Resolve Behavior Problems by Improving Vitality and Balance

By Dr. Christina Chambreau.

Nipping at feet, actively aggressive, fearful, not trainable…the list of behavior concerns is long, and often dogs are returned to shelters because people just cannot cope. Even very committed dog loving people sometimes feel at end of the leash and see no more training options. This magazine is full of different approaches to prevent and resolve behavior problems. Maybe you feel a bit stressed as to which one to choose. Maybe you have tried many that have not completely helped.

Never give up. There is always hope. This article will help you choose wisely and know when to move on to a different approach.

First, there two overlapping areas of focus. One is in the training realm and that is key for every dog. However, when basic training just does not take, or issues are severe, realize the issue is probably an internal imbalance.

Many of the articles in the magazine address a common imbalance of many dogs with physical or mental symptoms – nutrition. 45 years of speaking and practice have shown that improving the quality of food as much as possible is one of your first steps to prevent and resolve problems. Fresh food is best. If not easy for you to do or to afford, contact me as it is really possible and easy. As you see from the articles, there is no one diet that is the best, just as with people. Keep improving and changing as you learn more. In my practice, over 10% of aggression problems permanently resolved merely with changing to a species appropriate fresh diet and some behavior work.

Holistic Medical Decision Making (HMDM) can decrease your stress. Step one is to set a goal right now. Step two is collecting information. Step three is taking action, then evaluating the response to your choice. Then repeat!

First you set a goal, usually to have your dog be healthy physically and mentally for life. The focus is on health, rather than illness. You will keep trying different lifestyles, trainers, healing approaches until BEAM (behavior, energy, appetite and mood) is high and all, or most, early warning signs of internal imbalance have resolved. Initially, you may need a short term goal of keeping people and animals in the house safe – from aggression or fears and anxiety.

Step two is to gather information about the problem along with possible treatments. Your dog’s symptoms, now and in the past, are the most important information. Is there really a behavior or training problem? As with people, there are a range of normal behaviors. Does a person need therapy because they are crabby, timid or anxious? Ask yourself and family some questions before trying therapies. Is this a normal, appropriate behavior the family just does not like that may be natural to specific dogs (maybe due to breeding)? One family, used to very friendly Labradors, was seeking treatment for a very aloof new Lab. They just needed a re-adjustment of their expectations, and to discover ways they could all have happy interactions. Do the symptoms truly reflect an internal energy imbalance (Qi, Vital Force, Pranna) which needs deep energetic treatment?

A woman moved to a multi-person house with her Lhasa Apso. He became very food and toy protective, even nipping at people’s ankles. She tried several behavior modifications, basic training, yet the condition worsened and she could only keep him in her bedroom where he barked a fair amount. When consulting with me, she remembered that he had shown some of these behaviors even when living her in an apartment. And the behaviors did worsen after his rabies vaccine. He also hated a collar on his neck and had recurrent ear problems. A homeopathic medicine that matched his symptoms, along with continuing consistency, and he steadily improved and after 4 or 5 doses over 4 months he was completely integrated into the household. He allowed a collar and loved learning tricks. After a move to a different city, his ear flared up and one dose of the remedy was needed. 2 years later we repeated the remedy after his legally required rabies vaccine and he continued to be fine. There were no ear problems either.

The breeder called Gypsy the screamer of the littler and she was anxious from the moment coming to the new home. By a year, nothing had helped this usually sweet and even bold Chihuahua. When confined to a pen or a crate, she would suddenly start salivating excessively, biting her tail and paws, with dilated pupils and shrieking loudly. Over the year she often had red eyes and itchy skin. Aconite seemed to fit many of the symptoms and characteristic of Aconite is extreme fear and terror. First 30c Aconitum napellus was given in water daily for 3 days. For a few weeks there were no attacks. After the next attack, a stronger strength (1M) was given once. The panic attacks stopped completely and slowly the resolved as well.

