I am lucky that former clients who resonate with my work often refer me to their friends. That is how I met this client, a fiery young lawyer now residing in the U.S. Soon after she rescued her new puppy Taco, an orphaned pup rescued from the streets of Mexico, she reached out to me to begin our work.
I was thrilled for her, knowing she would be the kind of person who would do right by her dog. However, concern creeped in as I continued reading her message, wherein she described life with her new puppy in ways that set off alarm bells. Her new pup was apparently “a total gem” who “follows her everywhere.” She also described him as “easygoing” and that he was already interacting with the other dog in the house, a 14-year-old German shepherd.
New dogs shouldn’t be following us around, nor do I have them meeting or interacting with the other dogs in the house, especially if these other dogs happen to be geriatric and deserving of their space. One could already see the signs of overattachment, which didn’t bode well for Taco’s capacity to grow into a sound and strong dog.
Even though the less-than-ideal conditions lasted only a few weeks, they still took their toll on the very young and impressionable pup. My client had to repair her foundations before doing much more. Taco was restless and unable to settle himself or enjoy the deep sleep so endearing of puppies. Getting him engaged in anything was a challenge. His drive for food was low and he had little interest in playing with toys, tugging, or chasing a ball.
On their walks, he was oblivious to his owner and obsessed with whatever the ground offered. Keeping him from devouring food and garbage they passed on the street caused battles. Whenever she did manage to get him engaged in play or to go on a walk, it rapidly escalated to Taco relentlessly nipping her body and tearing her clothes.
We began working together remotely, addressing all aspects in the way of life including the pup’s schedule, socialization, and daily manner of handling, bringing things back to a place of safety and simplicity. In these early days, she crated Taco heavily, giving him the chance to settle himself, let his guard down, and fall asleep, catching up on weeks of insufficient rest.
She dialed down exposure, realizing that “the abundance of socialization experiences with dogs, people, and kids” was the very reason he’d become skittish and apprehensive about socializing. Now, she built a bubble around him, teaching him to see things near and far and ignore them. She kept their outings simple, managed his food intake, revved up his physical exercise to awaken his food motivation.
As Taco began to ease up and mature, she knew she could start expanding his social circle. She built rapport with other dog owners, creating a network for herself and Taco who was better able to socialize now, as his confidence grew, knowing that anything his owner showed him was safe and good.
Taco has matured into a sound and open young dog. He has taken on major challenges with his owners, including relocating to another state, flying crated in cargo as if it were nothing. As she’s transitioned into the adolescent stage with him, she is now able to expand his world and engage full-on in sport. She has noted an elevation in the drive and power he brings to working for food, tugging, and engaging with her in ways he hadn’t before. To keep harnessing his growing energy, she located a facility to pursue scent work and agility, and they also share a life of outdoor adventures. Now, she proudly calls him a “go-anywhere, do-anything” dog.
