Ask Your Pet

Dear Priscilla,

The first thing Quint told me is that he feels misunderstood. The second thing was that he is afraid all the time. It’s like a constant underlying anxiety or watchfulness.

Unfortunately, Quint was never with anyone who could handle him properly before you. In his first home he began to have some “acting out” behaviors that mainly had to do with being a puppy and living with a family that didn’t understand his breed. They made the decision to give him up, and he was adopted by someone else. He’s showing me a lanky male who was abusive, both physically and verbally. In this home, Quint learned to be afraid and on alert all the time.

Quint says he was rescued from the abuse by a female. But, he has never fully recovered from the experience. He’s always in a state of hyper-alertness to some degree, always expecting danger. He knows intellectually that he’s safe with you, but at an instinctive level danger is everywhere. That’s why he’s easily triggered and has fear aggression.

Quint feels terrible when he bites someone, but he’s not able to control this behavior. I wouldn’t bring him around strangers, children, or other animals without having him muzzled for now. However, now that you understand the cause of his behaviors, there are things you can do to help him. First, since you’re a trainer, just have an awareness when working with Quint that he’s been abused. Use only positive reinforcement. Visualize the behaviors you’d like to see, rather than worrying about behaviors you don’t want. 

Anything unexpected, new, or unfamiliar will be a likely trigger. So, always have an awareness of this and plan accordingly. Explain what’s going to happen and emit feelings of calm, security, and love while doing so. Quint won’t understand most of your words, but will understand your meaning from your feelings and the images in your mind. 

There are a few flower essence formulas from www.Green HopeEssences.com that should help: “Anxiety”, “Abandonment and Abuse”, and “Outburst”. 

Quint needs patience and love. Again, be careful when he’s around other people or animals. Keep in mind that there are times when he can’t control his behavior. Triggers can always happen, even with animals who have made great progress. Your experience as a trainer will help immensely. Combined with my recommendations, I think if you employ the techniques you already know you can enjoy Quint’s company while keeping others safe and attaining some peace of mind for him.

Many Blessings, 

Jennifer Dickman