If you've searched for help with your anxious dog, you've probably come across Adaptil. The marketing promises are appealing: a drug-free way to calm your dog using the same pheromones a mother dog produces to comfort her puppies.

But does it work?

The honest answer is: it depends. Adaptil has genuine science behind it and real benefits in specific situations—but it's not the miracle solution the packaging suggests, and it won't help with many common problems people buy it for.

This guide cuts through the marketing to give you an evidence-based picture of what Adaptil can and can't do, so you can decide whether it's worth trying for your dog.

The Quick Answer

Should You Try Adaptil for Your Dog?

What Is Adaptil and How Does It Work?

Adaptil is a synthetic copy of Dog Appeasing Pheromone (DAP)—a chemical signal naturally produced by lactating mother dogs. In nature, this pheromone is secreted from glands near the nipples during nursing and serves to comfort and reassure puppies during their first weeks of life.

Dogs detect pheromones through a specialised organ called the vomeronasal organ (VNO), located in the roof of the mouth. Unlike regular scents processed through the nose, pheromone signals travel directly to the limbic system—the emotional centre of the brain—triggering an innate calming response.

This pathway remains intact throughout a dog's life. Adult dogs still have the biological hardware to receive the comfort and safety message, even though they no longer need it from their mother. This is why Adaptil can work for dogs of any age—though as we'll see, the strength of evidence varies considerably.

Because pheromones work through this dedicated pathway rather than entering the bloodstream, Adaptil is genuinely safe. There's no risk of overdose, no drug interactions, and it can be used alongside any medication. It also only affects dogs—cats, birds, fish, and humans won't notice it at all.

Where Adaptil Has Good Evidence

Puppies Settling Into New Homes

This is where Adaptil shines. The research here is the most robust we have for any DAP application.

In controlled trials, puppies wearing Adaptil Junior collars cried at night for a median of three nights, compared to nine nights for puppies without.¹ In another study, vocalisation stopped completely by night five in the Adaptil group, while control puppies disturbed their owners for an average of nearly nine nights.²

Beyond reducing crying, puppies using Adaptil showed less fearfulness, adapted faster to their new homes, and displayed less frantic contact-seeking behaviour. The effect was measurable within the first few days.

Puppy Socialisation and Training

Puppies wearing Adaptil collars during training classes showed significantly lower levels of fear and anxiety, better responses to training, and calmer behaviour overall. They were less vocal, less aroused, and displayed more relaxed body language (like rolling over).³

Perhaps most importantly, these benefits persisted. Follow-up surveys found that Adaptil-treated puppies were still better socialised and more adaptable up to one year after their training classes ended.

If you're bringing home a new puppy, Adaptil Junior represents one of the more evidence-based things you can do to support their transition and early development.

Where Evidence Is Mixed or Moderate

Adult Dogs Adjusting to a New Home

For adult dogs transitioning from a shelter or rescue into a new home, there's moderate evidence that Adaptil can help during the initial adjustment period. Studies showed reduced restlessness, less fearful hiding, and decreased shadow behaviour (following owners everywhere). Owner satisfaction increased substantially over the first two months.⁴

However, this benefit appears to be a short-term transition buffer rather than a long-term anxiety solution. Adaptil helps ease the initial stress of change—it doesn't resolve underlying anxiety disorders.

Noise Phobia (Fireworks, Thunderstorms)

The evidence here is genuinely mixed. Adaptil does appear to reduce active signs of fear during noise events—things like running around, startling, and frantic escape attempts. Dogs using Adaptil were also more likely to use a hiding spot (which is a healthier coping strategy than panicking).⁵

However, Adaptil showed no significant effect on passive fear responses—trembling, freezing, and cowering. If your dog's noise phobia manifests primarily as shaking and hiding rather than panicking and running, you may see limited benefit.

The research also suggests Adaptil works better for noise phobia when combined with desensitisation training and environmental management (like creating a safe, sound-dampened space). As a standalone treatment, results are inconsistent.

Where Evidence Is Weak

Adult Separation Anxiety

This is where many people's hopes meet disappointing reality. Despite being widely marketed for separation anxiety, the evidence for Adaptil helping adult dogs with this problem is weak.

One study in hospitalised dogs (a specific, controlled environment) did show reduced pacing, excessive licking, and inappropriate elimination.⁶ But a laboratory study of dogs separated from their owners found no significant improvement in barking, scratching, whining, howling, or trembling.⁷

For genuine separation anxiety in adult dogs—especially severe or long-standing cases—Adaptil is unlikely to be sufficient. These dogs typically need a comprehensive behaviour modification program, often with medication support.

Travel Anxiety

Adaptil Transport spray is marketed specifically for car travel, but critical reviews have found no high-quality evidence that it helps dogs who are anxious about car journeys.^8,10 The consensus is that there's no harm in trying, but don't expect reliable results.

It's also crucial to distinguish travel anxiety from motion sickness. If your dog drools, vomits, or shows nausea during car rides, that's a physiological problem that Adaptil cannot address. Motion sickness needs different treatment entirely.

