I adopted Addie from Hemopet more than six years ago now. Almost immediately after adopting her, we both found ourselves immersed in “Show and Tells” in order to promote the adoption of greyhounds both from Hemopet and other rescue and adoption groups in the Southland. All this activity was not Addie's favorite thing to do. She would have much preferred to stay home and enjoy her favorite couch or dog bed or just to perch on the landing in my stairwell. Just so that I would know of her dislike for such public events, Addie found many ways to express herself. She would not lie down, drink water or eat anything offered to her. She would shake from time to time (and I don't mean a handshake), hide behind me and avoid people's glances as often as she possibly could. I knew she wouldn't ever get any better if I allowed her to hide at home. In addition, greyhound rescue became such an important part of my life; I really wanted her with me on our weekend adventures.

As the first two years progressed, Addie did get a lot better. Shows were certainly not her favorite activity, but she began to tolerate them. She also began to let me know that she really didn't want to be left alone on the occasion I went without her.

Finally, one summer some of us ventured up to Lompoc to see the Western Sighthound Specialty dog show. While there I ran into a vendor selling flower essence products. One such concoction was called Five-Flower Formula. It was touted as being a great calming mixture for nervous, shy and high-strung dogs. For nine dollars, I decided I had nothing to lose and gave it a try. Now, these natural remedies are supposed to take two weeks to thirty days to really begin to work. Someone forgot to tell Addie this though. Within thirty-six hours, we had her at a show and show was a different dog. No one could believe this was the same Addie who had spent two years making sure everyone knew she really didn't like all these weekend public appearances.

I quickly found that in order to purchase flower essence products, I needed to send away for them. I'm all in favor of mail order, but picking up one bottle at a time from a local store seemed a lot easier to me. I was to learn that Bach's Rescue Remedy is an equivalent and is carried in our local health food stores, so I picked up a bottle. Remember that I had no real opinion on either brand. All I knew was that it worked for Addie and surely one was as good as another. Once again, Addie was to prove me wrong.

Within a week, we noticed that the improvements she had made over the month of taking the Five-Flower Formula were beginning to lessen. We finished the bottle of Bach's Rescue Remedy and then switched back to the original Five-Flower Formula. Again, within about thirty-six hours, a more positive and happy Addie began to appear. I really had no preference myself, nor could I have forced a preference on Addie if I had had one. Addie also had no preference or control of her actions. She just felt better and acted with much more ease when she was on the Healing Herbs product. Her overall changes began with simply standing during an event rather than shaking.

Within six months, she was drinking water and lying down in the ex-pens. By the end of a year, she was taking treats and napping from time to time. Addie is now ten and would still rather stay at home most of the time than attend shows. As she ages, we leave her home more often than not, but not because she is scared to death of shows… she is just getting older.

Back to List of Five-Flower Formula Stories