Feliway is a pheromone therapy product meant to appease cats. There is an equivalent of Feliway for dogs as well: the Dog Appeasing Pheromone which can calm dogs and stop disturbing behaviors such as barking, whining, house soiling and tearing objects in the house. The pheromone therapy is a new discovery for veterinarian medicine, it uses synthetic pheromones in order to reduce stress in pets.
Dog Appeasing Pheromone Is Feliway for Dogs
Feliway is a synthetic product identical to natural cat facial pheromones. A cat marks his environment with these pheromones when he is feeling safe and the presence of these pheromones in a cat's environment will help him feel secure and he won’t feel the need to mark the territory by urinating in the house or scratching furniture. A product similar to Feliway has been developed for dogs: the Dog Appeasing Pheromone or DAP.
In all mammals, the mother emits certain appeasing pheromones after birth. These pheromones are meant to reassure the new born and give them a sense of comfort and security. In dogs, the lactating mother emits these pheromones for the first 3 to 5 days after giving birth.
The DAP is a synthetic product, developed by a group of French scientists and released on the veterinary market; the product mimics the appeasing pheromones of a lactating mother. Experiments have shown that DAP can help in treating stress related behavior problems in dogs.
DAP is not a sedative and has no secondary effects on dogs.
For humans, DAP has no smell and its presence cannot be detected.
Other pets won’t respond to DAP, as every species has its own pheromones and does not react to the pheromones of other species.
When to Use Dog Appeasing Pheromone
DAP can be of use in any situation that can cause stress to a dog:
- When the dog is being separated from his owner
- When new things or new people come into the dog's environment (you redecorate the house, change house, get new furniture, there’s a new baby in the house or there are new rules for the dog)
- When the environment of the dog is noisy (fireworks, thunderstorms, noisy neighborhood)
- When the dog is transported
- When the dog is being hospitalized or boarded
How to Use Dog Appeasing Pheromone
The DAP comes in two forms: as an electric diffuser or as a natural spray. Both are effective, so the choice is yours.
The DAP electric diffuser is a good alternative for the sedatives many dog owners feel compelled to use when certain events in or around the house make the dog too nervous.
The DAP diffuser is plugged in like an air-freshener and will work continuously, 24 hours a day for up to 30 days.
The DAP natural spray is a better option for traveling as it does not require electricity. The spray is an efficient way of preparing the dog's carrier or the car. The effect lasts for up to 2 hours and you can reapply as many times as needed.