Vault: How Do You Handle Your Pet's Anxiety?

Summary

The Bert Show – "Vault: How Do You Handle Your Pet's Anxiety?"

Episode Date: February 12, 2026
Hosts/Cast: Bert, Kristin, Abby, Cassie, Tommy, and others
Main Theme: Coping with pet (specifically dog) anxiety, especially during life changes and home transitions

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Episode Overview

This engaging episode dives into the emotional lives of pets, centering on how dogs (and to some extent, cats) experience anxiety—most notably during significant life changes like moving homes or shifting between different households. The cast discusses their personal experiences, share advice from experts and listeners, and debate options ranging from behavioral solutions to medications and aids designed to soothe pet nerves.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

Recognizing Pet Anxiety

• Dogs Have Emotions: The cast begins by acknowledging that animals, especially dogs, exhibit a range of emotions similar to humans.

  • “You can tell when your, you know, dogs are feeling sad or tired or when your cat's ticked off at you for going on vacation and leaving them with a dirty litter box for a week.” – Dog Owner (01:01)

• Behavioral Regression: The featured Dog Owner describes her miniature schnauzers, Miles and Parker, reverting to puppy-like behavior after moving and splitting time between two homes:

  • “They're totally going back to, like, puppy behavior. They're, like, having accidents on the floor. They are, like, chewing stuff they're not supposed to chew…” (01:32)

The Impact of Life Changes on Pets

• Emotional Reflection: Dogs pick up on their owner’s mood and general household stress.

  • “Dogs...their emotions are reflective of yours. Like if they see you get upset, then they get upset. If they see you not settled or out of place, then they are going to feel the same way.” – Veterinarian/Animal Expert (02:50)

• Pack Animals vs. Homebound: Difference between dogs and cats in terms of stressors—dogs are impacted by changes in their “pack” (family), whereas cats are more tied to the home itself.

• Confusion and Routine Disruption:

  • “It certainly's gotta be a little confusing because they're going back and forth from old home to new home and then back to old home to new home.” – Co-Host (04:01)
  • Adjusting to multiple environments and lack of routine deepens anxiety in pets.

Coping Strategies and Solutions

Environmental/Behavioral Aids

• Plug-In Soothers:

  • Discussion of “aromatherapy for dogs”—plug-in diffusers meant to calm anxious pets via pheromones or sound frequencies.
  • “There's one, I guess for dogs that emits some sort of smell…some sort of sound that…is a frequency dog sitting here calming or something.” – Dog Owner (04:25)
  • Endorsement from listeners and expert: the Dog Appeasing Pheromone (DAP) product is frequently mentioned as helpful (07:03).

• Familiar Objects:

  • Advice to bring familiar-smelling items (like shirts) to new homes or boarding situations to reduce stress via scent comfort.

Pharmacological Solutions

• Short-Term Medication:

  • Listener calls in to describe her sister’s success with Klonopin (a human anti-anxiety medication, prescribed by a vet) for her dogs’ separation anxiety.
    • “She used it only for like two weeks and now they're totally fine.” – Caller (05:32)
  • The idea is to use medication temporarily to help dogs adapt to change.

• Other Medications Mentioned:

  • Benadryl suggested as a milder, short-term option for anxiety (06:47).
  • Host and cast joke about how medicating has moved from children to pets, coining terms like "Doggy Riddlin" (07:49).

Holistic and Practical Considerations

• Try Holistic First:

  • Callers and co-hosts recommend exhausting natural or behavioral modifications before turning to medication.
    • “If you are wanting a more holistic route…the pheromone does really work.” – Stephanie, Caller/Vet Assistant (07:03)

• Veterinary Supervision Is Key:

  • Advice to always consult with a veterinarian before starting any medication.

Notable Quotes (with Attribution and Timestamps)

• “They're totally going back to, like, puppy behavior. They're, like, having accidents on the floor. They are, like, chewing stuff they're not supposed to chew and, like, completely reversing all of those things we taught them when they were puppies.”
  — Dog Owner (01:32)

• “Dogs are pack animals…If they see you not settled or out of place, then they are going to feel the same way.”
  — Veterinarian or Animal Behavior Expert (02:50)

• “They barked so much that my new neighbors actually…called the police because they thought something was wrong…they barked for like three hours straight.”
  — Dog Owner (03:17)

• “You gotta be a little confused because they're going back and forth from old home to new home…there's not like this new permanent place. They gotta be a little confused.”
  — Co-Host (04:01)

• “About this owner to the other owner. One owner to the other owner.”
  — Veterinarian or Animal Behavior Expert (04:12)

