Important Things to Keep in Mind When Taking Care of an Anxious, Fearful Dog

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Since our dogs can't speak to us, we have to rely on their body language to understand how they're feeling in a particular situation. Sometimes, we don't always guess right, but every day we learn something about our fearful furbabies that help them make progress slowly, but surely. Read about how Mayzie, a dog who spent her life tied to a rope in a backyard with little shelter and food, and her owner beat anxiety!

1. The journey isn’t a straight line — don’t expect it to be

You should prepare for setbacks and breakdowns, and you may have to take an alternate route every once in awhile.

The fact is, setbacks are going to happen and they’re perfectly normal when it comes to our fearful dogs. But that doesn’t mean you’ve failed. If you stay the course, you’ll be gaining ground and moving forward toward your goal. So when detours happen, acknowledge them but don’t let yourself be discouraged by them.

2. Learn to enjoy the perspective

After adopting Mayzie, I became hypervigilant about everything around us. What were the potential triggers on our walks? What might cause her to fly into a panic in the house?

But then I slowly began to realize something: I was seeing things in a way I never had before. Once I began looking at the world through Mayzie’s eyes, I not only helped her, I received the gift of appreciating the world around me in a whole new way.

3. Revel in small victories

One morning on our walk, Mayzie stopped dead in her tracks and backed up several steps, her body low to the ground. After a hard rain the night before, a large dahlia bloom had dropped onto the sidewalk and into our path. This was new and different.

As I watched, she slowly crept her front legs forward, her neck outstretched, while somehow keeping her back legs poised for flight. Closer and closer she inched until she was finally nose-to-bud with the flower. As soon as she sniffed it, all tension released from her body. It was another example of how far she’d come.

4. There will be tough days and you might want to give up

About two weeks after we adopted Mayzie, we had a really, really bad day. As my husband and I climbed into bed, I broke into sobs and blurted out, “I don’t know if we can do this!” I shocked even myself by saying that. I was raised to believe that an animal, like a child, is a lifetime commitment.

My husband looked me in the eye and said, “She’s ours now and we’re not giving up on her. You’ll feel better after you’ve slept.” And you know what? He was right. I woke with a better outlook and renewed determination to help my dog. That wasn’t our last bad day, by any means, but I was better prepared for them in the future.

5. Just remember it gets better

One of the best pieces of advice I got was to start a journal to keep track of progress. I started a blog. You might prefer a notebook. But whatever you do, write it down. It’s so helpful on the difficult days to read about how far you’ve come, how much progress you’ve made and how it really has gotten better.

6. It’s one of the most rewarding things you’ll ever do

Is she “normal” (whatever that means)? Well, no, I guess not and probably never will be. But every minute and every dollar I’ve spent have been worth it. All the work we’ve done together has created a trust and a bond that is rare and unbreakable.

While having an anxious dog isn't an ideal situation, it builds a relationship between you and your furry one that is unlike any other. You become a more caring and empathic person because of it and your doggy becomes more loyal and trusting. Humans and dogs are lucky to have one another in times of stress. After all, our dogs are always right by our side when we're having a rough time! Let us know if you have any tips for helping a sensitive dog overcome anxiety!

Article Source: Dogster



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