 |
| Kona |
Kona is our dog.
And she has "issues". I guess you can label them PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) however, whatever label they have her "issues" have challenged us (and her).
We adopted/rescued Kona from one of those shelters where you wish you could adopt and love up ALL of the residents. At the time of her adoption we had no idea that she suffered from PTSD. A red flag should of popped up when we were told that she had been picked up as a stray and therefore there were no records of her. Or that she had been at the shelter long enough to have used up her time there. The shelter determined her age to be around five when she was brought in. Old enough to have had plenty of "life" beaten into her.
That was almost six years ago. Since that time, there have been many, MANY books read, "calming" practices implemented and plenty of additional nervousness (from Kona and US) in regards to what we can do about her fearful doggy behavior.
She is a "nipper" and a growler and a ferocious barker which works quite well as a means to keep people and other dogs at paws length. One might think that a fearful dog would not act aggressively, but perhaps more timidly. If you think about it, it works well enough to keep scary people and other dogs away. It also is a sure fired way to have your "nipper" taken from your home! Three excellent resources we used were: Help For Your Fearful Dog/A Step-by-Step Guide to Helping Your Dog Conquer His Fears by Nicole Wilde, CPDT; The Cautious Canine/How to Help Dogs Conquer Their Fears by Patricia B. McConnell, Ph.D.; Getting in TTouch With Your Dog/A Gentle Approach to Influencing Behavior,Health, and Performance by Linda Tellington-Jones.
The reason I am even writing about Kona is that her age is catching up with her (I hope that is all it is at this point) and her hips just did not want to navigate the five flights of stairs to go outside today. I have a tough go at it some of the days as well! We avoid the elevator in this building as it puts us in a situation that could quickly turn unpleasant if another dog and their person gets in. After all these years the intensity of her "issues" has decreased, but we never could erase all of the abuse and damage that happened before she joined our family. It breaks my heart to see her shuffle onto the elevator with just mild apprehension instead of her usual uber-alertness.
My past couple of intuitive comunication meditations have been unsuccesful in trying to "chat" with Kona to help us figure out what is going on with her physically. My worry about her has made me tired so I fall asleep almost immediately! :( From what I understand it is difficult to communicate with your own furry family anyway, as we tend to always be guessing and mind-assuming things about them. As much as it stresses her out, it's to the vet tomorrow if she has not improved!
Posted with Blogsy