People
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As you have already gathered, the only person I
really need is Christine. She is accepted mostly because she has better food
resources than I do.
Initially I showed my people phobia by lying on the ground. Many People did not comprehend that I got scared to death when they approached me. Very often they would try to pet me. This upset Christine. She was the one growling, with her hair standing on end, at the overzealous dog lovers. Blame it on the summertime sunshine, but people were all over like ants. Christine tried her best to find isolated places for our walks. Still, we met up with those humans everywhere. Finally, I got so scared that I forgot everything I had learned during my rehabilatation and fell to the ground. I remained there, again fully exhausted from fright. Christine finally was forced to carry me back to the car, sweating from her heavy burden in the summer heat. Christine has been through a lot. One day I even bit her! On one of our walks we were approached by a woman also walking a dog. This was one big, illmannered dog. Christine whispered incensed names under her breath aimed at the ignorant canine owner. I was so terrified that I pressed myself against a nearby fence. The dog tried to mate with me and I paniked. The woman attempted to retrieve her dog and I panicked even more because now I had a strange dog and a strange human next to me. Christine tried to protect me by pushing the unruly four-legged beast away. The split second she put her hand on his breast I shot forward like a bullet and bit the dog. Oops, Christine's finger was in the way. How did I know she was going to put her hand there at that exact moment? The woman to whom Christine mentally attached so many bad names became frantic. Christine, pale faced from the trauma of the bite, was furious with the woman. And she didn't dare look at her finger. She was sure it was gone because she had no feeling in it after the initial biting pain. But, luckily, her very bloody finger was still attached. We had to get back to the car, but I could not move. Paralyzed by terror, I refused to walk. With Christine's finger pulsating out blood, she carried me the 400 meters to our ride. I'm sure she was in great pain as we drove home. I also believe that just for that half hour drive she was wishing that I was just a normal dog, without these neurotic hangups. (It turns out I bit through some nerves, but it caused no long lasting damage or disfigurement) It took me a long time to get over my dispare for people. Christine always remained calm while she taught me how to deal with it. At first this stuck me as cruel. After recovering from my emotional paralysis I only had one thing in mind when people approached: flee. But I was on a leash. I could not escape. Christine would just stay put whenever I paniked. It was as if she would just grow roots right there wherever we were. She used the click and treat method with me. Silently she would wait until I calmed down. Then she would give the click signal and as a reward we would continue on our way again. Christine had successfully taught me that the click sound meant staying calm is the proper behavior. I learned to get over my panik. I was okay even as we changed from a short leash to a long one. I remained placid as we met people too One day Christine layed my long leash on the ground. I was to learn to walk along without a line. It made me feel free, but I wasn't. I often felt prompted by anxiety to run away when people neared. Christine taught me something difficult as a means to deal with strangers. First we rehearsed passing people and sitting about three meters behind them. Luckily I already knew the sit cue. Christine would just calmly pass strangers and then have us sit down. Although it was nervracking I learned to pass. When walkers, joggers or cyclists approach we now sit down, very well mannerly. I mean we dogs do. Christine gets to stay standing. Now I am brave enough to pass most of the people unleashed. If I show hesitation, she immediately puts me back on the line. Running away, unleashed, would cause a great relaps in our training. Christine thinks I would never learn to pass if this happened. I am still apprehensive about strangers touching me and I do not welcome visitors at my home. However, sometimes I do feel enough trust to take a treat out of a calm stranger's hand. It works as long as they do not observe me. Then I become frightened and do not dare take the goodie. |