and being home alone.
Just like these can be nervous triggers in your dog, dog training can also be one of those triggers. CBD can help promote calmness and relaxation to keep your pet’s stress levels down when their faced with a situation that seems out of the ordinary to them—like dog training.
Other Calming Ingredients
Along with CBD, look for products that provide additional functional ingredients that may also promote calmness. An example of one functional, calming ingredient would be chamomile! Chamomile can offer a calming effect on your dog’s nerves. This ingredient can be a significant inclusion to your pet’s CBD chews to offer even more calming effects during situations that can make your pup express nervousness.
Another functional ingredient that has been proven to promote calmness in dogs is L-theanine. L-theanine is an amino acid found in green tea that has been shown to reduce anxiety and promote relaxation in both humans and dogs. Look for products that contain L-theanine along with CBD and chamomile for maximum calming effects. It’s also important to note that while these ingredients may be beneficial for promoting calmness, it’s always best to consult with your veterinarian before administering any new supplements or medications to your pet.
When Should I Administer CBD for Dog Training?
You should always administer your pet’s CBD at least an hour before a potential stressful event like dog training. This way, the CBD has enough time to kick in so you can have a chill training session with your dog.
Of course, it can be administered every day as CBD can provide additional benefits to your dog’s body. But if you’re not looking for a product to administer every single day, administering before stressful situations works too!
It’s important to note that the effects of CBD may vary depending on your pet’s individual metabolism and the specific product you’re using. Some products may take longer to kick in than others, so it’s best to test out different doses and administration times to see what works best for your pet. Additionally, it’s important to start with a low dose of CBD and gradually increase it as needed to avoid any potential side effects or adverse reactions. Always consult with your veterinarian before administering CBD or any other supplements to your pet.
How Do I Administer CBD?
As CBD is available in many different products, it’s important to find the correct usage for your pet! Many CBD products for pets contain a usage guide on the packaging. This guide usually bases the recommended amount on how much your dog weighs. Whether it’s CBD oil or CBD chews, there should be a recommended usage amount that you should be administering to your dog listed directly on the packaging.
It’s also important to note how the CBD should be administered. Some CBD products are better administered on an empty stomach for max absorption, while some are designed to be administered during or after mealtime. Whichever it is, make sure to research the product before buying so you can choose which product would be the most convenient to administer to your dog before a training session.
Make sure to purchase the best potency based on your dog’s size. CBD brands often have potencies for small, medium, and large breed dogs so you can best decipher which product would be best for your dog based on their size.
Use CBD as Training Rewards
Thinking about other ways you can incorporate CBD into your dog’s training sessions? Try using CBD chews as rewards for your pup! It’s best to use soft chews as they can be easily broken up, so you can administer to your dog in smaller pieces during training. Providing your pup with bite-sized rewards can help them stay focused, so you don’t have to wait for your pup to chew a bigger treat. Plus, it can help the training session move right along without any interruptions. Pet Releaf offers many different flavors of CBD-infused Soft Chew Edibites to keep your dog interested in training while also providing a calmer session. Don’t worry, there are no known overdoses on full spectrum CBD, so administering a little during training is okay for extra calming support.
It’s important to keep your dog focused during a training session, so offering different flavors of treats may keep your dog interested. Try a multitude of flavors of CBD chews by purchasing trial-size versions for your pup so they can have a variety of flavors to pique their curiosity!
Not sure which CBD product to try for your dog’s training stress? Pet Releaf CBD for pets has a Product Finder on their website that can help you find the best match for your pet depending on their age, weight, and specific health requirements. Plus, it gives an option to sign up for their email list so you can receive special deals!