bach flower remedies
for animals …
Practitioner:
Andrea Williams MAR BFRP |
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REMEDIES FOR OWNERS Having a relationship with a pet can be one of life’s most
rewarding experiences when things are going well. Unfortunately, this is not always the case
and sometimes our pet’s behaviour can cause us to feel so completely out of
control that we take desperate and often inappropriate action. This happened to me with my first dog,
Toby. He was a great dog in so many
ways yet there were aspects to his behaviour that would, on occasion, drive
me to distraction! There were times
when I felt sure that he was on a mission to wind me up! I’ve come a long way since then. I know now that I unwittingly caused many
of the problems myself. |
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This is not to
suggest that all behavioural problems are of the owner’s making, not at
all. There are numerous factors that
can influence behaviour that have little or nothing to do with the
owner. There is so much to learn about
animals and, given that every animal is so unique in terms of personality,
temperament, breed, background and past experience we are unlikely to ever
have all the answers. We can only do
our best with the information we have to hand. |
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HUMAN INTERPRETATION OF ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR There is a tendency
to place human interpretations on animal behaviour – known as
anthropormorphism. People often
attribute characteristics and emotions to animals for which there is no real
basis. Animals are often
inappropriately accused of “looking guilty”, “being jealous”, “resentful”, or
“dominant”. When greater insight into
animal behaviour is gained, it becomes apparent how misconstrued these
notions often are. The motivation
behind an animal’s behaviour can so easily be misinterpreted and, when
inappropriate treatment (too often in the form of some kind of punishment) is
meted out, the behaviour often worsens as a result of the animal’s heightened
emotional state and increased level of stress and anxiety. |
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HOW STRESS CAN AFFECT BEHAVIOUR In order to
understand this we could imagine being in a foreign country and finding
ourselves in a situation where we are confused or bewildered about something
and are not sure what to do next, or who to turn to. We don’t speak the language and there is
nobody there to help us understand what’s going on. Imagine what it would be like if people
suddenly started shouting at us, glaring at us, or forcefully pushing us
around. If this treatment continued
for any length of time we may begin to find ourselves behaving in ways contrary
to our normal behaviour patterns. In a
state of fear, terror or panic, we may try desperately to appease our
aggressors or we may decide to fight back.
We would most likely be edgy, jumpy and on constant alert. Feeling threatened, we may resort to any
number of strategies to defend ourselves or try and extract ourselves from
the situation. Animals will do exactly
the same thing. Their fear and
subsequent “fight or flight” response is just like ours. On the other hand if
we were in the same situation but this time someone was talking gently to us,
remaining calm and collected, giving us some space, offering the odd
reassuring gesture to us and giving off a good “vibe” we would be far less
likely to feel fearful or panic and may try to make some sense of the
situation by observation and reasoning.
We would probably try to find a way to communicate with them and meet
them half way. If they showed us that
they could provide food, warmth and a place to sleep and if they were
consistently pleasant to us, we may even decide that this was a good place to
be and would feel able to relax a little more whilst we got to know them
better. So, if we want to
effect lasting changes in the relationship we have with our pet, we need to
make a surpreme effort to try and see things from the animal’s perspective
and not just our own! It takes love,
understanding, commitment, patience, and perseverance to gain an animal’s
trust and once we have that we can encourage the behaviours that we so
desire. Animals are not out to get us
and they generally want a peaceful life just like we do. We just need to help them along and show
them which behaviour we prefer by giving them plenty of positive feedback
when they behave in ways that please us. DOES OUR MOOD AND BEHAVIOUR REALLY AFFECT OUR ANIMALS? Animals use non-verbal forms of communication far more than
humans and they are therefore much better at reading body language than we
are. They pick up on all sorts of
non-verbal cues and because they lack the scepticism that makes some humans
so closed-minded, they are far more open to the “vibes” or “energies” that we
give off. When we are upset or angry
they will not necessarily know the exact reason for our negative state and
they may not know what emotion we are experiencing but they will sense that
something is amiss. This is
particularly true of domesticated animals who spend
more time in our immediate environment and are therefore closer to us
physically and emotionally. With their
heightened sensitivity, and because of their close proximity to us, pets are
likely to absorb our negative states and may even experience them more deeply
than we do. Because they are unable to
make sense of the way they feel, rather like a small child who feels
powerless in a situation, they may express it in ways that we find
unacceptable. There is an
abundance of literature which backs up the theory that every thing in the
universe is made up of energy vibrating at various frequencies and that as we
interact with other living beings so our energies blend. Once this theory is understood, there need
be no doubt that our animals are affected deeply by the way we feel and
behave. A recommended reading list
will be made available soon! |
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THE HOLISTIC APPROACH As a human practitioner of the Bach Flower Remedies it makes
perfect sense for me to look at the overall picture and to treat both animal
and owner. Human behaviour is often a
contributing factor in problem behaviour with pets. However even if this is not the case humans
are definitely affected by their pet’s behaviour. Common feelings include hopelessness,
devastation, guilt, inability to cope, even fury. In fact, as a result of their pet’s
behaviour they may feel any number of emotions ranging from intense anger to
utter despair. The negative emotional states that they experience can in turn
affect and often worsen the animal’s own emotional state and stress levels. As a result, the problems can sometimes
spiral out of control. The remedies can help by counteracting the negative emotions in
both owner and pet, interrupting the unwanted cycle of events and restoring
some equilibrium. It usually helps to
use the remedies in conjunction with some kind of behavioural therapy or to
make some changes in the way the relationship is structured. |
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Please Note: All
animal treatment will require your Veterinary Surgeon’s approval.