Fireworks and storms with animals
Even worse when fireworks are nearby: then he slinks into the basement and hides behind the washing machine. Every year it is the same - for the past 6 years! This will be a familiar story to many animal guardians: pets or farm animals with stress, or so scared they even get diarrhoea or run away.
In an animal’s natural life, fear is an important function that helps them to survive. It triggers the ‘fight or flight’ reaction, setting off the necessary movement or energy that the animal needs. In fact, this still happens in humans, as well as domestic or wild animals. Whether an animal tends to react with ‘flight’ or ‘fight’ depends on the species. Horses (as well as zebras and cows) are flight animals: when they sense danger, they run away from it. Carnivorous animals such as lions, bears and wolves tend to fight. Our dogs are descended from wolves, so they do, too. Of course, not every animal in the same species reacts in the same way. Anyone who is familiar with horses will know that they can also attack. And some dogs will run away. (further information on the issue can be found here)
So what energetic support is there to help reduce anxiety and rapidly overcome the ‘fight-or-flight’ reaction? Last New Year’s Eve during the annual fireworks here I used the Resolving Trauma essence and I was amazed at the results. The first firecrackers started a few days beforehand and my dog ran behind the sofa. When he came back out I gave him the essence. My dog loves the LichtWesen essences. He has grown up with them and laps them up out of the palm of my hand. I also rub them into his fur. I have learnt to read his reactions and can tell how urgently he needs the essences and whether they are suitable: when he needs one he laps it up readily and comes back for more. If it is not urgent then he is hesitant, although he does lick it out of my hand in the end. When he really does not need the essence, he turns his head away. So of course I do not force him
After the first fireworks started, I gave him Resolving Trauma several times each day. There was a visible relaxation and on the second day he looked up as the fireworks went off, but did not run away. On New Year’s Eve itself, when lots of fireworks are traditionally set off here, he did hide behind the sofa as they began – after all, it is a good idea to hide if danger is near – but he was not trembling as he did in previous years. And when the fireworks were over he came straight back out and went back to annoying our cats.
He was also more relaxed when I took him for a walk. In previous years any small firecracker noise would be enough for him to tuck in his tail and hide in the bushes. However, when I talk him for a walk on New Year’s Day this year and we heard a firecracker, he just looked at me for reassurance and then carried on, tail wagging.
Six months later our neighbour was celebrating his birthday and set off some fireworks. Our dog was sleeping on his rug and just looked up and turned to me. I reassured him and then he went back to his nap. In the time between New Year and that day I had not given him the Resolving Trauma essence any more. So it must have a long-term effect
