Dogs
love to smell things. They get a clear picture of their world through smell,
and their odor acuity is 10,000 to 100,000 times that of humans! Scent is also connected to the limbic brain,
the seat of memory, emotion and learning, and so aromatherapy has the potential
to calm your dog as well as facilitate bonding and behavior change.
Aromatherapy
is the art and science of using aromatic plants to restore or enhance health
and well-being. Pure essential oils are the heart of aromatherapy, and their complex
compounds are extracted from all parts of plants: flower, seed, leaf, bark,
root or resin. Scientific studies in Germany and
France regarding the medical effects of essential oils on animals and humans
were quite advanced by the mid-1800s, and because of positive clinical results,
the practice of veterinary aromatherapy was not uncommon in these countries by
the mid-1900s.
Many
essential oils, including lavender, rose geranium and bergamot, are known to
have relaxing effects, and can be safely used to calm your dog, too. Pure essential oils are highly concentrated (200
pounds of lavender tops are distilled to make one pound of lavender essential
oil) and so it is accepted practice to dilute essential oils to avoid sensitization,
skin irritation or overwhelming the dog’s sense of smell. It’s important to
read labels and be sure products use pure essential oils rather than synthetic
fragrance oils that can cause problems such as headaches, agitation or allergic
reactions.
In
1999, I was approached by a kennel owner who wanted help with calming her
canine visitors. The blend now known as Canine Calm is diluted by using
fan-driven diffusers throughout the facility and is also applied to individual
dogs in a water-based mist. Diffusing Canine Calm has an overall calming
effect, starting in the waiting room – staff stays calm, dogs (and their
humans) start to calm down, and other animals in the facility area are less
prone to aggressive behavior when a new dog enters the facility.
Pure
essential oils have a therapeutic physiological effect and enter the
bloodstream when inhaled or applied to the skin. There are many blood vessels
on the dog’s outer ears, and so gently massaging the aromatherapy mist into the
outer ears gets things moving quickly, although depending on the dog’s health
or level of distress, multiple applications may be necessary.
Thinking
back to the limbic connection, it can be important for the first exposure to
take place at a non-stressful time. For example, when introducing an
aromatherapy mist, lightly mist your shirt or pant legs and hang out with your
dog to see how the dog responds, and to associate the scent with a person of
comfort at a safe time. Use it during training for quick calm focus and then to
set the stage at home for practice; for making an easier transition from
shelter to forever home; for scenting a familiar object such as a blanket or
pillow to leave with the home-alone dog, a scent that reminds the dog of a person
of comfort; for bonding with a new puppy (of note, the mists are safe for
puppies as young as 8 weeks old).
I
love receiving feedback from our customers. My current favorite Canine Calm
success story is about a Jack Russell, who is afraid of vacuum cleaners and
always runs away when the groomer needs to clean up. The groomer recently tried
Canine Calm and left her dog for about 15 minutes; when she returned, the dog
was chatting with the vacuum cleaner, holding the hose in her mouth! There are
rumors of a video, which we are anxiously awaiting!
