I'll be honest. When I first read about pheromone diffusers I thought it sounded made up. A plug-in that mimics a mother dog's scent? Come on. But I'd already tried diapers and calming treats and they did nothing. So I figured I had nothing to lose. I read that the pheromone is the same one nursing mother dogs produce to calm their puppies and that vets actually recommend it. That's what convinced me to try. Three weeks in and my dog is visibly calmer. Fewer accidents. Less pacing. He actually sleeps through the night now. I don't fully understand the science but I can see the result.

My biggest worry was safety. I have my grandchildren over every weekend and I wasn't going to plug something into my wall that could be harmful. I called my vet first and she said pheromone diffusers don't release anything toxic. It's not a chemical you can smell. It doesn't enter the dog's bloodstream. It doesn't affect humans or cats at all. That was enough for me. It's been six weeks now and Biscuit hasn't had an accident since week two. My granddaughter actually said "Grandma, your house doesn't smell funny anymore." Kids are brutally honest.

If you're reading this at midnight after cleaning up another accident, I see you. That was me for months. I was waking up in the middle of the night to the smell of urine. My house didn't feel like my house anymore. I was ashamed to have anyone over. I plugged in PawsEase in the room where my boy Duke sleeps and within about ten days something shifted. He stopped pacing at night. He stopped whining. And the accidents just gradually stopped. My house smells like my house again. That probably sounds like a small thing but it isn't.