The time thing. I remember asking everyone I knew with a fearful dog, how long things took. How long before he wasnt afraid of your husband? How long before he wasnt afraid of people coming into the house? Etc. At the time the responses calculated in months seemed interminably long. What I have come to discover is that for some of our dogs the process of changing their brain, to whatever extent we can, may take years. But in the process our dogs are always learning. And were always learning. Our dogs can keep getting better and we can keep getting better. We can come up with systems so that we can continue to have a life while we work with a challenged dog. Find ways they can feel safe in whatever environment they are in. Give them the skills to understand simply cues so that they can respond to other caregivers. Take advantage of behavioral meds as prescribed by a vet to help facilitate new, possibly scary events. The blend of compassion and knowledge about how fear impacts behavior provides a good foundation for making choices.
Posted on: Sat, 07 Jun 2014 11:43:47 +0000
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