Hi Kelly… My daughter has a 6 yr old Golden Doodle who is extremely high strung. He barks at everything. If they try to play with toys (anything that flies or can be thrown) with the children, he tries to grab the toys all the while barking and jumping. The same if the vacuum comes out. If her husband goes into the water at their cottage, he goes bananas. Is there a homeopathic remedy that they can try to calm him in these situations? He’s a great dog, except for the nervousness and barking.
- Golden Doodle (courtesy: www.dogbreedinfo.com)
Thanks for the question Cindy. Interestingly, I know at least a dozen people with extremely “exuberant” Golden Doodles. I suppose that may be partly due to the fact that they are a cross between a Standard Poodle and a Golden Retriever… both known to have plenty of boundless energy!
For blog followers who aren’t familiar with homeopathy here is a condensed explanation… Homeopathy was founded in the 19th century by Dr. Christian Freidrick Samuel Hahnemann while trying to find a cure for malaria. It is based on the principle that disease can be treated with very minute doses of drugs thought capable of producing, in healthy people/animals, the same symptoms as those of the disease being treated. Very similar to the concept of exposure therapy for allergies (bee stings, environmental triggers, food etc.) but the amounts of the medication used in homeopathy are almost undetectable. Dr. Hahnemann conceived the Law of Similars, also referred to as “let like be cured by like” as a fundamental healing principle.
It’s not usually recommended for a lay person to choose a specific homeopathic remedy unless they know what imbalance or underlying issue is causing the disease or behavior. There are a plethora of possibilities like Vaccinosis, low quality or improper diet, toxin buildup, organ imbalance, genetic predisposition, etc., but if you use the wrong remedy you could make things worse or exacerbate a different condition. That’s where things can get a little complicated when trying to determine the right remedy.
Recently, I was looking for a homeopathic remedy to help draw out dissolving stitches from a biopsy I had back in May. I’ve had tiny pieces of the stitch material exiting the biopsy site and along with that I’ve experienced increased tenderness and redness around the wound as well. There is an effective homeopathic remedy for drawing out foreign bodies, however a homeopath friend did not recommend it because it could work really well and cause the plate and screws I have in my cervical spine to loosen…Yikes, I never even thought about that! Homeopathy is considered very safe and effective, however one must be careful when deciding which remedy is appropriate for every very different patient/situation.
The other side of this is that people sometimes try the wrong remedies and get no results, then just give up or think homeopathics are ineffective. If you really want to use the correct homeopathic remedy, I would highly recommend seeing a trained experienced holistic veterinarian who would assess your “whole”dog to determine the appropriate remedy needed.
All that said, I would be comfortable suggesting a combination homeopathic remedy made by Homeopet, called ANXIETY RELIEF or ANXIETY TFLN-THUNDERSTORM-FIREWORKS (http://www.homeopet.com/symptomChecker.html). These combination remedies use very dilute potencies in their formulations and I know that they have been very effective for many dogs over the years. These particular mixed remedies may help calm your grand-dog and curb his nervousness.
Several other products that are really great to consider for the reduction of anxiety and nervousness are, Pet Naturals of Vermont CALMING treats, Comfort Zone PHEROMONE Plugin or Spray, Bachs RESCUE REMEDY Flower Essences, and Ark Naturals Herbal HAPPY TRAVELER Capsules or Treats. I have posted in much greater detail on all of these products previously, check out: http://blogger.thepetsperspective.com/de-stressing-july-4th-for-pets/.
Certainly another factor that may be contributing to the excess energy in your grand-dog is his diet. I’m not sure what your grand-dog is eating, but a few things I would absolutely address in his diet would be eliminating any filler grains (corn wheat or soy), by-products, dyes, chemical preservatives and limiting carbohydrates in the food. Dogs need to have a species appropriate diet that includes real high quality meat protein and less grain. Dogs are Carnivores (meat eaters) and can be greatly affected by their diet.
Further, it has been shown in several studies including one conducted at Tufts University, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, that aggressive behaviors in dogs can be reduced by lowering the protein in their diets. Obviously your grand-dog is not aggressive, but if his diet is too high in protein, it’s possible that it could be contributing to his hyperactive behavior. He may be getting more protein then he actually needs for his age, activity, and lifestyle needs.
A fairly easy thing to do would be to change his diet to one that is lower in protein and lower in grains than he is currently eating. Of course I have several natural brands that I prefer, but would need to see what he is currently eating (ingredients and guaranteed analysis) to recommend a different food to try. Home cooking with a premix is also an option and it’s not as hard or expensive as you might think. Please feel free to reply back if you’d like some suggestions on foods.
NOTE: If your grand-dog has received any chemical flea/tick treatments or has been vaccinated recently you may want to provide some liver support for him. Check out my recent post for some herbal and standard homeopathic remedies to address this: http://blogger.thepetsperspective.com/detoxifying-your-dogs-liver/.
I know I will probably sound like the “Master of the Obvious,” but your grand-dog should be getting plenty of daily exercise and/or walks. If he isn’t, one of the most effective and proven ways to reduce hyperactivity (and the bad behaviors that typically ensue) in dogs is EXERCISE and lots of it. A tired dog is a happy, content and tired dog! 
