September-October201.. - Dogs Naturally Magazine

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y: Beth LowellFlower essences help a sweet Boxerend her destructive waysRaised by a loving family since puppy hood, Fordwas a lively Boxer who loved nothing more than to play withher older brother Ozzy. Both dogs got plenty of exercise andattention, and aside from having had housebreaking challengesin the beginning (okay, some counter surfing issues,too) Ford appeared to be the picture of happiness and health.Shortly after she turned two though, Ford started acting out.She managed to figure out how to open her crate and escapeduring the day when her human mom, Kristen, was at work.Once the door of the crate was secured with a special lock,Ford started trying to pry apart the bars and squeeze through.Afraid that Ford would injure herself, Kristen stopped cratingher.But then Ford started destroying the house. The rug, walls,and corners of the coffee table all fell victim to Ford’s gnawing.Of course, Kristen sought help. The dog walkers were instructedto give Ford a vigorous workout each day, as well asleaving her a variety of expensive chews, kongs and other toysdesigned to keep her occupied. But no matter how much exerciseshe got, or how many diversions she was given, the destructioncontinued. Kristen attached metal reinforcements tothe corners of the table, and applied a well known commercialsolution called Bitter Apple and even underarm deodorant tothe surfaces in the living room to try to prevent Ford from literallyeating her out of house and home.As one of Ford’s caretakers, I was concerned. When I took acloser look at her behavior patterns, I realized they were classicsymptoms of separation anxiety. While it may seem obviousto readers in the know, it wasn’t so clear cut with Ford.She didn’t whine and cry or appear anxious when people left,and her robust and cheerful nature made it difficult to acceptthat beneath the surface, something was causing her greatunhappiness. Upon deeper contemplation, I realized that anotherfactor was that Kristen, who worked as a consultant, hadbeen assigned to a job that required a long commute on top ofthe hours she was normally gone.I recommended a flower essence to Kristen, who was morethan willing to try anything at this point. On the day she firstgave Ford the flower essence, Ford stopped the destruction.Ford, now four, still gets plenty of exercise and chew toys –but stopped her destructive ways for good.Flower essences can often yield this type of dramatic result,but sometimes their impact can occur over time, or not at all.Why is this? There are many reasons – but let’s first take alook at what flower essences are.What are flower essences?Flower essences, simply put, are non-aromatic liquids createdby placing the petals of a flower in a bowl of water and settingit in the sun. The healing properties of the plant are capturedin the water. The petals are discarded, and the liquid is bottledwith a preservative, usually alcohol. No part of the plant isdestroyed in the process, and the alcohol, which burns offquickly, poses no danger to animals or humans, even if theysuffer from liver ailments. For those still concerned about alcoholuse, most flower essence manufacturers will formulate aspecial batch using vinegar instead.Because of the way that flower essences are made, they donot affect individuals with allergies to plants and flowers. If theessence is not of therapeutic use to its consumer, it will causeDogs...Naturally! September/October 2010
no ill effect. Because it is usually administered toanimals in a bowl of drinking water, this aspect offlower essences makes it very attractive to peoplewith multi-pet households in which the water bowl isshared. And flower essences are inexpensive. Theyusually cost under $20.00 (US currency) a bottle, andoften, one bottle is all it takes.Flower essences are effective for treating matters ofthe spirit that are not and cannot be resolved bytraining or medicationWhere do I start?The place to start when choosing an essence is tofirst determine what the issue is. This is not always aseasy as it seems. When it comes to dogs, we’re conditionedto think in terms of catchwords that we’vebecome accustomed to hearing, like:My dog is fearfulMy dog has separation anxietyMy dog is aggressiveFlower essences can address all of these issues – butlooking deeper, is the “fearful” dog afraid of everything?Only new things? Only certain things? Maybethe “fearful” dog isn’t really afraid, but stressed oranxious, again, separate and distinct issues, both ofwhich can make him appear as though he is “fearful”.Is a dog labeled with “separation anxiety” really experiencingseparation anxiety, or merely missing herhuman (or other animal family members)? Or perhaps,she is lonely. Again, all of these are distinctlydifferent issues that are commonly lumped in onecategory.Likewise, aggression. Is it fear driven? Caused byguarding or other insecurity issues?Determining the heart of the issue is sometimes asdifficult for humans as it is for animals. The key is touse powers of observation and intuition to the bestof your ability.Bach’s 38 remedies:Agrimony - mental torture behind a cheerful faceAspen - fear of unknown thingsBeech - intoleranceCentaury - the inability to say 'no'Cerato - lack of trust in one's own decisionsCherry Plum - fear of the mind giving wayChestnut Bud - failure to learn from mistakesChicory - selfish, possessive loveClematis - dreaming of the future without working in the presentCrab Apple - the cleansing remedy, also for self-hatredElm - overwhelmed by responsibilityGentian - discouragement after a setbackGorse - hopelessness and despairHeather - self-centeredness and self-concernHolly - hatred, envy and jealousyHoneysuckle - living in the pastHornbeam - tiredness at the thought of doing somethingImpatiens - impatienceLarch - lack of confidenceMimulus - fear of known thingsMustard - deep gloom for no reasonOak - the plodder who keeps going past the point of exhaustionOlive - exhaustion following mental or physical effortPine - guiltRed Chestnut - over-concern for the welfare of loved onesRock Rose - terror and frightRock Water - self-denial, rigidity and self-repressionScleranthus - inability to choose between alternativesStar of Bethlehem - shockSweet Chestnut - Extreme mental anguish, when everything has been triedand there is no light leftVervain - over-enthusiasmVine - dominance and inflexibilityWalnut - protection from change and unwanted influencesWater Violet - pride and aloofnessWhite Chestnut - unwanted thoughts and mental argumentsWild Oat - uncertainty over one's direction in lifeWild Rose - drifting, resignation, apathyWillow - self-pity and resentmentwww.dogsnaturallymagazine.com September/October 2010 | 21
Page 1 and 2: For Dogs Without BoundariesVolume 1
Page 3 and 4: Volume 1 Number 5 September/October
Page 5 and 6: www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com Septe
Page 7 and 8: y: Erika PhillipsBladderwrack~ Fucu
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Page 15 and 16: SUPPORT THE RABIES CHALLENGE FUND!B
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September-October201.. - Dogs Naturally Magazine

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