BEHAVIORAL ANXIETY IN A RESCUE DOG

THE SITUATION:

Bonnie is a German Shorthair rescued from a puppy mill in central Kansas. She was kept in a plywood kennel 24/7 and needed extensive work to learn to be a domestic dog in a home. Her caretaker did an excellent job but there was one issue that could not be overcome. Bonnie would go out the dog door in the garage to the fenced in yard but could not go back in, instead she circled a tree for hours until her caretaker came home.

Her caretaker booked a session hoping to understand:

1. why Bonnie refused to come back in the garage through the dog door

2. why she circled the tree when outside

WHAT EMERGED DURING THE SESSION:

Bonnie communicated 3 key stress associations

1.     the dog area in the garage was similar to the area Bonnie lived in at the puppy mill

2.     the experience of being ‘trapped’ outside created intense stress

3.     circling the tree is a stress reaction mimicking how Bonnie acted at the puppy mill

THE RECOMMENDATION AND CLIENT SHIFT:

After receiving the written summary the client:

1.     added a couch and some silk plants to make the garage area look more like inside the home

2.     spent time daily modeling going through the dog door for Bonnie

3.     encouraged Bonnie to go through the door using high value treats

She later reported:

“It took about 10 days before I saw Bonnie on the camera come out the door, circle the tree once and then go back in. I would have never thought to make the garage look like the house. I’m so proud of her!”