Veterinary Visits

Studies suggest possible benefit in the waiting room, but Adaptil showed no effect during examination or handling.⁸ If your dog is anxious at the vet, the spray might take a slight edge off the waiting experience, but it won't help when they're on the table.

Where Adaptil Won't Help

Be realistic about these limitations:

Aggression — Even when fear is involved, Adaptil is not appropriate. Aggression needs a proper behavioural assessment and structured plan. Relying on pheromones delays treatment and increases risk.

Hyperactivity and over-excitement — If your dog's problem is too much energy rather than anxiety, Adaptil won't help. These dogs need exercise, mental stimulation, and training—not pheromones.

Boredom — Destructive behaviour or restlessness caused by insufficient stimulation isn't anxiety. It's a lifestyle problem.

Lack of training — Adaptil doesn't teach anything. House soiling from incomplete toilet training, jumping up, or pulling on lead won't improve with pheromones.

Long-term shelter or kennel stress — Adaptil is ineffective for dogs in chronic institutional environments. The ongoing stress of long-term kennelling overwhelms whatever comfort the pheromone might provide.⁹

How Strong Is the Evidence Overall?

A note on interpreting the research: most Adaptil studies are manufacturer-funded, which doesn't invalidate them but is worth knowing. Independent systematic reviews have concluded that evidence for using DAP to manage anxiety in dogs over six months of age remains weak.^8,10

This doesn't mean Adaptil never works for adult dogs. Individual responses vary considerably—some dogs show dramatic improvement, others show none at all. But it does mean you should have realistic expectations rather than assuming it will solve your problem.

My Clinical View: When to Try Adaptil

Based on the evidence and clinical experience, here's my framework:

Frequently Asked Questions

When Your Dog Needs More Than Adaptil

If your dog's anxiety is significantly affecting their quality of life—or yours—pheromones alone are unlikely to be the answer.

Signs you should seek professional help:

• Destructive behaviour when left alone
• Inability to settle, constant pacing or panting
• Aggression of any kind
• Self-harm (excessive licking, tail chasing)
• Severe fear responses that don't improve
• Anxiety that's getting worse over time

A behaviour veterinarian can properly assess what's driving your dog's behaviour, develop a tailored treatment plan, and discuss whether medication might help. For moderate to severe anxiety, this comprehensive approach is far more likely to succeed than over-the-counter products alone.

References

1. Taylor K, Mills DS. A placebo-controlled study to investigate the effect of Dog Appeasing Pheromone and other environmental and management factors on the reports of disturbance and house soiling during the night in recently adopted puppies (Canis familiaris). Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 2007;105(4):358-368. doi:10.1016/j.applanim.2006.11.016
2. Gaultier E, Bonnafous L, Vienet-Legué D, et al. Efficacy of dog-appeasing pheromone in reducing stress associated with social isolation in newly adopted puppies. Veterinary Record. 2008;163:73-80.
3. Denenberg S, Landsberg GM. Effects of dog-appeasing pheromones on anxiety and fear in puppies during training and on long-term socialization. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. 2008;233(12):1874-1882. doi:10.2460/javma.233.12.1874
4. Osella MC, Bergamasco L, Odore R, Beck A, Gazzano A. Adaptive mechanisms in dogs adopted from shelters: A behavioral assessment of the use of a synthetic analogue of the canine appeasing pheromone. Dog Behaviour. 2015;2:1-12. doi:10.4454/db.v1i2.10
5. Landsberg GM, Beck A, Lopez A, et al. Dog-appeasing pheromone collars reduce sound-induced fear and anxiety in beagle dogs: a placebo-controlled study. Veterinary Record. 2015;177(10):260. doi:10.1136/vr.103172
6. Kim YM, Lee JK, Abd el-aty AM, et al. Efficacy of dog-appeasing pheromone (DAP) for ameliorating separation-related behavioral signs in hospitalized dogs. Canadian Veterinary Journal. 2010;51(4):380-384.
7. Taylor S, Webb L, Montrose VT, Williams J. The behavioral and physiological effects of dog appeasing pheromone on canine behavior during separation from the owner. Journal of Veterinary Behavior. 2020;40:36-42. doi:10.1016/j.jveb.2020.08.001
8. Frank D, Beauchamp G, Palestrini C. Systematic review of the use of pheromones for treatment of undesirable behavior in cats and dogs. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. 2010;236(12):1308-1316. doi:10.2460/javma.236.12.1308
9. Grigg EK, Piehler M. Influence of dog appeasing pheromone (DAP) on dogs housed in a long-term kennelling facility. Veterinary Record Open. 2015;2(1):e000098. doi:10.1136/vetreco-2014-000098
10. Wong CF, Govendir M. Can dog appeasing pheromone ameliorate stress behaviours associated with anxiety in mature domestic dogs? Veterinary Evidence. 2021;6(4). doi:10.18849/ve.v6i4.421