Recently, I’ve been spending a few early mornings each week jogging in the woods near the farms nearby. There’s an open clearing with a reward of a beautiful open space where I can breathe…ahhh…and dance with my dog!
I rock out to Zumba songs, hoping no one will walk up or catch me dancing. I’m risking embarrassment, but I don’t care. It makes me feel happy and stops my racing, anxious mind. Then I breathe and enjoy the miracle of my dog by my side, off leash. This once, anxiety ridden, on-her-fourth-home rescue dog has come a long way.
I realize that dogs are like people when it comes to anxiety. And the first year of development is no different, essential for brain development (equates to 7 dog years) just like humans. We got her at age 8 (56 human years) and already set in her ways.
When we brought her home, she hid in the bushes for two days. After two heaven-like, loving years in our home, this dog couldn’t be walked without lunging and getting in attack mode for every dog, bird, cat, or bicycle. Any moving object would scare her, even blowing leaves. I gave up walking her, thought she was a lost cause and untrainable. When Covid stay at home orders started, I decided to try walking her again. What I hadn’t realized was her behavior was due to anxiety — moving objects or animals were a threat to her.
We went on thrice weekly walks for months, and now she stays mainly calm. Instead of forcing and yelling at her when she lunges, I calm her down. Just like with human children, calming and reassuring them that things will be OK and providing repeated exposure to the stressor will help desensitize them and lessen anxiety. I do this with my own children to help them get thru scary things.
Now, if I could just figure out how to keep my dog from eating socks. That one remains a mystery.