Clean Run Magazine - October 2007 - 30

Interestingly, the brain circuitry is such that danger messages are received by the fight or flight system before they are evaluated by the conscious mind. The body literally reacts before the brain can fully process the situation, which is part of the reason why once the automatic stress process is put into motion, it is difficult to curb. Another important fact is that hormones affect the fight or flight system. Specifically, the male hormone, testosterone, actually gears up the system making the dog more reactive to threatening stimuli. That is why unaltered males tend to be more aggressive than neutered dogs. The obvious corollary to this fact is that if you have an unaltered dog with behavior problems, you should get the dog spayed or neutered. This surgery may not totally alleviate the situation, because some of the behavior may have become ingrained over time, but it will certainly help to reduce the hormonal influence on behavior. P DAP VALERIAN ROOT Emotional Energy Holistic medicine incorporates the belief that life consists of more than just physical structures and that living beings are more than machines. We are animated by vital energy and immaterial spirit. There is an energy field, the quantum field, which permeates and connects us all. According to Albert Einstein, “We may therefore regard matter as being constituted by regions of space in which the field is extremely intense there is no place in this new physics for both the field and matter, for the field is the only reality.” Acknowledging the subtle energy of life gives holistic practitioners a whole new level of understanding and a different path for treating behavior problems. Is it not amazing that our dogs can often pick up on our emotions? How many times have you been consoled by a special four-legged friend when you were feeling down? Intense emotions carry a lot of energy. If you are nervous about running the course and how you will perform, your dog is picking up on that anxiety. This cannot help but cause detrimental results. Visualization and meditation are practices that may help ease your and your dog’s stress. The holistic paradigm honors the fact that every animal is an individual with a unique personality, physical structure, and needs. The constitution of an animal consists of its innate tendencies as dictated by genetics and the animal’s distinctive spirit. Even puppies from the same litter can have vastly different personalities and bodies. Some dogs are born performers and some are destined for disaster despite our best efforts. Because every dog and every situation is different, there is no cookie-cutter solution to behavioral problems. Systems of treatment such as homeopathy and traditional Chinese medicine use a detailed history and examination of the dog to determine the correct balancing remedy. In the hands of skilled practitioners, these therapies can be quite effective at solving difficult problems. The following general alternative medicine suggestions, along with behavior modification, might help dogs suffering mild to moderate symptoms. 30 Holistic Therapies There are several alternative therapies that may help ease a stressed animal and improve behavior problems. Starting with physical medicinal treatments (pheromones and herbs) which have direct, chemical effects on the body, we will continue to also explore remedies that can help from a non-material, energetic perspective. A combination of these approaches may have additive beneficial effects. Pheromones One avenue to consider for treatment of behavioral issues is the use of pheromones. A pheromone is any chemical produced by a living organism that transmits a message to other members of the same species. Considering that a dog’s sense of smell is dominant even to vision, these chemicals can have strong effects. There are different messengers that convey different messages. One such pheromone signals alarm and triggers the fight or flight system. Some dogs at agility trials are obviously stressed, and they are likely to release this pheromone. All dogs in the area will pick up on this stress-provoking chemical and many will react to it. So panic feeds off panic. If you have a dog that does great at practice but does not perform at trials, this could be the reason. Luckily, there is another pheromone that is released by lactating females to calm their pups. This same chemical can calm adults as well. The product D.A.P. (Dog Appeasing Pheromone) from Veterinary Products Laboratories, capitalizes on this effect. D.A.P. spray mimics the natural canine appeasing pheromone to help calm anxious dogs. Simply spray the area/crate where the dog will be kept fifteen minutes before the dog is introduced to the environment. The soothing effect lasts one and a half to two hours. Clean Run | October 07

Clean Run Magazine - October 2007

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Clean Run Magazine - October 2007