Published by Herb & Hound Co. | Natural Canine Health, NZ Made
You already know Maude. She’s the little Corgi whose health journey started Herb & Hound Co. — but what we haven’t talked about as much is that Maude’s challenges weren’t only physical.
When Maude came into our lives, she was nervous in a way that went bone-deep. Not the excitable, overwhelmed kind of nervous you see in a puppy encountering the world for the first time. Something quieter and more entrenched than that. If we had guests over, she’d disappear into the bushes and wait them out. Walk past her too quickly, move suddenly in her direction, and she’d flinch. She wasn’t aggressive — she was just a dog who had learned, somewhere along the way, that the world wasn’t entirely safe.
Living with a nervous dog is its own particular experience. You become hyperaware of the things you’d never normally notice — the volume of your voice, the angle of your approach, who’s coming through the door and how they’ll react when the dog doesn’t bound over to greet them. You learn to read your dog the way you’d read a room.
CanineCalm came out of that experience. Not as a daily fix, not as something to flatten Maude’s personality or sedate her into compliance — but as a tool for the moments when the world gets a bit too loud for her. Fireworks night. A few people are coming over. A new environment that would usually send her straight to the bushes.
It doesn’t replace the slow, patient work of building a nervous dog’s confidence. But it helps take the edge off enough for that work to actually happen.
What Does Anxiety Actually Look Like in Dogs?
Anxiety in dogs is far more common than most people realise — and far more varied in how it shows up. Because dogs can’t tell us they’re anxious, we have to learn to read the signals their bodies send instead.
Some signs are obvious. Others are so subtle they’re easy to mistake for quirks of personality or simply “just how this dog is.”
Physical signs:
Trembling or shaking, particularly in specific situations
Excessive panting when it isn’t hot
Yawning repeatedly in stressful situations (a classic calming signal)
Drooling more than usual
Dilated pupils
Ears pinned back flat against the head
Tail tucked low or between the legs
Shedding heavily during stressful events
Behavioural signs:
Hiding — under furniture, in bushes, in another room
Flinching at sudden movements or sounds
Refusing food in certain situations (a nervous dog often won’t eat)
Excessive licking — of themselves, of people, of surfaces
Destructive behaviour when left alone
Barking, whining, or howling beyond what seems warranted
Pacing or inability to settle
Avoidance of eye contact or turning away from interaction
“Whale eye” — showing the whites of the eyes when approached
Easily missed signs:
Lip licking when there’s no food around
Nose licking repeatedly
Looking away or turning the head when approached
Freezing in place
Suddenly becoming very still or stiff. The last category is particularly important. Many of these are what animal behaviourists call “calming signals” — a dog’s attempt to communicate discomfort and de-escalate a situation they find threatening. A dog who consistently does these things isn’t being aloof or difficult.
They’re asking for space, the only way they know how.
The Difference Between Fear, Anxiety, and Phobia
These three terms are often used interchangeably, but they describe meaningfully different
experiences — and understanding the distinction helps you respond more effectively.
Fear is a response to something present and immediate. A dog who backs away from a stranger approaching too fast is experiencing fear. It’s a normal, healthy response that serves a protective function. The problem arises when fear responses are triggered by things that aren’t actually threatening, or when the response is disproportionate to the situation.
Anxiety is anticipatory — it’s the distress that comes from expecting something bad, even before anything has actually happened. A dog who starts pacing and panting an hour before their owner typically leaves for work isn’t reacting to being alone; they’re reacting to the pattern of signals that predict it. Anxiety tends to be more chronic and more wearing than acute fear.
Phobia is an extreme, persistent fear response to a specific trigger — often completely out of proportion to any real threat. Thunderstorm phobia is one of the most well-documented examples in dogs. A phobic dog isn’t being dramatic; their nervous system is genuinely in crisis.
Maude’s nervousness sits in the anxiety and fear category rather than phobia — a general wariness of the world and the people in it, rooted most likely in her early experiences before she came to us.
Why Some Dogs Are More Anxious Than Others
Anxiety in dogs isn’t a character flaw or a training failure. It’s the product of genetics, early experience, and environment — often in combination.
Genetics play a real role. Some breeds are more predisposed to anxious temperaments — Border Collies, German Shepherds, Vizslas, and various herding breeds tend toward higher sensitivity and reactivity. Corgis fall into this category, too, bred for centuries to work closely with people and livestock, which often comes with a highly tuned nervous system. InMaude’s case, that sensitivity just needed the right environment and support to find its footing.
Early socialisation is enormously influential. The window between roughly 3 and 14 weeks of age is when puppies form their foundational understanding of what’s safe and what isn’t. Puppies who have limited positive exposure to people, sounds, environments, and other animals during this period are significantly more likely to develop anxiety later in life.
Trauma and negative experiences can create lasting anxiety responses, particularly if they occurred during sensitive developmental periods. Dogs adopted from shelters, puppies from difficult breeding situations, or dogs who’ve experienced abuse or neglect often carry anxiety as a lasting legacy of those experiences.
