The dog calming candle getting my pets through thunderstorms

dog calming candle

The coming season can be a bit much for dogs. We’ve got thunderstorms on the way, followed by bonfire night, Christmas and New Year. All of which, whilst fun for humans, aren’t for dogs – but this dog calming candle has certainly helped reduce stress in our Scamps!

Our previous Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Lyla, would cower behind or under whatever piece of furniture she could squeeze under during storms and fireworks. It can be an incredibly stressful time for them.

Phoebe and Frank dislike thunder, and bark constantly at the howling wind and flashes of lightening. They’re equally as upset about bonfire night.

Natalie Simpson-Hancock is a Staffordshire-based creator true to her Stokie heritage, and has a keen interest in pottery. She noticed that the scent of ginger helped relax her wrinkly basset hound, Albert – and decided to launch this dog calming candle!

And it’s not just coincidence! A 2018 study by Jonathon Binks et al saw that vanilla, coconut, valerian, and ginger all have a calming effect on dogs. He tested the theory on 15 Gloucestershire shelter dogs, trying different fragrances on a cloth on the floor of their kennels for half an hour intervals.

These four fragrances reduced vocalisation, and increased resting or sleeping time – with ginger and coconut found to be most effective.

Natalie’s dog calming candle is made with soy wax, ginger fragrance and two wooden wicks – it’s even got a fabulous print of Alfred on the front. These ones cost £20 and can be purchased from her Etsy shop, but she also offers a smaller candle for £10! She recommends burning the candle for around an hour for a relaxed pooch.

If we know a storm is forecast, we can light the candle 30 minutes to an hour in advance to get them in a less anxious state before it arrives. Usually, within around 20 minutes, both Scamps are relaxing in their bed, which also means I can watch Paul O’Grady’s Dogs without Frank starting a fight with the TV!

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