Wake up and smell the juniper

When the temperature soars and the humidity makes you anxious and fretful, you might crave an aromatherapy massage with lavender oil, or perhaps a cooling bath with foaming mousse, all in the comfort of your own home.

Well, you can have this if you're Liang Sihong's golden retriever. Seven-year-old Duo Duo starts his daily treatment with traditional aromatherapy (inhaled from a diffuser) in the morning, usually with essential oils of camomile or bergamot. In the afternoon Duo Duo's 20-minute massage focuses on his limbs and is followed by a back massage delivered by his favorite therapist, his owner.

Liang Sihong, a therapist and freelance writer who specializes in columns about the use of essential plant oils, earned a qualification in aromatherapy in Germany in 2006, but only became interested in animal aromatherapy two years ago.