I am so sorry to hear about your loved one- well, both of them, actually. First off, I .would like to give you my background. I am a "depressed" person, labeled as bi-polar. My boyfriend of four years is a Gulf War veteran with severe PTSD. We have four dogs. They are our world. He has had his dog for ten years, since she was a young pup, he got her post war.
I have a four year old Basset Hound and two three month old Basset pups. Our dogs are all over flowing with individuality. His dog is an older dog, wise from her years…and she is grumbly as they get, just like him. My dog is the most loving mammal you could ever meet…but she is scared new faces, just like me. The young pups,well, they are invinsible…or so they think. Let me also make a point that I have a neighbor friend who has one of the pups from my four year olds litter. Her dog is scared of the wind.
Now. A little more background on the dogs. My four year old was beaten as a pup of about five months. My neighbors dog was also beaten, having had a previous home. My two hound pups have known nothing but love….they show nothing but love in return. And my boyfriends dog? Well, she has had a rough life and now she basically likes to be left alone for the most part-except for walks and pets from her master.
I know alot about stress, a fair amount about dogs. Honestly, I think that your dog very well could be absorbing stress from a member of your household. Absolutely. I am no vet, no dog whisperer. I am, however, in touch with my dogs. They feel what is close to them, what is in the air. If there is a fight, or raised voices, they cower and scatter. Especially my four year old.
When I moved down to Floridas from Michigan three and a half years ago, I lived with my mother and her boyfriend. The boyfriend was a small man, exuding all signs of having a Napolean complex. One day, when I was at work, he was left home wtih a half potty trained puppy. One night later that week, I took that puppy for a walk. When we rounded my mothers block, we encountered a man of my mothers boyfriends stature. My puppy literally reared up out of her collar, turned tail, and blasted down the street in the opposite direction. She has been like this ever since, and there is no doubt in my mind that she was beaten one day while I was at work. Which brings me to my friend down the street. For two weeks, her puppy lived with a different family-a very stressed out family that likes to yell. Well, when she got the puppy back from this family, she noticed that he was scared of kids. Now its all people that he is terrified of- at 13 weeks of age.
Dogs feel what we feel. I honestly and truthfully believe that these four legged gems reflect our feelings. They all come into this world, so sweet and so innocent. The family that they end up with really determines their personality. I have been trying to rehabilitate my hound dog for the past three years. She’s still terrified of people-especially of men with long hair and beards, which is what her assailant had. I just give her extra love, extra pets, and extra walks so that she knows shes oh-so loved. I don’t force her to meet people.
One last note-Valium. If you really feel that your dog needs it, and the vet agrees, he or she may prescribe the dog a small dose of Valium. My neighbor, the one with the pup, also has a very jealous bully cat that takes valium.
I don’t know the one and only answer to this question-I just feel for you and your dog…..just be patient and gentle with him….
