Supporting Calm in Dogs: What Is the Vagus Nerve and How Can It Help?

By Justin Jordan, Founder of Jordan Dog Training

Originally published 22 April 2025. Updated 2 October 2026.

Helping a dog feel safe and comfortable is an important part of training. If your dog is constantly on alert, struggles to settle or reacts strongly to everyday situations, it is worth looking at what is making life difficult for them.

You may have heard about the vagus nerve in dogs, particularly in advice about calming an anxious dog. It has an important role in the body, but that does not mean a particular pat, chew or exercise can reset it and resolve anxiety.

In my work with dogs and their families, I focus on practical changes: understanding the dog, reducing pressure, providing appropriate activities and teaching skills at a pace they can manage. Those things remain useful without promising a quick fix for the nervous system.

Important: At Jordan Dog Training, we are dog trainers and behaviourists, not veterinarians. This article provides general information and does not replace a thorough veterinary consultation, diagnosis or treatment. For advice specific to your dog, consult your pet’s vet, especially if their behaviour changes suddenly or they are regularly distressed.

What is the vagus nerve in dogs?

The vagus nerve carries signals between the brain and organs including the heart and digestive tract. It forms part of the autonomic nervous system, which manages many functions without conscious effort.

Its parasympathetic functions contribute to heart-rate regulation and digestion. People often describe this part of the nervous system as “rest and digest”.

That is a useful introduction, but behaviour is more complicated than one nerve. Pain, health, previous experiences, surroundings and learning all matter. You cannot diagnose a vagus nerve problem by watching a dog bark, pant or pace.

Can you reset a dog’s vagus nerve?

The research checked for this update does not establish an at-home vagus nerve reset as a treatment for canine anxiety.

A 2022 pilot study of electrical vagus nerve stimulation involved six healthy dogs and measured changes in brain activity and heart-rate variability. It did not show that home massage, licking or sniffing treats anxiety. The researchers called for larger controlled studies to assess therapeutic value.

Do not attempt electrical stimulation or apply pressure to your dog’s neck to try to affect this nerve. Discuss any proposed treatment or device with your vet.

Why dog owners should care

A dog who struggles to settle needs us to look beyond whether they can follow a command. Think about when the difficulty occurs, what happened beforehand and whether your dog can get away from what worries them.

For example, if passing dogs upset yours, a busy walking route may be adding pressure. A quieter route and more distance give you a more manageable starting point for training.

My advice is to look at the whole day: activity, rest, surroundings, companionship and health. The aim is to make everyday life easier for your dog, then build their skills from there.

Signs your dog might be struggling to self-regulate

Watch for patterns such as:

• Pacing, trembling or panting when they are not hot or exercising.
• Repeatedly scanning their surroundings or being unable to rest.
• Hiding, avoiding contact or reacting strongly to ordinary events.
• Distress when left alone, including repeated barking or attempts to escape.

These signs do not identify the cause. Greencross Vets’ guidance on anxiety explains that behaviour changes can also relate to pain or medical problems.

Repeated vomiting, diarrhoea or changes in appetite need veterinary advice. Do not assume digestive symptoms are simply stress or evidence of a vagus nerve issue.

Everyday ways to support calm

The original article described these activities as ways to support the vagus nerve. A more accurate description is practical support for your dog’s wellbeing and opportunities to settle. Choose activities your dog enjoys and adjust them to their health and needs.

1. Let them sniff

Give your dog opportunities to explore with their nose in a suitable setting.

A small study of nosework in pet dogs found more optimistic responses in a judgement-bias task after two weeks of nosework compared with heelwork. That supports the value of scent activities, but it does not prove a vagus nerve reset or a cure for anxiety.

Try a quiet walk with time to investigate safe smells, or an easy food-search game at home. Use some of your dog’s usual food where appropriate. Start with food that is easy to find, rather than making the task frustrating.

Keep your dog on lead where required. If using a long lead, choose a suitable open area away from roads and other hazards.

Read more about regular walks and decompression walks.

2. Chewing and licking

Appropriate chewing and feeding activities give dogs something enjoyable to do. The RSPCA’s chewing guidance recognises chewing as normal behaviour and recommends suitable outlets with supervision.

Try a food-stuffed toy or lick mat using food your dog already tolerates. Choose chews to suit the individual dog, supervise them and remove damaged toys or pieces they could swallow. Ask your vet about suitability if your dog has dental problems or dietary restrictions.

