Flower Essences for Show Dogs

I attended our local breed show a week ago, and was struck once again that conformation dogs face their own special set of challenges. Most show dogs are also pets, and shows can be quite the departure from daily life. Crowded buildings, barking dogs, noisy hair dryers, booming PA systems, nervous handlers, gruff judges putting their hands all over — it can be quite the overwhelming experience for the novice show dog! And while the breed ring evaluates correct breed type, structure, and movement, it also favors showy, flashy, confident attitude, i.e. “showmanship”. The most beautiful physical specimen will have a long road to a championship if he shows with a droopy, lackluster, or overly tense attitude! While flower essences are in no way a substitute for good breeding, or proper training, socialization, and acclimatization to the show environment, they can very helpful natural aid to the show breeder and handler.

How exactly can Bach remedies and other flower essences improve breed ring performance? In addition to helping ease the intimidating effects (such as fears and anxieties) of overwhelming show environments, I have seen flower essences increase overall confidence and “showiness”, restore animation, reduce the moodiness that can hamper attitude and performance in intact females, even extend gait and restore fluidity to movement, in dogs whose tension was causing them to pull in their stride. An emotional “re-tune” with Bach flowers can, you see, affect quite a range of show behaviors!

As to the inevitable question - is it ethical to give show dogs flower essences to improve breed ring performance? Personally, I look at it as correcting imbalances. If your dog was found to lack some nutrient in her diet that affected her coat, for example, surely you would not find it unethical to supply that nutrient. If your dog needed a chiropractic adjustment to correct a problem that caused her gait to be “off”, that would not be considered some sort of unfair advantage. Bach flower remedies adjust emotional imbalances back to their proper, natural, correct state for that individual. They are not “emotional steroids” - they will not artificially enhance your dog or hype him up. Neither will they sedate him, tranquilize him, or otherwise make him anything other than what he is naturally capable of being - when he is in balance.

julie

Julie Cantrell BSc, CPDT-KA, CDBC
www.aldaronessences.com
www.k9behaviorservices.com
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