After years of hiding behind the sofa, rescue dog Rosie struggled around people and noise. Karen shares why she tried MagiCalm® and the changes she noticed over time.
🕒 3 min read
Rosie’s difficult start
When Karen Wylie first brought mixed-breed rescue dog Rosie home three years ago, she was crippled with anxiety.
Rosie, part Shih Tzu, part Papillon and, as Karen laughingly puts it, “a Heinz 57 varieties” pooch, was born during lockdown and had had little human contact.
Meet Rosie
Rosie is a mixed-breed rescue dog, part Shih Tzu and part Papillon. Born during lockdown, she had experienced very little human contact before coming to live with Karen.
“She was terrified of everyone and everything,” recalls Karen, 56, who lives in Mablethorpe with her disabled husband and three other dogs: Bob, 13, Finn, 7, and latest arrival Ebony, 2, a pint-sized Pomchi.
“We brought her home, sat her on the sofa and she didn’t move for two days. She wouldn’t eat. She just sat there. It was heartbreaking.”
“I took her into the garden and straightaway she hid. In fact, she spent the first couple of years hiding behind the sofa. If anybody came to the door, she was gone in a flash,” remembers Karen, who has three grandchildren also living in Lincolnshire.
Looking for another option
In an effort to help ease Rosie’s anxiety, Karen sought advice from a dog trainer and took her to the vet. Nothing seemed to help.
“They gave us some anti-anxiety medication for her, but it didn’t have any effect. It just made her feel sick.”
That’s when Karen, in search of a gentler, more natural option, came across MagiCalm®, a calming supplement designed for dogs who struggle with stress.
“I thought, well, it’s not too expensive. It’s worth a try.”
Trying MagiCalm®
MagiCalm® combines two forms of magnesium to help ease tension, with B vitamins to support psychological balance, calming amino acids including L-tryptophan and L-tyrosine, and chamomile for added relaxation, in a beef-flavoured tablet.
MagiCalm® for Dogs
Gentle daily support for calmer, less anxious dogs
- With magnesium, chamomile and B vitamins
- Formulated with vets
- Tasty beef-flavoured tablets
Karen noticed a difference almost straight away.
“You could tell by her demeanour that she was less anxious.”
Coming out from behind the sofa
Over time, Rosie became calmer and came out from behind the sofa.
“For a long time, people didn’t believe we had another dog because they never saw her. If we went outside, she’d stick her head out, look around, and when no one was looking, dash past and hide behind the shed. She wanted to be with us, but she didn’t want to be seen.”
“We couldn’t believe it the day she let my daughter stroke her, because she’d never let anybody reach out to her before.”
These days, although Rosie still retreats to her box when strangers visit, she is far more sociable, even daring to pat Karen’s husband on the leg to ask for a treat.
“She’s a lot happier outdoors too, although is still a bit wary of children. She is much more tolerant of noise and will quite happily fall asleep on the sofa, or in the middle of the room, even when there are people around,” Karen observes.
A happier, more confident Rosie
When Ebony arrived two years ago, Rosie “adopted” her as her baby.
“It makes me so happy seeing Rosie happy and confident. You see her personality now rather than her anxiety,” says Karen.
No longer a quivering bundle of nerves, Rosie is now a contented member of the family.
“Rather than hiding in the corner being scared of everything she has a life now and she enjoys it.”
