03/07/2023
Warning long post ahead!!!
I was asked to share a win with you all. We adopted Ellie 3 years ago, she had a lot of trama and issues, we were aware of them, but didnât think it was as bad as it was. She doesnât trust anyone, we couldnât have anyone over, take her anywhere, or be around other dogs. Leaving to go on vacation or trips was impossible because no one could dog sit her. Everytime someone would come over to our house Ellie got locked in our bedroom. But this year Ellie has made some big adjustments. Sheâs made a handful of friends, sheâs started trusting other people, and sheâs been working to be friends with another dog! Sheâs not 100% there yet, but seeing this from these things gives me hope that maybe someday she wonât be so scared and untrusting of everyone she meets! I do think knowing her triggers and stressors help in these situations.
We have found that when meeting new people, itâs best for Ellie to be in the same room as them, but to be ignored and on âplaceâ for a while or until she is calm. This is my friend, who loves dogs and wanted to say hi to Ellie before Ellie was calmed down, but I told her âno itâs best for Ellie to relax before she comes to say hiâ and it worked beautifully! This was the 2nd time meeting my friend, but 2 years since they have met the first time. This was huge!!!!
This other picture is of another friends dog, Bella. Bella is less than 1 year old, full of energy as most of you can probably tell from her breed! Bella isnât fully trained in obedience yet, sheâs working on it! But Ellie has meet Bella 3 times and sheâs doing amazing with that too! It helps that Bella doesnât bark at Ellie.
I feel like itâs take 3 years for Ellie to finally let her guard down and realize we are not going to put her in dangerous situations, we are going to take care of her, and that we love her. I canât stop thinking about what she went through before we got her and what trama she has had that caused her to be so aggressive towards everyone she meets, we will never know, I just hope she knows sheâs safe here!
For those that are in similar situations, donât give up. Itâs hard work and can be very frustrating in certain situations, but training your dog is the best answer for almost every situation you will come across! Listen to them, learn their triggers and watch how they respond to environments.
I am so proud of Ellie, and Iâm hoping we keep moving up! đ
