Fireworks. Thunderstorms. Road trips. Houseguests who don’t understand that dogs have personal space too. If summer sounds like a highlight reel of your dog’s least favorite things, you’re not imagining it — and you’re not alone.

Dog anxiety is real, it’s common, and left unaddressed, it escalates. We’ve all heard the stories: the dog who ate the couch while their family was at the Fourth of July parade. The one who shook for three hours after a thunderstorm passed. A friend’s Aussie with separation anxiety who, left alone for less than 30 minutes, became so panicked she broke through a window to get outside. Thankfully she was found safe — but the experience was a nightmare for her and her mom.

The good news: there are more effective, natural options now than ever before. This guide walks you through all of them.

The Summer Anxiety Trifecta (Plus One)

Dogs don’t need a reason to be anxious, but summer hands them several:

Fireworks and loud events. The Fourth of July is consistently one of the highest days for lost pets in the U.S. The booms are unpredictable, they’re loud, and there’s no way to explain to your dog that they’re celebratory. Same goes for outdoor concerts, races, and anything else that produces unexpected noise.

Thunderstorms. Most dogs sense them before you do — the drop in barometric pressure, the static electricity in the air. Storm anxiety can start well before the first rumble and last long after the last one.

Travel and car rides. For some dogs, car rides are the best part of life. For others, they’re a source of genuine stress — and summer means more of them.

Visitors and disrupted routine. Houseguests, barbecues, kids out of school, schedules that shift — anything that disrupts the predictability your dog relies on can trigger anxiety. Some dogs handle novelty fine. Others very much do not.

Your Natural Anxiety Toolkit

There’s no single solution that works for every dog — anxiety is personal. What helps is understanding your options and layering them thoughtfully. Here’s what we carry and what each approach does best.

CBD and CBDA: The Heavy Hitters

If your dog has moderate to significant anxiety, CBD is where we’d start the conversation. It has the deepest body of research behind it and the widest range of applications — from situational anxiety (a specific storm or car ride) to ongoing daily stress.

What the research says:

A 2023 study on PubMed measured the impact of a single CBD dose on dogs experiencing car travel or separation anxiety and found significant improvements across multiple stress markers — serum cortisol, heart rate, heart rate variability, and anxious behavior.

A separate 2023 study in the Journal of Animal Science followed dogs receiving daily CBD over six months and found consistent reductions in stress responses to car travel. The same study confirmed CBD is safe for healthy dogs at recommended doses with no adverse health effects.

What is CBD, exactly?

CBD (cannabidiol) is a non-psychoactive compound found in hemp. Dogs — like humans — have receptors in their nervous system that interact with CBD compounds, helping regulate mood, pain response, energy, appetite, and sleep. It won’t get your dog high. Pet CBD products are made from hemp, not marijuana, and the THC present (up to 0.3%) is far too low to have any intoxicating effect.

What is CBDA?

CBDA (cannabidiolic acid) is the raw, unheated precursor to CBD. It’s more bioavailable than CBD — meaning it’s absorbed more readily by the body — and is believed to be up to 19x more effective at stimulating serotonin release. For dogs who haven’t responded well to CBD, CBDA is often worth trying.

Choosing and Using CBD Safely

Never give your dog CBD products made for humans — human products may contain THC at levels that are toxic to pets. Check with your vet before starting CBD if your dog takes any medication. Third-party testing is non-negotiable: only trust brands that publish their results.

ElleVet is made right here in South Portland, Maine, and is among the most clinically researched CBD brands in the pet space — widely recommended by veterinarians. Austin & Kat and Super Snouts Hemp Company round out our core CBD lineup. All three are brands we believe in deeply.

Dosing basics:

Start low — around 2mg of CBD per 10 lbs of body weight — and increase from there based on your dog’s response. For situational anxiety (like a fireworks event), give CBD 30–60 minutes before the trigger. For daily stress, consistent dosing builds up over time for better effect.

Calming Chews: Hemp Meets Botanicals

Calming chews occupy a middle ground worth understanding: unlike straight CBD oils or tinctures, these formulas pair hemp extract with botanicals and amino acids for a multi-mechanism approach. The hemp works on the endocannabinoid system while the plant compounds address anxiety through separate pathways — serotonin production, nervous system support, adaptogenic stress response. For many dogs, the combination is more effective than either approach alone.

Austin & Kat Bailey’s No More Wiggles Chews are our top hybrid chew for a reason.  Hemp is paired with valerian root, chamomile, passionflower, and L-tryptophan — plus a medicinal mushroom blend (lion’s mane, reishi, cordyceps, turkey tail) that supports long-term nervous system health. It’s a particularly good option for dogs with chronic or layered anxiety, where adaptogenic support matters as much as situational relief.

