Healing Wounds To The Heart: You And Your Dog – Phoenix Dog Training – Dog Trainer – Behaviorist
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Sam Basso
PHOENIX , AZ AREA: (602) 708-4531
OR, if you are out of this area, inquire about a telephone or e-Lesson
Email: [email protected]
My job is often healing wounds to the heart… of a dog, and sometimes also of the family…
Dogs and people can go through rough, traumatic times, never to be forgotten, and oftentimes difficult to overcome. This can result in dogs that are continually stressed and doing behaviors that are undesirable, destructive, or even dangerous. People can also go through tough times, which can seriously affect their dogs. Not only are the people involved having challenges as a result of tragedies, but then those events then affect how their dogs behave and react to the stresses in the home.
I evaluated a very stressed Yorkie this past week. She was rescued from a hoarding situation. When she was brought home, she would “GI Joe”, dragging herself along the floor on her stomach, peeing and defecating a smear behind her. With patient work, this dog slowly got better. Then, a new puppy was introduced into the home, which started attacking the rescue dog, and bringing back the GI Joe behaviors. This dog has been through hell, and so I devised homework for this situation, to help the confidence of the rescued dog, and to stop the puppy from being so aggressive. This lesson took nearly 3 hours, going over everything this situation required. This dog’s situation is heartbreaking, and her owner is committed to doing everything necessary.
I also met a man a week ago that was beaten badly by a group of thugs. He suffers from PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), and has a therapy dog to help him gain confidence in public. This is also a heartbreaking situation, and I devised a plan for him and his dog, too.
Sometimes, my work involves grief counseling for both the dog and the owner. I’ve worked with situations where dogs have melted down after another or dog or person had died. The dog just shuts down. I’ve know of a dog that died 2 weeks after her companion male dog died. I’ve also worked with families that have lost a dog, or the dog has become harmed by some trauma, and helped them sort out all the hard feelings, hurt feelings, and unspoken feelings about the incident. I am sometimes needed to do some of the role of what a family counselor is called upon to perform. Sometimes, I’m part of a larger plan, in conjunction with other professionals, to help rescue a family in great need of support and understanding.
There is a lot more to being a dog trainer and behaviorist than just slipping on a dog collar, or giving a dog some treats. I’m asked sometimes how to fix this or that problem, maybe by a well meaning stranger at a dinner party or some other place. It just isn’t that simple, because many situations require a great deal of untangling. Some situations can take months to resolve, and some can’t ever be resolved, because too much is going on with the dog and the family…. but I try.
Healing wounds to the heart, of the dog and the family is a critical need for many homes.