I Made a Mistake

This weekend was very stormy. Gusty wind sent tree limbs flying everywhere. During one of our walkies, I bent to pick up a limb that had fallen into our driveway. Gracie’s leash was in my left hand; she walked a few feet ahead of me. I grabbed the limb with my right hand and swung it across my body to my left. Gracie bolted.

I made a mistake. I forgot something I learned not long after she joined our family. Gracie has been beaten with a stick at some point in her previous life. If you toss a stick around her, you must toss it well away from her, never in her general direction.

I tell the story for two reasons. First, you do not need to beat an animal to get it to “obey.” Gracie’s primary motivators are food and petting. She will do anything for either one of those things. Think about it. If your boss slapped you across the face every day when you arrived to work, how motivated would you be to continue working there? Please, use positive reinforcement, never physical or mental abuse, to train or discipline your buddy.

Second, when you adopt a rescued pet, do not be surprised if you have glimpses like this of the previous life. It was shocking for me when I first saw it. She reacted much worse then, since she did not know me yet. She did not know that I had no intention of beating her. I was just tossing the stick to play.

This time, she bolted from instinct but stopped within a couple of feet. It will take time for you to teach your rescued pet the same sense of security. Be patient. We have no idea what they have endured before they came to us.

Rescue Mommy