Health and pain are underappreciated contributors. A dog who’s in chronic pain may become anxious, reactive, or withdrawn in ways that look behavioural but are actually physical. If anxiety develops suddenly in an older dog with no clear trigger, a veterinary check for underlying pain or illness is always worthwhile.
Lack of predictability — dogs are creatures of routine. Environments that are chaotic, unpredictable, or inconsistent can create or worsen anxiety even in dogs with no particular predisposition.
Breeds with Higher Anxiety Tendencies
While any dog can experience anxiety, these breeds are particularly well known for their sensitivity:
Border Collies and other herding breeds — high intelligence and drive that easily tips into anxiety without adequate stimulation and structure
Vizslas — known as “velcro dogs,” they can develop significant separation anxiety
German Shepherds — loyal and sensitive; prone to anxiety when under-stimulated or under-socialised
Cavalier King Charles Spaniels — sweet-natured but often anxious, particularly around loud noises
Lagotto Romagnolos — noise sensitivity is well-documented in this breed
Rescue dogs of unknown background — not a breed, but a group with statistically higher rates of anxiety due to uncertain early histories
What Actually Helps a Nervous Dog
This is the question every owner of an anxious dog eventually arrives at — and the honest answer is that there’s no single solution. What works is usually a combination of approaches, applied patiently over time.
Build trust through consistency. Anxious dogs need to be able to predict their world. Consistent routines, predictable interactions, and a calm household environment are the foundation on which everything else builds. This isn’t glamorous advice, but it’s the most important.
Let them set the pace. One of the most counterproductive things well-meaning people do with nervous dogs is push them toward interaction before they’re ready — forcing a cuddle, encouraging a stranger to pet them when the dog is clearly uncomfortable. Learning to read and respect your dog’s signals, and letting them choose when to engage, builds confidence far more effectively than forcing exposure.
Positive, reward-based training. Nervous dogs respond beautifully to reward-based training — it gives them agency, builds confidence, and strengthens their relationship with you. Short, positive sessions focused on simple wins can make a remarkable difference over months.
Gradual desensitisation. Carefully controlled, very gradual exposure to triggers — at low enough intensity that the dog doesn’t tip into anxiety — can slowly shift their association from threat to neutral. This is best done with the guidance of a qualified animal behaviourist for anything beyond mild anxiety.
Create safe spaces. Every nervous dog needs somewhere that is unambiguously theirs — a crate, a bed in a quiet corner, a spot under a desk. Somewhere they can retreat when the world gets too much, and where no one will bother them. Maude has hers, and she uses it.
Consider herbal support for high-stress moments. This is where something like a botanical calming formula can play a genuinely useful role — not as a daily crutch, but as a tool for the situations you know are going to be hard. Fireworks. Guests. Car trips. A vet visit. Taking the edge off in those moments gives a nervous dog a slightly better chance of getting through the experience without it reinforcing their fear.
Traditional Botanicals Used for Canine Calm
Herbal medicine has a long tradition of using certain plants to support the nervous system — reducing the intensity of anxiety responses, promoting relaxation, and helping the body manage stress more effectively. Some of the most respected botanicals in this space
include:
Valerian Root (Valeriana officinalis) One of the most widely used calming herbs in both human and veterinary contexts. Traditionally used to reduce nervous tension, support restful sleep, and ease anxiety responses.
Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata) A gentle but effective nervine — a herb that acts on the nervous system. Traditionally used to reduce restlessness and anxiety, particularly situational anxiety triggered by specific events.
Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) Familiar to most people as a calming tea, chamomile has a well-established tradition of use for mild anxiety, nervous digestion, and general relaxation. Gentle enough for sensitive systems.
Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora) A traditional North American herb used to calm an overactive nervous system. Often used for dogs who are reactive, highly strung, or struggling to settle.
Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis) A member of the mint family with a long history of use for anxiety, nervous tension, and sleep support. Often combined with other calming herbs for a gentle, synergistic effect.
Always consult your vet before introducing herbal supplements, particularly if your dog is on any existing medication.
A Realistic Note on What Herbal Calm Support Can and Can’t Do
We want to be honest about this, because we think honesty is more useful than promises.
Herbal calming support is not a substitute for behaviour work, training, or veterinary care for severe anxiety. It won’t transform a deeply fearful dog overnight, and it isn’t designed to sedate or suppress.
What it can do — what we’ve seen it do for Maude — is take enough of the edge off that the harder work becomes possible. A dog who’s at a seven out of ten in terms of anxiety might come down to a four. They’re still aware. Still themselves. But they can actually engage with the world enough to begin forming new associations with the things that used to terrify them.
That’s not nothing; for Maude, it’s been the difference between hiding in the bushes and cautiously joining the room.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute veterinary advice. For dogs with severe anxiety, please consult a qualified veterinarian or certified animal behaviourist.