We adopted a Pitbull/Husky mix and boy did our lives change.
We expected the usual hyperactivity from Jiminy Cricket, but she was out of control. Even though we had a Belgian Shepherd in the past and thought we are ready for this, we were mistaken.
We had more than enough time to train our new addition to the family as we got our puppy right before Covid. We implemented the following strategies to help with her extreme amount of energy and anxiety: crate training, time-outs, solidified household routines, frequent trips to the dog parks.
We exercised her to the point of exhaustion, gave her plenty of mental and social stimulation, collaborated with a dog trainer, kept her on a scheduled sleep cycle, and observed for signs of anxiety—and yet she kept bouncing off the walls! We felt overwhelmed and thought that we had tried every method in the book and still our furry friend was ready for more.
For us, CBD was a final effort. I researched and contacted three of the top CBD brands for pets and decided to give them a shot. After using each of their products consistently, the most effective brand was Healthy Paws Herbal (https://healthypawsherbals.com). I was able to speak with Dr. Kyle Burton and he offered advice on which product was right for Jiminy, based on her symptoms, dosage and how to administer the tincture.
The main reason we thought CBD could help our dog is that our furry friends have an endocannabinoid system, which is the system that CBD interacts with in the human body. CBD has been shown to help reduce anxiety in dogs, while also helping them to relax and feel at ease.
Boosting endocannabinoids such as anandamide bolsters a dog’s ability to process and manage their energy, contributing to a more stable and relaxed daily state of being. On their own, CBD and the endocannabinoid system are unlikely to solve canine hyperactivity, but they are a fantastic way to boost the effectiveness of other training methods and wider lifestyle changes.
CBD oil is not a sedative, so using it on our pride and joy with lots of excess energy was not going to knock her out—and that is not the result we wanted. The theory is that dogs who are hyperactive (but are not suffering from hyperkinesis) will benefit from CBD’s ability to increase homeostasis in the body, reducing internal inflammation.
Using CBD to build a more relaxed foundation gave our puppy a better opportunity to begin learning those behaviors that can help mitigate their hyperactivity. A more relaxed dog should be more receptive to training and take away our anxiety of having an energy filled husky.
Dr. Rob Pomahac was named “Top Chiropractor” by Los Angeles Magazine in 2018. A Canadian native and ex-professional hockey player and bodybuilder, he specializes in spine pathology and ligament instability, Dr. Rob is certified in Chiropractic BioPhysics and is an Associate Member of the American Academy of Regenerative Medicine. He earned his Doctor of Chiropractic from Southern California University of Health Sciences and holds a Masters in Science, Specializing in Kinesiology, from Canada’s University of Waterloo. For more information on Dr. Rob visit DrRobPomahac.com
