g. sitting quietly), and managing the situation by removing as many triggers as possible, such as blocking his view of passing people or dogs and keeping him indoors at certain busy times of day. For instance, some dogs will have to eat large amounts of a toxic substance to be affected, while others may just feel mouth and throat irritation near a burning citronella candle. Heartworms are nasty parasites that thrive in a dog’s cardiovascular system – and mosquitos are transmitters.

In addition to online consultations all over the world, I cover Beds, Herts, Cambs and Bucks for home visits.This popular mosquito repellant is burned in candles or used in bug sprays as a way to keep these biting pests at bay. Linda Simon of Senior Tail Waggers says, “We should not light candles that contain essential oils like citronella around our pets. If they are high-strung or anxious dogs, it is important to note that these collars do not address the root cause of the stress and they will likely take their stress out in other ways. At our pawsome company, we believe that getting your animal-friendly products should be as stress-free as a belly rub. This then got me thinking about what shooting citronella spray up a dog’s sensitive nose must do to him – and how long the after-effect must last for, killing his sense of smell.

There are collars that spray just water and there are barker breakers that can be place outside or inside the home that emit a noise the dog does not like and they are safer to use. Now that you know using citronella isn’t safe for dogs, what are some pup-friendly insect repellants? And as a dog parent, you’re probably wondering not only does it work but, most importantly, is citronella spray safe for dogs?Unfortunately, the citronella plant is not one of the dog-friendly mosquito repellent plants that you can include in your landscape. I have been using various online services for a past 20 years, and I can't say that I had better experience ever before than I had with JustAnswer. If your own dog occasionally has aggressive habits or you regularly meet aggressive dogs in public you may consider using a citronella spray to control them. As a runner, I want something I can carry easily and deploy fast in case of an unexpected dog attack. I am a dog Behaviourist (INTODogs — ICAN Companion Animal Behaviourist) and trainer covering Beds, Herts, Cambs and Bucks, a ‘Victoria Stilwell’ Positively Dog Trainer (VSPDT) and a full member of the IMDT.