Living with a special needs pet.

June 2019

My dog isn’t exactly what you’d call the dream dog.  In fact, she doesn’t come even remotely close.  Sorry Mieks.

A vibrant garden showcasing a variety of plants and flowers.

The dream was Lexi the loveable chocolate lab.  My fur-baby that I could take on Sundays for a spot of brunch at our local cafe, while cafe-goers doted on her, followed by a stroll along Perth’s stunning coast-line along with the local hounds.  A loveable, easy-going larrikin that slotted into our care-free, cruisy lifestyle.

Instead, my reality is my special needs border collie, gripped with various anxiety disorders (noise phobias, separation related distress and inter-dog aggression).  Essentially an antisocial hound obsessed with myself one and truly.  A dog who goes into absolute melt-down panic when she doesn’t get to come into the bathroom with me, or when the vacuum comes out (which fortunately isn’t too often for her), if there’s a thunderstorm, gunshots (we used to live near the local gun club) or fire-works and worst considering I’m a footy fanatic, when the alf takes over the living room between March and September.

Nobody dreams of their fur babies developing mental health issues., but that is the sad reality of so many.  Their dreams of owning the perfect pet becomes a literal nightmare.  Neighbour complaints.  Embarrassment when you take your dog outside the house.  Fear of having people over at your house.  Destruction of your home.  Being afraid of encountering a loose dog on your walk.  Or simply the sense of loss of not being able to do the things with your pooch that you always dreamt about!

Mental health issues affect so many pets.  Thanks largely to social media, many special needs pets are getting a second chance at life and many of these dogs have mental health issues (one of the potential reasons they are up for adoption).  But many puppies simply grow up into anxious doggies due to their genetics, past experiences and current environment.  New owners may not be aware of what may ensure in the future.

For me, there were a few early warning signs.  Firstly border-collies can have some genetic tendencies to be a little anxious.  She is from reputable breeders but i did not meet her parents, and i did not see her personality before acquiring her.  She was so timid when she first came home, and she didn’t exactly like the other puppies in puppy school.  Then came the incident when she was 6-months old and bowled over by two boisterous Rottweilers at the park who weren’t exactly pleased to see her.

She figured out pretty quickly she resorted to aggression she could void off potential interactions with unfamiliar dogs.  Moving up to the Pilbara when she was 2 years old escalated her noise phobias, thanks largely to the almost daily thunderstorms throughout the wet-season.  Here i had her, a dog scared of life and about to start a brawl with any dog she encountered.  It all happened so quickly, but before my very eyes my poor poppet was becoming so distressed and actual daily living became a nightmare!

It was time for a change.  We had to do something to improve both her life, my life and the bond we shared together.  Heres how we embraced living with a special needs pet.

The best things I did were diagnose and treat her mental health problems.  In fact, this was completely life-changing.  Seriously.  Although her anxiety can not be “cured”, we have made BIG improvements to her (and my families) daily living.

It must be stated that getting the RIGHT help is crucial.  Stay clear from the know-it-all at the local dog-park, or the chorus of Caeser Milan followers on a Facegroup Group.   Although good intentioned,  incorrect advice can cause far more harm than good.  When your pet has behavioural problems you are best speaking to a qualified professional who can screen your pet for mental health problems, such as your local veterinarian who can point you in the direction of a veterinary behaviourist or positive reinforcement trainer if required.

Asides from dealing with her anxiety disorders, the biggest step forward for me living with a special needs pet was making adjustments to my expectations.  Essentially I had to accept what would be realistic and adjust my goals.  This wasn’t an easy thing to do.  It took a long time for me to accept that Mieks doesn’t have to have a tribe of dog friends for me to be an awesome dog mum.  In fact in her mind she couldn’t think of anything more stressful.  I pick and manage her social outings carefully, avoiding off-lead areas or peak dog traffic times to minimise her (and mine) stress levels.  We both love our on-lead, doggie-free power-walks, avoiding other hounds.

Although she isn’t exactly what I fully hoped for. and at times living with a special needs pet can be super challenging.  With a diagnosis, a management plan which has comprised environmental management, anti-anxiety medications and behavioural modification, and importantly adjustment of our goals and acceptance of our reality, we have honestly made such a huge progress.  There are still the highs and lows.  But my girl is everything, and i wouldn’t swap her for the world.