What Recent Research Says About CBD and Stress in Dogs

If you have ever lived with an anxious dog, you know how hard it can be to watch them struggle.

For some dogs, stress shows up during thunderstorms or fireworks. For others, it can happen during car rides, separation, changes in routine, unfamiliar environments, or even at night when they have trouble fully settling.

That is one reason CBD has become such a common topic among pet parents. And while there is still a lot we do not know, researchers continue to study how cannabinoids may support canine stress and emotional wellbeing.

One recent 2026 pilot study adds another interesting piece to that conversation.

A recent study looked at CBD and stressed shelter dogs

Researchers studied 17 shelter dogs with a history of reactive or anxiety-related behaviors.

The dogs were randomly assigned to receive either a CBD- and CBDA-rich hemp extract or a placebo for four weeks.

Researchers then evaluated their behavior through video recordings and also tracked activity levels in a smaller group of the dogs using accelerometer collars.

The video-based behavior analysis did not show a statistically significant treatment effect.

But the activity data told a more interesting story.

Dogs receiving the CBD/CBDA-rich hemp extract showed increased resting and decreased activity over the course of the study, particularly at night. The placebo group did not show the same change.

The researchers suggested that this pattern could reflect a calming effect, possibly through reduced nighttime vigilance or reactivity, rather than simply making the dogs sedated.

Because this was a small pilot study and has not yet been peer reviewed, the findings should be interpreted cautiously. Still, it adds to a growing body of research examining how CBD may affect stress-related behavior in dogs. (researchgate.net)

This is not the first study to find encouraging results

A previously published study in the Journal of Animal Science also looked at CBD and canine stress.

In that study, 19 dogs were repeatedly exposed to short car rides, a situation that triggered measurable signs of stress.

Researchers monitored things like cortisol, heart rate, whining, lip licking, yawning and overall behavioral signs of anxiety.

CBD did not improve every measure, but researchers found significant reductions in several stress-related markers compared with placebo at certain time points, including cortisol, whining, lip licking and qualitative stress scores.

The authors were careful to say that more research is still needed, especially across different dog populations and different types of stress. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)

What does this actually mean for pet parents?

It does not mean CBD has been proven to treat anxiety in every dog.

It does mean researchers are continuing to investigate something pet parents have been talking about for years.

Dogs experience stress in very different ways, and what helps one dog may not be enough for another. Behavior training, environmental changes, routine, veterinary care and other forms of support can all matter.

CBD may be one more tool worth discussing as part of a broader approach to supporting a dog who struggles with stress or anxiety.

Why this research matters to us

Pet products have been some of our most-loved products at Source for years.

A huge number of people have found us because they were looking for something to support a dog who was anxious, aging, uncomfortable, reactive or simply having a hard time settling.

We have heard those stories again and again.

That is why we pay attention when new research is published.

We are not interested in pretending every new study proves everything people hope CBD can do.

We are interested in following the science as it grows, sharing what researchers are actually finding, and helping pet parents better understand what CBD may or may not be able to offer.

The research is still developing.

But it is encouraging to see canine stress and emotional wellbeing getting more serious scientific attention.

And we will keep watching.