Category: dogs

dogs, Life, time, to-do lists, work, writing, yoga

Beginning: How I Find the Time

Christa Avampato

“You have to live your life spherically, in many directions.” ~ Frances Mayes, Under the Tuscan Sun

A lot of people ask me how I can live such a varied life with so many interests that don’t necessarily fit together in a logical way. I like being a Renaissance woman; I love figuring just how all the pieces come together, even if on the surface they seem to have nothing to do with each other. I am a firm believer in connections and relationships.

I’ve struggled a bit to come up with a good answer for people who truly want to know how I fit it all in, how all these subjects and activities can live side-by-side in my brain. Part of it is my training – I’ve been on a vertical learning curve all my life, so much so that it’s where I’m most comfortable and engaged. I like having a challenge nip at me until I crack the code. For me, that’s play.

But people don’t like that answer. It’s not enough of a silver bullet. And then it dawned on me (in the lady’s room, if you must know!): most people don’t give a hoot how I fit it all in and maintain so many simultaneous interests. They want to know how THEY can do that. They want “the how” that they can replicate. Now I’ve got a bit of a better answer to their question.

Generally, this is how time works in my brain:
In the morning, I am in list mode. I jot down everything I need to do for the day, in no particular order. I add to it throughout the day, though most of my to-do’s strike right when I wake up.

Some time between 5:30am and 6:30am I head out for a walk with my pup, Phineas. You might think this is a time suck because I walk him for a full hour and I don’t multi-task when I walk him. Trust me, I need it as much as he does. It clears my head to walk Phin and I find that the whole rest of my day is much more productive after I get some exercise with him. I often return with a mental list full of writing ideas and people I need to contact later on.

After my favorite meal, breakfast (another time when I don’t multi-task – I just focus on chewing), I plow through as much individual work (at home or at the office) as I can before noon because I’m a morning person and a late night person. I’m not so much of an afternoon person. (I blame my European roots for this!) If I’m commuting to work, I use the subway ride to flip through emails and read the top news stories, again making notes in my to-do list as they arise from my reading.

Then lunch rolls around and I usually read through lunch. Again, I check the news, get through some of my to-do list, and invariably add more to my to-do list. (I’ve noticed recently that I have a tendency to mindless gulp my lunch – I need to focus a bit more on my chewing this meal.)

Afternoons are for listening and gathering information. I try to have all of my meetings and phone calls in the afternoon. I’m sure there’s a brain study here, just waiting to happen. (Now adding this research to my to-do list!)

Most of the time I have plans after work, whether I’m teaching a class, taking a class, or seeing friends. That’s down time for me and recharges me for the evening. If I don’t have plans, then I take the time for myself at home.

When I arrive home, I play with Phin for a bit and read the note from his dog walker to see how he did in the afternoon. Sometimes we take a little jaunt around the block, depending upon how we’re both feeling.

I do some yoga and an 18-minute meditation every night. No matter what. I set get out my mat and bolster, set my timer, and get it done. No compromises.

Then I write, usually with Phineas sitting next to me. The writing part of my brain kicks in when the sun goes down. I’m not sure why – perhaps because the distractions of the day have fallen away by then. I feel like way up on the 17th floor, I can be alone with my thoughts when it’s dark outside. All the listening and gathering I’ve done throughout the day has had time to gel.

Yoga, meditation, and all of the personal work I’ve done over the last two years have paid off by banishing my lifetime of insomnia. Occasionally I toss and turn, though most of the time sleep finds me pretty easily. I take Phin out for a last quick minute (literally) and then I try to shut off the lights just after I catch the top stories of the 11pm news.

That’s an average work day for me. So far, it’s working though I’m always open to changing it up as needed. How does your day map out? How do you get it all done?

change, choices, dogs

Beginning: What Dogs Teach Us About Change

Christa Avampato
Phineas patiently waiting for a hug

I’ve now boarded Phin twice, one for a business trip and once to visit my friends in DC. Boarding him felt like such an enormous decision. Would they take good care of him? Would he be safe, fed, and exercised properly? The team at Biscuits and Bath has been wonderful with him, giving him lots of attention and play time, though each time I’ve left him there’s a little part of me that feels hollow. And while I was briefly free of the obligation to take care for him at all times while I was away, it felt strange to not have him with me, as if something was not quite right with the world until I would pick him up.

This is the lesson of change that Phin has taught me: change takes adjustment. When I first got him, I had to reconfigure my schedule to wake up earlier to get a long morning walk in and adjust my weekends so I would also be around in the afternoon for his walk. I had to find a dog walker so he would have company during the day and so I could go out after work without having to rush home every night. It was a financial adjustment, too, securing pet insurance, medical appointments, high quality food, and regular medications as needed. We also had separation anxiety to sort through, and a routine to establish his security when I did have to leave him on his own at home. And above all, we needed to bond as a pair to enrich both of our lives.