• “She took them to that. They put them on a drug called Klonopin. It's actually something used for humans and for panic and anxiety…she used it only for like two weeks and now they're totally fine.”
  — Caller (05:15, 05:32)

• “The dog appeasing pheromone, the DAP that they sell at petsmart and vets also sell. It does work. It helps.”
  — Stephanie, Caller/Vet Assistant (07:03)

• “The argument used to be that as a society, we're putting our kids on drugs too quickly…Now it's our dogs too.”
  — Co-Host (07:42)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:01] – Introduction to pet anxiety and behavioral regression after moving
• [02:50] – Animal expert explains pets' emotional reflections of their owners
• [03:17] – Dog Owner recounts a neighbor-calling-the-police incident due to dogs' distress
• [05:15-05:55] – Caller describes success with short-term anti-anxiety medication for dogs
• [07:03] – Veterinary assistant/Caller recommends DAP pheromone diffuser
• [07:42] – Debate on societal trends and medicating pets

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Memorable Moments

• Police Called for Barking: The owner learns her new neighbors called the police due to incessant barking—highlighting how severe pet anxiety can get (03:17).
• Listener Input on Medication: Genuine testimonial from a listener whose sister’s dogs improved after just two weeks on vet-prescribed Klonopin (05:15–05:40).
• "Doggy Riddlin" Joke: The cast riffs on the idea of canine versions of ADHD medication, reflecting cultural concerns and adding a dose of humor (07:49).

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Summary

The episode provides a compassionate and often humorous look at pet anxiety, focusing on the real struggles pet owners face during times of upheaval. The cast shares personal stories, listener advice, and expert insights, offering a mix of holistic and medical solutions—from pheromone diffusers to short-term anxiety medication. The consensus leans toward trying environmental and behavioral aids before resorting to medication, always under veterinary guidance. Whether you’re dealing with a pet’s regression or looking for tips to keep pets calm during change, the discussion is relatable, informed, and reassuring.

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Transcript

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[Dog Owner]

Now we all know that animals have emotions. Just kind of like, you know, kind of like humans do. Whatever. Like, you can tell when you're, you know, dogs are feeling sad or tired or when your cat's ticked off at you for going on vacation and leaving them with a dirty litter box for a week, whatever. But my dogs are having some sort of, like, regression issues going on right now, and they're really having, like, this crazy separation anxiety, more so than ever before. I've talked about them before. My dogs are Miles and Parker, and they are miniature schnauzers. And so they're kind of. They're little dogs, so they're kind of, like, wound up a little bit anyway, and they're pretty high energy, kind of require a lot of exercise. But with me moving to a new place and sort of sharing the time between two homes now, they are totally going back to, like, puppy behavior. They're, like, having accidents on the floor. They are, like, chewing stuff they're not supposed to chew and, like, completely reversing all of those things we taught them when they were puppies.

[Co-Host]

Are they doing this in both places?

[Dog Owner]

I don't know. They're definitely doing it in my place. And so I just don't know what to do about it. I'm just wondering if it's like, the stress of being in a new place or just. Or maybe feeling the emotional stress or something like that, but I just don't know what to do about it. I was in petsmart, like talking to the, talking to the manager, like help me, what do I do? And there's all these different, I mean you could spend thousands of dollars on all kinds of stuff for your dog to help him mellow out. But I just don't know what really works.

[Co-Host]

You just don't think that that kind of separation or that kind of life changing event affects dogs the same way it does humans. Like you told me this the other day and I'm like, I never even thought that dogs would, you know, like pick up on it stresses in a house or whatever.

[Veterinarian or Animal Behavior Expert]

Dogs are pack animals. So you know, like dogs and cats are different where cats are like homebound. So if something's going on in the home, changing the home, the cats will get stressed out. If there's something going on in a change in the, the pack leader like you, the ant, you know, the human, then they'll get stressed out. So I do think that dogs, their emotions are reflective of yours. Like if they see you get upset, then they get upset. If they see you not settled or out of place, then they are going to feel the same way.

[Dog Owner]

Well, one of the first times that they were ever in the house alone in the new place alone, I went out to dinner with my parents and my brother was in town and we went out to dinner and they, I didn't realize this, but they barked so much that my new neighbors actually had to actually called the police because they thought something was wrong and someone was like dead inside the house.

[Co-Host]

Really?

[Dog Owner]

Yeah. Like they barked for like three hours straight. So there was that, you know, getting used to the new place and new noises and new smells and all that kind of stuff. And then they've been having accidents on the floor and it's like a cement floor or whatever, so it's not like ruining anything but having accidents again. Like they're puppies, like they are like chewing stuff they're not supposed to chew. I just don't even know what to do about it.

