Willow's Rescue: Part Two

Operation stealth mode consisted of sneaky walks and trying to keep Willow quiet, since I didn’t want to risk losing my security deposit or getting kicked out before I had a new place lined up. The real challenge came when I had to go to work. In the beginning she had extreme separation anxiety. If I left the room she whined and anything longer than a few seconds resulted in sounds comparable to a squealing pig being led out to slaughter. I couldn’t leave her at home alone because we couldn’t risk being discovered.

Luckily, my dog-loving boss, Kim, let me bring her to work with me until I found my own place, which I promised would only take two weeks. I tried keeping Willow at my desk, but every time I had to leave to do something the squealing ensued. We decided to keep her in the warehouse where another dog-lover, Lois, was more than happy to look after her. She whined, for sure, but soon became used to her new routine. 

True to my word, after two weeks I found a nice little one bedroom condo for rent with the help of my realtor friend, Alma. Once Willow knew she had a safe place to live she began feeling more secure which helped her separation anxiety immensely. I found some training tips on separation anxiety and tried them all. I figured if I threw enough mud at the wall something would be bound to stick! I started with giving her a treat and leaving the room for 1 second, then 2 seconds, etc., until I was all the way up to 5 minutes. Tedious, but it helped. I also left music on for her when I wasn’t home. Since I’m a musician, I had the awesome idea of putting my own music on, thinking the sound of my own voice might calm her. It worked! —or maybe it was the frozen kong filled with peanut butter—whatever! The mud was sticking and that’s what mattered.

Willow playing with her big friends

Everything was new to Willow. She had never been on a leash, never been to the vet, never played with other dogs, never been to the park, etc. She was very timid and scared of everything. She didn’t even know how to play! The first several times I took her to the park she sat beside me and wouldn’t move; she just stared at everything, totally overwhelmed. Gradually, she became bolder and now she’s one of the bravest little dogs I’ve ever seen. She loves to play with every dog she sees—and the bigger the dog, the better! She is happy and healthy and a joy to train; actually, I think I’m learning more than she is. One thing is for sure: we are both happier now than before I rescued her—or maybe she rescued me. 

Paaawz Pet Sitting Paaawz.com