Chinese Medicine can be used in two ways. One is to learn to evaluate what pattern/s are predominate in your dog. This helps you know how best to interact with your dog. The five element system indicates potential physical and mental health challenges. Here are a very few tendencies of each element as an example. Learn much more in Four Paws, Five Directions by Dr. Schwartz. A Wood dog tends towards anger & possessiveness. Water dogs are fearful, shy and anxious. Earth are easy going and nice, but tend towards lethargy, want to please so can be anxious and are over sensitive to emotions around them. Metal dogs like structure and rules, so can be upset with changes and have chronic grief. Fire dog are happy, playful and active but when left alone or when unbalanced are anxious, barking & restless (even in sleep). Once you recognize the types that predominate, you may be able prevent imbalance that could lead to physical problems. When a new adoptee, George, was identified as Metal family members were careful to feed at specific times, with specific platters and locations. They used flower essences and animal communicators to resolve the chronic grief which made George seem less friendly.

When behavior issues escalate, or the dog you have just gotten is emotionally challenged, working with a good TCVM practitioner can resolve the unbalance along with a fresh diet and training. As a puppy, Zeus was so nervous of new situations and afraid of any strangers that he could not function in puppy classes. With private lessons he learned a few basic moves. These were forgotten in any stressful situation, though. He was thin even though eating a fresh food diet. With more training he would learn more, yet still relapse with stress. Then he began some diarrhea, so a certified TCVM (Tradition Chinese Veterinary Medicine) veterinarian was consulted. With acupuncture and Chinese herbs, Zeus gained weight, ate less, rarely had diarrhea and over the months became a solid, happy, well-behaved, interactive, social dog. For the first few years she needed an acupuncture session a few times a year, then only rarely (triggered by moves, or family problems, physical trauma, etc).

Ayurvedic (from India) has doshas, which are similar. Amanda also describes what each dosha means and how to use it to know what may help your dog the most. A few veterinarians are trained to use Ayurvedic herbs that could help behavior problems from an out of balance dosha.

I said to never give up hope and you can read articles here at Happy Healthy Dog Magazine (with more coming) on the following, a few of the many modalities you or your holistic veterinarian can use to rebalance the energy field that can also help when the deeper treatments are not needed. These are all safe, so learn some and try whenever there are problems, even physical. Reiki, Flower essences (You cannot use any one of them too often), Tellington Method, Healing Touch for Animals (HTA), Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT/tapping), Scalar, Quantum Touch, Reconnective Therapy, Whole Energy Body Balance.

Finally, how do you what is working the best? When should you try something new? This applies to feeding, trainers, energy healers, holistic veterinarians…your approaches. The body responds in only a few ways to any treatment. One is suppression – the current problem stops very quickly but soon a more severe problem occurs. You are working with a trainer to stop barking. While relieved that the barking quickly stopped, you noticed that the BEAM (behavior, energy, appetite and mood) worsened. Less energy, picky appetite and avoiding petting and playing indicated the need for a different method and tolerating, maybe, some return of barking. Palliation is when the symptom resolves, there is no overall improvement, and the treatment has to be continued. Your dog does not bark as long as you keep the curtains closed. A cure is when all current physical and mental symptoms slowly resolve and stay gone, even the Early Warning Signs of Internal Imbalance mostly resolve and no further treatment is needed. More common is moving towards a cure – she feels better over all, better BEAM, a few old symptoms recurring and resolving, you all are happier yet there is still more work to be done. Even if a new quirk appears, if she is better in general, keep on your current path or add one more approach.

Happy healing and a longer, healthier, happier life is possible with deep healing.

Dr. Christina Chambreau graduated from veterinary college in 1980 and has been helping families be healthy since the late eighties. She now is faculty at the Holistic Actions Academy and offers Virtual Pet Health Advising, including preventing behavior issues by building vitality. https://christinachambreau.com/welcome-to-my-practice/welcome-to-holistic-pet-health-coaching