Daisy: End of Week 3

Three weeks ago, a nervous, fearful, deeply mistrustful, insecure, almost completely shut down dog named Daisy came in as an emergent case. She had anxiety so intense that she needed medication just to help her cope with the very simplest of things. Three weeks later, Daisy has gained some confidence, she’s become more trusting, she’s become more curious about new things, and she no longer requires medication except on rare occasions. The positive changes she’s made have been dramatic, to say the least.

Before she arrived, I had developed a specialized training plan for her based on conversations between me and her owner. It was ambitious, but not unrealistic. But, within about 36 hours of Daisy’s arrival, I knew the plan had to be scrapped; Daisy needed recovery, not a training program.

Daisy has made huge strides over these past three weeks in virtually every area of concern. She is not completely free of her issues, but she’s much further ahead than she was when she arrived. She is more curious about new things, she looks to her humans for guidance when she feels uncertain and insecure, she’s learning how to follow instead of lead all the time, she’s learning boundaries and rules… Daisy still has a long way to go in her recovery, but she’s come a very long way from the fearful, almost completely shut down dog she was three weeks ago.

It has been my great privilege to have spent these past three weeks working with this little girl. She’s taught me a lot about myself and the world around me, and in turn, I’ve shown her that the world isn’t the terrifying place she’s perceived it to be, and that, when she does feel scared, her humans are there for her to help her work through her fear while keeping her safe and advocating for her.

Daisy will be going home tomorrow. I will be continuing to work with her and owner Linda, until Linda feels confident enough to handle Daisy on her own. It’s never just the dog who needs to build confidence and learn to trust; owners need that help, too.

Have a great day, and remember to stay calm and lead on.