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A List Dog from Animal Welfare
What happens when you don't give up
Why fear behavior has nothing to do with disobedience – and why time is the most important factor.
The Beginning – A Conscious Decision
After moving to the canton of Lucerne and the painful loss of my beloved companion Toffy (whom I had adopted through the Stiftung Arme Pfoten), it was crystal clear to me: I wanted to give a home to another dog. But not just any puppy from a breeder. Rather, a dog that really needed it. One that perhaps wouldn't have another chance.
I learned about Mary through acquaintances. At the time, she lived in a foster home and was cared for by Bullstaff Hilfe. From the very first meeting, I realized: Mary was not an easy dog. She was about four years old and came to me as an extremely fearful dog. She carried a huge burden of issues and a dark past that was evident in every movement and every cautious glance. And yet, my decision was made immediately: It is precisely such dogs that are worth fighting for.
The Reality – When Things Get Really Difficult
I don't want to sugarcoat or romanticize anything here. The beginning was extremely tough. There were many days when I came home completely exhausted after walks, locked the door behind me – and simply sat crying in the apartment.
I was full of doubt. I asked myself countless times if I could really handle this immense task and if I could even do justice to Mary. As if that wasn't enough, we moved back to the canton of Aargau shortly thereafter. In many cantons, such as Aargau, stricter regulations and tests apply to so-called list dogs. Suddenly, the enormous pressure of the practical list dog test was also on the table – with a dog who was completely panicked outdoors.
When Fear Takes Over the Body
Mary was under massive, chronic, continuous stress. And this was not only evident in her behavior but also manifested physically with full force.
House-training – often completely misunderstood
In the first few months, Mary regularly soiled the apartment. Urine and feces. Many people immediately think of protest or lack of training. But that's wrong. Mary didn't soil the apartment because she wasn't house-trained, but because she simply couldn't let go outside. Insecure, fearful dogs often avoid leaving traces outdoors due to a deep primal instinct. The apartment was the only place in the world where she felt safe enough to relieve herself.
Intestines and Psyche
Stress massively affects the body – especially the gastrointestinal tract. Mary had severe, watery diarrhea for a very long time, even though she received the exact same food as before. During this difficult phase, I supported her with Bioflorin, among other things, to build up her intestinal flora until her overstimulated nervous system finally slowly calmed down.
Sensory Overload: When the World Becomes Too Much
Mary could eventually relax relatively well indoors. But as soon as we stepped outside, she was completely overwhelmed. Her nervous system was so sensitive that it reacted to the smallest stimuli as if they were an absolute life-threatening danger.
A single insect crawling through the grass in front of her was enough to completely unnerve her. Cars were a massive problem: she wanted to dart off suddenly, often only at the very last moment. One had to be highly concentrated every millisecond during walks. Motorcycles triggered severe panic, and she was also extremely afraid of children – once she growled out of sheer overwhelmedness and insecurity.
“He won't” vs. “He can't”
Outdoors, Mary was hardly responsive to me. Treats didn't interest her at all, even though she usually enjoyed eating. My voice didn't reach her. A single second on a loose leash was an absolute sensation at first. Training in the classical sense was practically impossible.
Many dog owners completely misinterpret such behavior and say: “The dog is stubborn, he just won't.” In truth, it's often: The dog can't at that moment.
Why won't my dog take treats?
From a biological perspective, we now know that under severe stress, the survival system in the brain is activated. The focus is no longer on food, cooperation, or play, but purely on ensuring one's own survival.
In this highly alarmed state, learning, concentration, and the processing of rewards in the brain are simply shut down. A dog in such a situation is not consciously deciding against you – its system is biologically blocked.
Behavior is not a decision against the human.
It is always a reaction to what the dog experiences.
Flashbacks and the Cruel Truth
Mary frequently had moments that felt like flashback-like states. This often happened immediately after sleeping. In those seconds, she seemed as if she was suddenly trapped in an old threat. She was then hardly responsive and would have defended herself if necessary.
She showed disturbing misassociations: an object in her hand like a wooden spoon triggered panic. Once, she accidentally knocked over an empty container with her leash. After that, she was completely terrified for over two hours, crawling hunched and almost cowering across the floor. Another time, she lightly bumped against the handle of the flexi-leash and immediately reacted in panic, as if I had hit her.
Years later, the bitter and sad truth emerged through an X-ray at the vet: Mary had two projectiles in her body. She had been shot. At that moment, all her behavior suddenly made cruel sense.
Learning is Individual: Why Standard Training Failed
Before Mary, I was used to dogs being strongly encouraged in training – praising with a high voice, making action, motivating extremely. However, with an already overstimulated dog like her, this was pure poison. A dog whose nervous system is constantly running on high alert becomes even more overwhelmed by additional "positive excitement." Positive stress also releases strong hormones in the body and clouds the senses just as much as fear.
I had to learn to work extremely calmly, radiate absolute clarity, and completely rein in my own emotions during training. Mary didn't need me as a loud entertainer, but as a stable rock in the surf.
The Breakthrough and Accepting Limitations
Our journey was incredibly long and exhausting. But giving up was never an option. With endless time, patience, and trust, Mary transformed into a completely different dog. She learned to walk relaxed on the leash and became confident in everyday life. We fought our way through and finally successfully passed the practical list dog test in Aargau!
But one boundary remained: off-leash walking was not possible for Mary. Without the security and connection of the leash, she was mentally simply "gone" and drifted completely detached through her own world. And that is perfectly fine. We accepted this boundary and used the long line as a bridge.
Off-leash was never an option – and that's perfectly fine.
For me, Mary has become a perfect dog.
Not because she no longer had any issues.
But because we learned to grow together –
and became a real team.