[Co-Host]

It certainly's gotta be a little confusing because they're going back and forth from old home to new home and then back to old home to new home. And there's not like this new permanent place. They're going back and forth. So they gotta be a little confused.

[Veterinarian or Animal Behavior Expert]

About this owner to the other owner. One owner to the other owner.

[Co-Host]

Yeah, right.

[Veterinarian or Animal Behavior Expert]

Instead of it, do you think I'm.

[Dog Owner]

Totally screwing them up?

[Veterinarian or Animal Behavior Expert]

I don't think you're screwing them up. It's an adjustment though for them too, as much as it is for you.

[Dog Owner]

I just wonder what to do about it. Like the lady at petsmart was telling me about some sort of plug in. You know how like you can plug in air fresheners and like have, you know, air fresheners in your house? Well, there's one, I guess for dogs that emits some sort of smell, like aromatherapy for them and some sort of sound that like only is a frequency dog sitting here calming or something. Yeah, and it's supposed to help with their separation anxiety and supposed to help sort of chill them out, but humans can't hear it. I don't know. I didn't want to invest the like 60 bucks in it unless like I could get some sort of, you can return it endorsement from somebody else.

[Co-Host]

I'd try it. Hey, Terry, you're on Q100.

[Host]

Keep the receipt.

[Dog Owner]

They were out of it.

[Caller or Listener]

Hello.

[Co-Host]

Hey.

[Caller or Listener]

Hey. My sister's two Chihuahuas were going through the same exact thing. She was doing a lot of travel for work and they're about three years old now and went back to the peeing in the house and all that.

[Dog Owner]

Mine are three too.

[Caller or Listener]

Oh, really? Yeah, they're totally fine. And all of a sudden now they're chewing, pooping, peeing, everything. So she took them to that. They put them on a drug called Klonopin. It's actually something used for humans and for panic and anxiety.

[Veterinarian or Animal Behavior Expert]

Really.

[Caller or Listener]

And she used it only for like two weeks and now they're totally fine.

[Co-Host]

Here's the. Oh, really? So it's just two weeks?

[Dog Owner]

Just a two weeks.

[Caller or Listener]

For two weeks they said, she said the vet said to use it once at night, once in the morning. And I mean, they were howling and barking and crying every time she went to bed once she got back and doing all this crazy stuff. And now they're totally fine.

[Co-Host]

So the arrangement, probably the thought here is that the arrangement is so new that in two weeks the drug will help them get through this anxiety and then they'll be able to deal with the change and going back and forth between homes.

[Veterinarian or Animal Behavior Expert]

Now your stuff in your new place, I assume a bunch of stuff is new because I think also with dogs, anytime that you take them in to be boarded or something, they always say, well, bring a shirt or bring something because it also smells. So they're in this place that has all these new smells that they don't know. And so some of the indoors, you know, accidents may be also part of the marking the territory too.

[Dog Owner]

Oh, I hadn't even thought about that.

[Veterinarian or Animal Behavior Expert]

If everything's new, then they don't recognize any of the smells.

[Dog Owner]

Just freaking me out. It's like all of a sudden I have puppies again. I'm like, oh, no, I already got through that stage. I mean, that is the cutest stage of a dog's life and also the most pain and the frustrating for the parents.

[Co-Host]

Barry's phone went out, but he was calling up to suggest Benadryl for the dogs.

[Dog Owner]

So we're drugging our dogs now?

[Co-Host]

Everybody's calling up and say, drug the dogs, including vet assistants. Hey, Stephanie.

[Dog Owner]

Hi.

[Co-Host]

Hey.

[Caller or Listener]

No, I was gonna say if you don't want to go the drug route. The dog appeasing pheromone, the DAP that they sell at petsmart and vets also sell. It does work. It helps. It's a pheromone that kind of calms them down and makes them feel more relaxed. They have one for cats too. And you know, pills are always an option, like a little doggy anti anxiety medication, which your vet can do. But if you are wanting a more holistic route. Yeah, the pheromone does really work.

[Dog Owner]

And so that's the one you plug in the wall. Okay. All right, I gotta get that one. I gotta try that.

[Caller or Listener]

It's not really smellable by humans either. You can't smell it.

[Dog Owner]

Okay, I gotta try that before I put my dogs on drugs. I mean, seriously, like, they're dogs.

[Co-Host]

The argument used to be that as a society, we're putting our kids on drugs too quickly. You know, when it comes to ADD and stuff like that. Now it's our dogs too.

[Dog Owner]

Yeah, the man Doggy Riddlin. So that they pass the crct.

[Host]

The bird show.