One evening I was in my home office working my oil biz and I was greeted by a mouse. Three dogs of varying ages up in here and we had a mouse. Some things just aren’t meant to be understood. It made me miss #NotOurCat just for a second. 

Determined to clean up after said mouse and rid the house of rodents I set about cleaning closets. Incidentally, taking everything out of one’s closet is something everyone should do from time to time. I found some things I didn’t know were lost, some things that could be donated and a few things that weren’t even worth donating that were just taking up precious closet space. I cleaned up the mouse droppings and sprayed everything with Thieves Household Cleaner. 

In the process of closet cleaning there were cleaning/rearranging noises. The young dog doesn’t approve of such noises and retreated to her safe space, the fig tree. Finding the dog outside in the cold, in the fig tree, the wife yells upstairs: 

Wife: Where are you? 

Me: In the closet. 

(You - assuming you’re an ally - feel free to insert closet joke here.)

Wife: Oh, you’re cleaning...that explains the dog in the fig tree.

(Side note...our fig tree is large and more of a shrub so lots of starts from the ground giving scared dog six feet or more of hiding space...she’s not so scared she climbs an actual tree). 

I was wrapping up the cleaning by that time so I was able to pamper young dog. She was a mess! If you’re thinking we should really clean more so the dog gets used to it you’re probably right. Just know the dog never gets used to it. She always retreats to her safe space when things aren’t going her way. Sometimes, when the parents are dog sitting, she even digs a hole under the tree and hunkers down. We believe she does that just to make the mom crazy...well played young dog, works great! 

So the trembling little mess of a dog came inside and I snuggled her on the bed and told her she’s pretty (she really is) and told her she’s brave (she’s not...at all). She continued to tremble for quite a while. Apparently my dog whisperer skills are rusty. Enter the kid who drops her phone and scares terrified dog even more. Clearly this isn’t going well and I’m feeling pretty sorry for the sweet thing by this time. I tell the kid to grab the Stress Away. (Kid rolls eyes but complies…she a teenager, but not without compassion for trembling dog.) 

I put one drop in my hand, rubbed my hands together and got back to petting the dog, eventually rubbing her belly where there’s less hair and more skin. Within minutes scared dog was sleeping soundly with no trembling. Oils work, y’all. We just have to remember to use them. 

Serious education moment: Animals, like babies, can be sensitive to oils. I have used Stress Away around and on our pack multiple times and I know they tolerate it well. I started slow with diffusing while being sure they could leave the room if they weren’t tolerating the oil. I allow the dogs to smell oils on me...because there’s always oil on me. Finally, I apply a small amount of diluted oil to them when I know I will be present and attentive to them. I don’t recommend applying a new oil full-strength to any animal. Cats are particularly sensitive and don’t metabolize oils in the same way humans and dogs do so start slow, allow them an escape from the immediate area, expose, dilute, observe, determine which oils they can tolerate, share oils appropriately with your furry friends and enjoy the results. 

And just so you know, the young dog has fully recovered from that particular trauma, the kid’s phone didn’t break when she dropped it, the house is once again rodent-free and all of the closets are clean. Not a bad start to 2021. Next up…cleaning out the bookcase and cabinets in the living room. Fortunately this brutally cold weather is giving me an excuse not to start just yet…can’t have young dog freezing her little spotted self under the fig tree. 

It’s Brenda, I’m out.