DAP collars and cold weather

Does anyone else's dogs here wear a DAP collar or a Beaphar calming collar? If so, has anyone else noticed a difference in their dogs behaviour over the last few days?

I've been about ready to murder Cain over the last few days He's been just awful. Attention seeking, whiney and squeaky, restless and he has even lunged and growled at several people - something he hasn't done in months. I couldn't understand his regression in behaviour. He has just been non stop to the point I've been in tears a few times because I felt I couldn't cope with him any more.

I've witnessed this a few times before and it's always coincided with his collar running out (he used to wear DAP, he now wears a Beaphar calming collar). Two weeks ago I tried him without his collar (as we hope to wean him off them when he's ready) but his behaviour regressed so me and our dog trainer decided he still needed them and put a fresh one on him. So it was obvious that his collar wasn't running out.....then it hit me. Pheremone collars depend on body heat to work and possibly it was the very cold weather and temperature reduction that was reducing the effectiveness of the collar. The DAP instructions do say that if you put the collar in the fridge it will continue to release phermones, but at a reduced rate.

Today has been a few degrees warmer (gone from -3 to +4) and suddenly his behaviour has gone back to normal, he's settled nicely snoozing in the corner. He's back to his lovely self.

Does anyone think this cold weather has affected the collar? Has anyone with dogs wearning DAP noticed a difference?

I've been using the Beaphar calming collar for Ted to help him with the fireworks and general noise sensitivity. I can't say i have noticed that much difference but then we haven't had any fireworks He did have a little tantrum this morning when he heard some noise coming from some workmen but i put that down to us walking somewhere different and him not being as comfortable.

So not much help really!

Hi, I know the collar I got for a foster said not to get wet because it stopped it from working and that the heat of the skin activated it so could be,although my lot have been pains this week not settling even after longer than usual walks,being naughty in the house,my foster dog has decided our new settee is food and chewed a hole in it ! Also somone else I know with dogs said hers are playing up too and none of our dogs have collars so maybe theres something in the air? Perhaps they're excited that santas coming soon

Thanks for the replies guys. Egyptgal you made me chuckle Maybe I should remind Cain that Santa has a naughty and nice list....and I know which one he's on!!!

I'm glad it's not just me, he's been a total swine this week. He's had loads of long walks and more off lead time than usual due to dark empty parks, I'd thought he'd be more tired but no! He would not settle down. I felt bad because I thought maybe he was playing up because he hadn't had enough attention lately (despite all his walks and training!), so on Friday as it was quiet I booked the afternoon off specially to come home, be with him and give him an extra walk.....but by the end of it I wish I hadn't bothered. I have had more peace at work!

He was so weird that I even checked the lunar cycle to see if it was a full moon. Seriously, I did (it wasn't, it was a new moon)

However he's been a totally angel tonight, really settled, calm and sleeping. Weird...... But long may it last!

Teagan wears one of the Beapher calming collars.
First time she wore one was last year when we were doing a fun day at dog training and she would be round lots of other dogs in the same room.

This one she has had on since she had her operations on both her feet at the same time....I needed her to be calm as she had to walk as little as possible!

Not noticed anything strange with her behaviour though, sorry!

I will tell Kiki to have words this weekend Hope he carries on being an angel, my two have funny days here and there where they seem to forget every bit of training and try to be as annoying as possible so I wouldn't worry. Like the time they decided to forget what recall was, on the day OH was coming over to my house for dinner for the first time - I had to let him in the house, tell him to sit down then spent the next 10 minutes running around the fields trying to catch them. Good test though - if that didn't scare him off I knew he had to be a keeper

you could always try putting a bandana on her and spraying it with the dap spray so she gets a double-dosing. Or if she wears a dog-coat in the cold weather, spraying that with a couple of pumps.
Just thinking it may not be affected by the cold as much, but with all the snow did it get wet or frosty if she was caught out, or rolled in the snow at all?

I know my dog can be a pain in the bottom when there is snow in the air, he gets really excited (loves the stuff) maybe she just scented it was on the air?

Very interesting though! Let me know if she goes back to normal, or in the next cold spell if you have more problems.

Its very interesting as i work in a rescue, and we often use DAP on most of the dogs. Not noticed many problems, but we have had less dogs in due to not rehoming over the christmas period so stress levels are not as high as when we are full.

Thanks!

Thanks guys. Well aside from those couple of days when the weather was really cold, Cain has been back to normal. Infact he's really been enjoying the central heating and warm bed and snuggling down early instead of wanting to go out for a late night walk. He's been so well behaved that my dog trainer let him off lead around two dogs yesterday and he played well (haven't heard the full story yet, seeing him tonight at class).

He wears a fleece harness occassionally so I have been spraying some DAP on that. When he lunged at all the people on the street he hadn't had a chance to roll in snow and get it wet yet, however I was worried about the icy pavements so maybe he picked up on my doubts.

The cold weather is due to return so we'll see what happens....

Sorry to bring an old thread back up, but just for those who use Beaphar calming collars....
Had the rep in from Beaphar today, and these have been discontinued for 'legal' reasons - as in there are already a calming collar (DAP I assume), and no one can copy them, so Beaphar have had to discontinue them

Yikes! Surely you can't copyright/patent an idea that's basically mimicking an animal's natural pheromones?