Catnip and Dogs

Factual Questions
1

Is there any hard evidence that catnip affects Dogs as it does cats?

My Dog Rachel takes the catnip stuffed toys away from my cat Milton, chews them open, and eats the catnip out of them. She seems to enjoy the taste or something about the catnip. Is she getting the catnip buzz? I asked a friend here about this, and she told me that in her experience, her Dogs all got goofy from catnip they’d purloined from cats.

What exactly is the type of buzz they get, anyway? Is it like marijuana? Is it a mild sedative, like catnip tea is supposed to be for people? Is it a stimulant?

2

I have yet to see any evidence, hard or otherwise, that catnip effects dog as it does cats.

For info on how it affects cats, look here.

3

I’ve never heard of a dog liking catnip before. Of course some dogs will eat anything!

Here’s a good source to see on catnip, and why it affects cats the way it does. Apparently, it’s a kitty version of Spanish fly:

http://vetmedicine.about.com/library/weekly/aa072100a.htm?iam=dpile&terms=%2BNepeta+%2Bcataria

4

Is there a doggy equal to cat nip?

5

Think about the usual demeanor of your average cat, and think about what catnip does to him. Then think about the usual demeanor of your average dog. Do you want the same percent increase in his activity level? He’d bite your freaking face off. The fact that there’s no such thing as dognip is nature’s way of telling us not to go there.

6

City Gent,

I think you have it exactly right. I’m not sure I’d want “dognip” if it was ever found!

The homemade liver snacks I make for my hounds occasionally is enough ecstasy for them. They also enjoy making passes in front of the oven when I’m cooking a pot roast.

Dogs get enough pleasure out of life itself. Too bad we humans often cannot seem to experience same …