Are you unfamiliar with your dog's past? Are you unsure of what happened for months or years before your beloved canine companion entered your life? It is very common for dogs to display the following behaviors:
separation anxiety: following, pacing, whining
destruction in the house
lunging toward humans and dogs
barking at humans and dogs
incessant barking in the crate
refusal to go in the crate
breaking out of the crate
And I'll often hear: 1) "He hates the crate, so he must have been kept in there for long hours." 2) "He lunges at men, so he must have been abused by a man." 3) "He follows me everywhere, so he must be scared to be abandoned again." 4) "He lunges at big dogs, so he must have gotten attacked before." But often, the reality is: It's not typically what happened [ie: abuse, abandonment, neglect, etc] It's typically what HASN'T happened [socialization, exposure, support, training] 1) A dog may have never been crate trained before, so we see frustration about the change in routine. 2) A dog may have never interacted with many men before, so it is just unsure of a man's bigger stature and deeper voice. 3) A dog may lack confidence in absence, because it typically experiences comfort when near. 4) A dog may have never been properly socialized around dogs, so it is anxious, uncertain, or over-stimulated about interactions because of the lack of ability to recognize and communicate through body language.
For the dog's sake, imagine being able to move past the:
fear
anxiety
insecurity
To become more:
comfortable
confident
content
calm and relaxed
Do we make a story for our dogs? Or an excuse? Because of their past? Don't let a story hold you back. Your dog will thank you for it. Your dog wants to move on, too. Tip: Let go of the story. Today, brainstorm what your dog is lacking... what your dog needs.... to seek calm, to be fulfilled, and to find contentment... (even if you aren't sure, trust your intuition) then get started and try it out. Dogs live in the present. We must move beyond the past. All for now, Kate