So we are about 1 year and 4 months into the inclusion of The Dude into our family. There are a few things that I have observed that I can’t quite sort out. He has this persona that he presents to strangers and other dogs where he is just this absolute joy and “perfect dog” but with me, he puts up a little bit of a barrier. There is this thing where he just plops on the floor and presents his paws to the vet for nail trimmings but heaven forbid I try and handle his feet…even with snacks. If I try and get him up off his bed to go outside, he will retreat to a safe place and posture/growl like he’s going to protect himself. We have made due with tossing kibble or partial treats to get him up off the bed but I worry about an emergency situation where I need him to get up immediately. He will actually stretch his neck as far as possible to reach a treat before actually getting up or stare at the treat willing it to make it into his mouth through some doggie form of mind control.
I know that the area he was rescued from was especially traumatic…people will shoot strays with guns (his foster mom currently has a dog she rescued who was shot in the shoulder and will be going through amputation) or deliberately run down by a car, which is probably what happened with Dudley and caused him to lose his back leg. He was with the rescue for 2 years and was most likely used to going to adoption events and presenting his best self. Mind you, he is a dream dog…he met a 2 year old girl and her companion dog today and the little girl fell in love with him. He was sniffing her face and wagging his tail so hard…they walked around and just did their thing <3 He is just a joy to introduce to other people and dogs and is fantastic with our various cats…he just digs his heels in with me. I figure that I have MOM status and he feels comfortable enough to be his authentic self with me. I’m used to being a cat mom so all of this is old hat for me but I’m wondering if anyone else has experienced this type of behavior. It’s almost like he knows that he needs to be the “best dog ever” to get adopted.
I can relate to alot of this. My tripawd, Loki, is also a rescue. She had a family who couldn’t or wouldn’t pay to save her life after she was hit by a car. Luckily, they were able to surrender her to a rescue at the emergency vet they took her to. But she suffered a lot of trauma from one event.
Loki LOVES meeting new people. She’s a little social butterfly and charms everyone she meets. I often tell people I’m her favorite person only because she doesn’t really have a choice. She can be very affectionate with me, but I also see the realities of the trauma she suffered regularly. She’s lived with me for over 2 years and only recently started to feel comfortable falling asleep laying next to me on the couch. She has a violent sleep startle if I so much as twitch the part of me that’s touching her. I’ve really had to change my approach to living and training her to meet Loki on her level.
Loki is very sensitive to having anything touch her paws, which I suspect is normal in a trauma tripawd. Rather than trimming her nails or grinding them, I’ve been teaching her to use a nail scratch board instead. She gets cookies for using it and I don’t have to touch her paws. Win-win.
I recently attended a webinar on living with dogs who have PTSD. I don’t think Loki has PTSD, but there was still very relevant info for dogs who have lesser traumas. Really, the bottom line advice was “the dog is always right”. The more I support what Loki tells me, the more she trusts me. I don’t get it right every day, but we’re slowly making progress. It sounds like you guys have made a lot of progress, too.
Thank you so much for sharing your experiences with Loki! It is progress but of course at first I was all “he doesn’t like me”…now I just realize that he finally is at a place where he can test his boundaries and know that he won’t be going anywhere. Dudley also hasn’t shown any signs of PTSD although he has apprehension about the sounds from the train yard by my sister’s house and one of those tv fireplace loops. The only thing is trying to get him up off his bed. Obviously he doesn’t like being leaned over and is very protective of his back end being lifted. Trauma Tripawd is such a good way of describing the situation both our pups experienced. Dudley didn’t deal well with his amputation and became very depressed and wouldn’t walk afterwards. Once they got him into a foster home, his foster mom (now known as Forever Auntie) was able to work with him and get him the individual care and motivation that he wasn’t able to get being at the rescue. I give her a lot of credit for Dudley being so social with people and dogs! She really fell in love with him and was heartbroken that she didn’t have the space to keep him permanently. I keep in contact with her and send her pictures of him on a regular basis.
I will look into information on living with dogs with PTSD. I have a friend who fostered and then adopted a little chihuahua who was just so mentally broken from her past that she was a difficult one to build that trust with. Her dog is still learning to trust but my friend did some sort of webinar that really helped her change her approach. It is so rewarding when we get those little moments where we make progress!
” I figure that I have MOM status and he feels comfortable enough to be his authentic self with me”
That is a spot-on observation. Trainers and dog sitters and vets always say that dogs are so different once the owner leaves the area. Of course, the question is, how do you get a grip on his behavior while he’s with you so you can make life better for both? I guess more training and time.
You are so patient and smart about how to care for him. It can’t hurt to consult with a veterinary behaviorist. Many will do remote consulting because there just aren’t enough to go around. If you’d like me to help you find one just let me know.