Dogs can have catnip, It’s not likely to do any harm. But, does catnip work on dogs like it does cats? Not really. Catnip seems to have a mild sedative effect on a few dogs, but I wouldn’t recommend it to calm a dog on the 4th of July!
If you decide to expose your dog to catnip, try a small amount of dried crushed plant or fresh crushed leaves. Sprinkling catnip over a snuffle mat would limit any eating and give a low-dose exposure.
I ran a simple experiment with my four dogs. The two female Belgian Tervuren showed no interest in catnip. They aren’t especially interested in cats either. The male Belgian Tervuren and the male Cirneco dell Etna were both interested. They each took the catnip toy when offered and walked off with it. The Terv sniffed and licked it. Sort of his typical toy reaction. The Cirneco sniffed, licked, and rolled on it, but less intensely than my cats do. I did not see any sedating effects.
Is Catnip Bad for Dogs?
Honestly, if your dog shows a lot of interest in your cat’s catnip toys, it is best to keep them away from him. Chewing and swallowing part of the toy could cause an intestinal obstruction.
Interacting with a catnip filled toy is, of course, different from eating either dried or fresh catnip. I do have some growing around my yard. None of my dogs have ever shown any interest in the plants themselves (other than the boys marking, but they are comfortable marking virtually any plant).
What Is Catnip?
Catnip is a member of the mint family of plants. Cat reactions vary with individual cats. One cat may act goofy, another cat may act irritable, and a third cat may just mellow out. Nepetalactone is the active ingredient in catnip, and many cats (50% to 80%) are genetically predisposed to react to this. For a cat, this mimics pheromones similar to a cat in heat.
Catnip leaves do have some vitamin A, magnesium, and vitamin E but in small amounts, so it is not a valid nutritional supplement. Some dogs will have mild gastrointestinal upsets if they ingest a bunch of the plant.
Catnip and other varieties of mint can grow wild and will spread rapidly, so be aware of that if you plan to grow some for your cat. It can also attract stray cats to your yard.
The bottom line is that catnip is unlikely to cause your dog any harm, but it is unlikely to cause much of any behavioral reaction either.
