SCARED SHITLESS: PUPPY TRAUMA

Hi, humans! I’ve grown up so much since I wrote to you last time, and am officially a therapy dog. I love my clients and get excited when they come in to see me. I know lots about trauma and LOVE to help. Helping is my favorite thing!

Mom asked me to share something kind of embarrassing. I don’t want to, but she said it might help some humans. So, I said ok.

One day, my big brother Murphy and I were playing in the backyard. We do zoomies around the trees and chase the bunnies. We run around the barn and play hide and seek. I’m lots faster and lots younger than he is, and he doesn’t see so good anymore. Sometimes he gets mad.

It’s also where we potty. Learning to potty in the right place was hard to figure out when I was a tiny puppy, but I was getting bigger and doing really well.

Then Chico, the super big neighbor dog, scared me really bad. He wanted to play so much that he jumped over the 6-foot fence.

I didn’t know he only wanted to play and I got so scared and ran inside while I was pooping. I felt so scared and didn’t know what to do.

Mom caught Chico and took him home. She wasn’t happy at all.

After he left, I was still really scared. I got so scared I forgot how to potty outside. I need to go, and I don’t want to be naughty, but I keep imagining big Chico jumping the fence.

 Mom said I have puppy trauma.

Now I know what my clients feel like. Sometimes bad things happen, and even though it’s not happening anymore, it is still really scary. I can only potty in the yard if mom or another big human goes down the stairs and into the yard, too.

Being brave is hard, and I had to learn to trust other dogs again. I sometimes accidentally pottied inside even if the door was open just because I was so afraid of big Chico coming over the fence with such a big surprise.

Mom said I’m working on my bravery, but she’s tired of cleaning up the wood floor. She rubs my ears real good and tells me I’m a good boy when I potty outside.

Murphy was in the backyard yard when Chico came over, but he didn’t get scared like me. He just barked and barked like a big dog even though he’s a really tiny dog. He’s the bravest big brother ever.

So, if you got scared sometime and now you have trouble doing stuff, I understand. When we get scared, it’s hard to remember what it was like before we were scared.

I get to watch my mommy, and all my favorite people help scared humans get unscared. It’s awesome. I feel better, and so can you! Scared can get better with help.