Watch the result. If your dog becomes frustrated, guards the item or tries to swallow it whole, change the activity and seek help where needed. A chew should not be used to push a distressed dog through a situation they cannot cope with.

Our online store has treats and chews to browse. These are enrichment options, not treatments for anxiety.

3. Predictable routines

Give your dog a daily pattern you can reasonably maintain. Include opportunities for exercise, meals, companionship and undisturbed rest.

You do not need to organise life to the minute. A useful place to start is making one difficult part of the day easier. For example, prepare a quiet resting area before visitors arrive and practise using it when the house is calm.

When plans change, think ahead about what your dog will need. Avoid making a difficult day even busier with extra outings or demands.

4. Calm physical contact

Offer contact if your dog enjoys it. Let them approach, pat them gently, then pause and give them the choice to continue or move away.

Stop if they turn away, stiffen or try to leave. Do not hold them in place or keep patting because you want them to relax. Quiet company without touch may be a better choice.

This is ordinary, considerate handling. It should not be presented as a proven method of stimulating the vagus nerve.

5. Time to rest after excitement

Make room for downtime after walks, play or visitors. Provide a comfortable place away from household traffic and let your dog rest without repeated interruptions.

A bed or mat may suit your dog. Use a crate only if they are already comfortable with it. Confinement is not a solution when it causes distress.

If settling is difficult, simplify the routine. Try a quieter outing followed by water and an opportunity to rest, rather than adding more activities to wear your dog out.

6. Support digestive health

Keep this practical: feed an appropriate complete and balanced diet and ask your vet about ongoing digestive concerns.

The gut and brain communicate through several pathways, including the vagus nerve. That connection does not establish that adding pumpkin, probiotics or supplements will resolve a dog’s anxiety.

An enrichment feeder can make a meal more engaging for some dogs, but choose one that is manageable. Do not change a prescribed diet or introduce supplements without discussing them with your vet.

Gentle support, not a quick fix

Everyday activities can be part of a sensible plan, but they do not replace understanding what your dog finds difficult.

Use reward-based training and start where your dog can succeed. Practise settling in an easy environment before expecting it around visitors or other distractions. If an activity is making your dog more worried, give them space and make the task easier.

The Australian Veterinary Association recommends positive reinforcement and advises against punishment and negative reinforcement in dog training.

Keep a simple record of what sets your dog off and what helps. Bring that information to your trainer and vet. It is more useful than assuming every unsettled dog needs the same exercise.

When to get help

Book a veterinary appointment if distress is frequent, behaviour changes suddenly or your dog is having difficulty eating, sleeping or coping with normal life.

If your dog panics when left alone, injures themselves or repeatedly attempts to escape, seek veterinary advice promptly. The RSPCA’s separation-anxiety guidance recommends veterinary involvement. Some dogs need prescribed medication alongside a behaviour plan; that decision belongs with their vet.

Our in-home dog behaviour training in Brisbane can help you understand your dog’s behaviour and put practical changes in place. We can work alongside your vet’s advice, without claiming to diagnose or treat a nerve disorder.

Contact Jordan Dog Training if you would like help with your dog’s training and behaviour.

Give your dog a pat from us, if they enjoy one.

Common questions about the vagus nerve in dogs

Does sniffing stimulate the vagus nerve?

Sniffing is a worthwhile activity for dogs, but the nosework study discussed here did not measure vagus nerve stimulation. I recommend suitable scent activities for their enrichment value.

Is licking always a sign that my dog is calm?

No. Enjoying food on a lick mat is different from repeated lip licking or licking the body. Consider the context. Greencross Vets lists lip licking among possible anxiety signs; persistent licking or skin irritation should be discussed with your vet.

Can massage cure my dog’s anxiety?

The research reviewed here does not establish massage as a cure or a vagus nerve reset. Offer gentle contact only if your dog enjoys it. Persistent anxiety needs assessment and an individual plan.

Sources and further reading

Australian veterinary and welfare guidance:

• Greencross Vets: Anxiety in dogs.
• RSPCA Australia: Why enrichment is important for dogs.
• RSPCA Australia: Chewing behaviour.
• RSPCA Australia: Anxiety when a dog is left alone.
• Australian Veterinary Association: Punishment and negative reinforcement in dog training.

Relevant international canine research:

Duranton and Horowitz, 2019: Nosework and judgement bias in pet dogs. Research into scent activity and emotional state, not vagus nerve stimulation.

Castillo and colleagues, 2022: Pilot study of electrical vagus nerve stimulation in six healthy dogs. Physiological findings, not proof of a home anxiety treatment.