On Saturday night I was victim of an attempted robbery.
It would appear that it was only an attempted robbery because Poppy my three year old Boxer alerted the burglars of her presence before they were able to get away with anything. Which is great, I was working a nightshift, and it's great to know that my wife and two children are safe.
Unfortunately the whole episode seems to be bothering Poppy around the house and she has really lost her spark. She spends most of the day in her bed, where she would only normally go if bribed with a tit-bit. On walks she is very uninterested and she appears very frightened and has run home on two occasions. If I take her to other locations for walks she is fine which only highlights the change in her when she is at home. She is eating well and still sleeps in our bedroom but she doesn't come and join us in the front room like she used to. She is definitely not herself.
I wondered if she was stressed? But wouldn't know what to do if she was. Apart from that I don't know what it could be? Have you heard of anything like this before?
Thanks Nick and Poppy
I've asked Nick for some more details, for example if the burglars entered the house. If it's possible Poppy was hurt by them and not just frightened. I've suggested getting a vet check just to make sure there are no physical problems. Think Tank Behaviourist Amy Hatcher is hoping to visit Poppy and Nick shortly to try and help her recover her sparkle.
Keep watching for updates.
Here's Amy's report:
Experiencing a break-in is more than just an inconvenience, it can be incredibly traumatic and frightening for all – including the family dog.
It can make any human feel their privacy has been invaded but the difference for us is that we know and understand what has happened. For our canine family members it is a different story. Having a total stranger arrive at the territory without the other pack members there is an exceptionally stressful time and can lead to canine depression and all sorts of other stress related issues. In extreme cases the nature of the dog totally changes.
A dog is able to detect through smell that something isn’t right with the situation, which is how dog walkers are able to enter client properties without causing most dogs any stress. An intruder will give off an unfamiliar odour, not just their usual smell but also a mix of adrenaline and other hormones connected with fear, anxiety and excitement. This will be a scent that most dogs will be very unfamiliar and uncomfortable with. This alone can often provoke a reaction from a dog that leads to stress, anxiety and frequently depression.
My first conversation with Nick involved some negatives - this is unusual for me as I first build a relationship with the owner and ensure I have their trust and confidence before I talk frankly with them. However it was very apparent in this case how much Nick and his family love Poppy and how badly it was effecting them. With this in mind I advised Nick that fixing Poppy was going to take a little time and a lot of patience.
On my drive over to meet Nick I was wondering what I would face, I couldn’t quite picture a Boxer without her sparkle. I wasn’t quite expecting what I saw - Poppy gave me a quick sniff then retreated to sit on Nick's feet- a clear sign of anxiety and a little bit of defensive behaviour.
Poppy wanted to stay in her bed all day, was suspicious of me when I was welcomed into her home and looked like she had almost lost the will to live. Poppy had lost her Boxer exuberance. This, I am sure was a result of the shock.
Change of routine would also have its influence, it is therefore vital after any trauma to try to keep the routine the same and not over-compensate for any trauma as this can confuse dogs even further. Over-fussing the dog will cause added anxiety if this is something unfamiliar to them. Dogs rely on routine in order to be able to exist and live happily along side humans, within the human life style. A dog will adapt to pretty much any life style he is used to but this takes time.
We began by going over how Poppy used to react to various environments and situations. It was early days and some of the stress Poppy feels will gradually disappear - time is the greatest healer - for all living mammals. It was vital that I saw Nick and Poppy before too much change set in as this can become a habit and at this point it is much harder to correct.
We developed a new training regime for Poppy. Fortunately Nick was going to be away with work in the Fire Service for the next week. Poppy was to stay with her usual friend and playmate a chocolate Labrador. This will really help her confidence and help her to forget the trauma of the break-in. It will mean a clean start. With that new start Nick needed to introduce some extra time for Poppy in the form of 5 or 10 minutes training. As Poppy is very driven and bright I have recommended Clicker training as it encourages focus and also allows for the opportunity to problem solve which is a superb way of building confidence.
Whilst this was underway the walks had to be addressed. Poppy no longer wanted to go on her usual route and so Nick had started to change the location of where Poppy was exercised. I advised doing a combination of locations so that Poppy was allowed the opportunity to accept her familiar routes without feeling anxiety.
The greatest concern aside from building Poppy’s confidence back up to normal is the potential for future aggression. Poppy’s confidence has been knocked for six and as a result she is showing signs of fear and anxiety around new people. This can quickly turn into aggression because for an adult dog the best form of defence is attack. To ensure this did not happen I put Nick and Poppy on a similar programme to dogs with aggression issues. Lots of meeting strangers and lots of dinner parties with guests. This way Poppy would still trust people in her home, around her family and always accept this as normal.
Nick really enjoys training Poppy so I am confident that with a little bit of TLC and a whole lot of extra training time Poppy will return to her normal fun-loving self.
First I would suggest a vet check to make sure she is not ill.
ReplyDeleteIt may have upset her and there may be some stress and/or fear.
Fear experiences have a massive impact on the dog because the part of the brain which is stimulated during a fear response is the same part of the brain that is stimulated for learning and memory.
I would keep an eye on her and try to be as normal as possible and try to get a routine with as many fun things as possible in it to help with her general mood, but dont put any pressure on her or make a fuss if she doesnt want to do something.
I have seen a few dogs like this after traumatic experience and they spend a lot of time on their bed but they ususally come round within a week or so.