A car ride, time apart, or a change in routine can feel very different from one dog to the next. That's what makes research into canine stress useful: it looks beyond a general impression of calm and measures specific responses.
CBD has attracted interest in this area. Studies in dogs offer encouraging findings for some measures of stress, while also showing why the setting, formulation, and individual dog matter.
What is CBD?
CBD, short for cannabidiol, is a compound found in cannabis, including hemp. It is distinct from THC, the cannabinoid associated with intoxication.
Dogs have an endocannabinoid system that helps regulate a range of physiological processes. CBD's actions are complex and involve multiple biological targets; describing it as simply switching off anxiety would go beyond what the research establishes. [1]
What have researchers found about stress?
A blinded study published in 2023 examined dogs during brief separation or a short car journey. Researchers compared a THC-free CBD distillate with placebo and measured physiological and behavioral responses, rather than relying only on whether a dog looked relaxed.
Some measures showed lower stress responses with CBD, but the effect varied by test and outcome. The car journey produced a clearer overall stress response than the separation test. [2]
A 2024 study followed 19 dogs over six months during repeated car journeys. Compared with placebo, the CBD group showed reductions in measures including cortisol and certain stress-related behaviors at some time points. The findings were not consistent across all measures or occasions. [3]
These studies help explain the interest in CBD for canine calm. They do not establish that every CBD chew treats anxiety or produces the same response in every dog.
Why the formula matters
The published stress studies used particular CBD preparations and weight-based research doses. A soft chew with a fixed CBD amount is a different format, so you shouldn't treat its label as a direct copy of a study protocol.
The useful question is not just whether a product contains hemp. It is how much CBD it supplies, what else it contains, and whether there is relevant evidence for the claim.
Hemp oil and CBD are different label numbers.
Dog Day Calming Soft Chews contain 6.25 mg of broad-spectrum hemp oil per 3-gram chew, providing 5 mg of CBD.
Those figures describe different things. The hemp oil amount is the total extract ingredient. The CBD amount is the portion identified as cannabidiol. For understanding the CBD content, the relevant number is 5 mg per chew.
Broad-spectrum describes an extract category rather than a precise CBD strength. To check cannabinoid content, use the product's ingredient information and an available batch-specific certificate of analysis rather than relying on the category name alone.
FAQs
Does a calmer dog have to be sleepy?
Sleepiness and reduced stress are different outcomes. The studies above measured behaviors and physiological responses, which is more informative than using drowsiness as the definition of success.
Is hemp seed oil the same as CBD?
No. Hemp seed oil is a different ingredient and is not equivalent to a CBD-containing hemp extract. Look for an explicitly stated CBD amount when comparing products.
Can I copy a dose from a study?
Study doses describe an experiment, not personalized instructions for your dog. Discuss CBD with your veterinarian, particularly if your dog takes medication, because interactions and side effects can occur. [1]
Explore Dog Day Calming Soft Chews
Take a closer look at Dog Day Calming Soft Chews, their broad-spectrum hemp ingredient, and the 5 mg of CBD provided in each chew. Use the product directions alongside a calm routine and guidance suited to your dog.