Lucy is my 2.5 year old Great Pyrenees. She was the most adorable fluff ball when I got her and she quickly became a great canine companion. At some point near her first birthday, something shifted, she became more aggressive on walks and wasn’t super great with new guests in the house.
I was at my breaking point. I didn’t know how to make walks and having friends over easier. I shed many tears over her and was close to giving up. But, I believe that humans live long enough to enjoy the company of many dogs or other pets over their lives. Dogs only have you and she only knows us as her pack (if you will). Giving up on her was not an option.
I finally had a trusted animal whispering friend* who saw how Lucy acted around new people and she assured me that Lucy was a great dog and all of her ‘bad’ behaviour came from fear, not from her being an aggressive animal. With this new insight and speaking with Lucy’s vet we put her on anti-anxiety medication. It has only been a few weeks but the progress has been huge. We mixed medication with some new tips and tricks we got from a session with a dog trainer. It has been night and day. Not only is Lucy feeling more comfortable when people come over (even when we had many visitors for D’s birthday), she has made leaps and bounds on our walks. As of last week, I can now walk past another dog with her leash completely loose. NIGHT AND DAY!
I am once again enjoying walks and they definitely do not end up tears and my own overwhelming anxiety. In that spirit Lucy & I have been enjoy daily trail walks where we meet and greet with dogs and humans everyday. Thank you K for your endless amounts of pet knowledge and for helping both Lucy & I get on the right track for our mental wellness!
*not an actual animal whisperer, she is just super smart and educated about animals! ;)
Until next time day dreamers.