Super Snouts Chill Out Soft Chews combine broad spectrum hemp extract with chamomile, passionflower, and L-tryptophan in a grain-free, veterinarian-formulated soft chew that works for both dogs and cats. The hemp is USA-farmed and delivered via a water-soluble nano-emulsion for better absorption than standard oil-based formats. Good for situational use (hand one out before the fireworks start) or daily dosing for dogs with ongoing anxiety. Simple ingredient list, no fillers, and a track record that speaks for itself.

Both are good options for dogs with mild to moderate anxiety who need a little extra support on high-stress days.

Lick Toys and Frozen Treats: Calm Through Engagement

This category is underrated and worth knowing about. Sustained licking activates the parasympathetic nervous system — the “rest and digest” mode — which counteracts the fight-or-flight response anxiety triggers. It’s not just distraction; it’s physiological.

WOOF Calming Pops are long-lasting lick treats infused with natural calming agents — passionflower, tryptophan, and magnesium — that provide 20 to 40 minutes of focused engagement. The Pops fit into the WOOF Pupsicle toy, which makes it just challenging enough to  and one to your dog when you hear the first firework. It won’t eliminate anxiety on its own, but paired with CBD or a calming chew, it gives your dog something productive to do with their nervous energy.

WOOF Pupsicle Calming Pops Mix is a freeze-at-home powder you mix with water and pour into a into the WOOF Pupsicle Treat Tray, so you can make your own Calming Pops. The formula includes L-tryptophan, L-theanine, GABA, and chamomile — a solid lineup for promoting relaxation and better sleep. Make a batch before a known stressful event (a holiday weekend, a long car trip day) and you’ll have them ready. The WOOF Pupsicle treat tray is sold separately.

WOOF Calming LickMix is similar to the Calming Pop Mix, but it’s designed for spreading on the WOOF FlipMat.  Lick mats tap into dogs’ ing natural inclination to self-soothe by licking. The FlipMat helps reduce anxiety during grooming, thunderstorms, or vet visits by releasing calming hormones as their tongue is stimulated by licking the mat.  When the physical impact of licking is combined with the botanical calmers in the LickMix, it creates the ultimate soothing treat and toy in one.

Weighted Calming Vests and Blankets: Pressure Therapy

The same principle behind weighted blankets for humans — deep pressure stimulation promotes relaxation by activating the parasympathetic nervous system — applies to dogs. Gentle, even pressure helps many anxious dogs settle during storms, fireworks, and travel.

Canada Pooch Weighted Calming Vest is our weighted wearable of choice. It’s thoughtfully designed — better fit and finish than most options in this category. For best results, introduce it before a stressful event rather than throwing it on mid-panic. Let your dog wear it on calm days first, so the vest becomes a comfort signal rather than something they associate only with scary situations.

Canada Pooch Weighted Calm Blanket is the companion piece for dogs who do better at home during stressful events — ideal for the dog who wants to burrow under something during a storm. It also works beautifully for travel crates or car rides where the vest isn’t practical.

What About Cats?

Cats experience anxiety too — they’re just better at hiding it. Summer travel, houseguests, and disrupted routines affect cats as much as dogs, even if the signs are subtler (hiding, over-grooming, changes in appetite or litter box behavior).

We carry Austin & Kat Purrfect Feline Formula and Pet Naturals Calming Chews for cats — a smaller selection, but strong options. Dosing for cats: start around 3mg CBD per 10 lbs and adjust from there.

How to Layer These Approaches

For mild anxiety: a calming chew or lick toy is often enough.

For moderate anxiety: CBD plus a calming chew or lick toy gives you multiple mechanisms working together.

For significant storm or fireworks anxiety: CBD dosed 30–60 minutes before the event, a calming chew on board, a lick toy in hand, and the weighted vest on — this is a legitimate multi-pronged plan.

For daily or chronic anxiety: daily CBD, consistent routine, and calming chews as needed for high-stress days.

When in doubt, talk to your vet — especially if your dog’s anxiety is severe or if they’re on any medications. Some dogs need prescription support, and there’s no shame in that.

Shop Calming Relief for Dogs

Browse our full Calming for Dogs collection — or stop in and talk to us. Helping you find the right fit for your specific dog is genuinely our favorite thing to do.

Questions about any of these products? Email us at webstore@thefishandbone.com or call 207.773.5450. Same-day delivery available in Portland, ME.