It’s a lot of work to have a dog, particularly in a city and on my own. Much more work than I ever thought it would be. And yet, I cannot imagine what I ever did without little Phin. He’s become so much a part of my life in every way that I feel strange without his energy in my home. It’s as if I can’t be wholly me unless I know he’s safe and sound in our home.

Animals have this magical way of finding their way into our hearts just by being. Phin and I don’t speak the same language and yet we certainly understand each other. Just when I need a hug, he climbs out of his bed, does his little yoga stretches and makes his way over to my lap. When I need to get some work done, he toddles over to his toys and is more than happy to play independently. All without me saying a word. His innate comprehension on an emotional level is astounding.

If only people could be so attuned to their environments. Imagine how much more we could be there for each other, how much more comfort and concern we could provide in exactly the right amount, at exactly the right time. No wonder so many say that dogs are more than companions; they are our greatest teachers, too.

animals, books, dogs, story, writing, yoga

Beginning: Until Tuesday: A Wounded Warrior and the Golden Retriever Who Saved Him

Christa Avampato

“I want to stand as close to the edge as I can without going over. Out on the edge you see all kinds of things you can’t see from the center.” ~ Kurt Vonnegut as quoted by Fmr. Captain Luis Carlos Montalván

I have read a handful of books in my life that have reached down into my soul and taken root. Fmr. Captain Luis Carlos Montalván’s book, Until Tuesday: A Wounded Warrior and the Golden Retriever Who Saved Him, is one of those books. Exquisitely written, Montalván and his beloved service dog, Tuesday, made me laugh, cry, and slam my fists on the table. I read much of it with Phineas, my own canine pal, in my lap, and the book made me hug Phineas even tighter than I usually do.

I  picked up the book after seeing Montalván and Tuesday on Letterman. I usually miss the show because it’s on past my bedtime, but for some reason I was awake that night with the TV on. Montalván’s story is tremendously important to me on a number of levels, and so immediately went out the next day and got the book.

Helping returning vets
With Compass Yoga, I am very focused on helping returning veterans, their families, and caregivers. Montalván taught me so much about war and the toll it takes on a person. His story is at points devastating and my heart felt crushed for all he endured, in Iraq and then once he returned from his tours of duty. The challenges of vets and those who are care for them are complex and messy, and Montalván writes about them in such searing detail that I sometimes felt myself right beside him. It’s a situation I very much need to understand if I am going to be of service to vets when they return home. The book reaffirmed my commitment to them.

Championing the healing power of animals
Tuesday is clearly an exquisite animal, inside and out. Though I’ve never met him, I certainly fell in love with him and his story over the course of the 252-page book. I have been a dog lover all my life. Our family dogs were an enormous part of my childhood – the very best part of it. I adopted my rescue pup, Phineas, a year ago and rehabilitating him has been one of the proudest and happiest achievement of my life. Even on my saddest days, he is a little ray of light in my life and to everyone who meets him. He is not without his challenges, though he has now become so engrained in my life that I can’t imagine being without him. That is the magic of animals, and dogs in particular – just by showing up they teach us about commitment, devotion, love, loyalty, and empathy – all of the things that make us human. They bring out the very best in all of us. I decided to enroll us in therapy dog training this Fall so I can bring him to schools and hospitals to visit. Goodness like Phin’s needs to be shared with the world – Tuesday taught me that.We need more Tuesdays, especially for veterans.

Writing honestly to achieve understanding
Montalván is a master storyteller, and what I so respect and admire most about him is his ability to write so candidly about painful and joyful parts of his life. It took great courage to put pen to page to write this story. He is not a perfect man, and in his honest writing he teaches us that we can’t expect ourselves to be perfect either. He writes about forgiveness and authenticity. He speaks with confidence, grace, wisdom, and strength. He inspired me to continue my own personal writing, particularly about my father, which is a painful and tragic part of my past. Montalván taught me that there is so much redemption available to us through honest and thoughtful writing. He taught me just how mighty the pen can be, and just how capable we are of forgiving ourselves and others.

Until Tuesday is a truly beautiful book, a great gift that I am so grateful to receive. And so I pass the recommendation on to you – let Tuesday into your heart and he will change the way you see the world.

dogs, generosity, gifts, kindness, New York City

Beginning: A Downpour, the Kindness of NY Strangers, and a Community of Dachshunds

Christa Avampato

A photo I snapped of Friday's storm before a stranger rescued us with his umbrella
Phineas and I got caught in the downpour on Friday night. I had gone to pick him up from his first time at daycare and the raging storm took us by surprise as we made our way home. We were both crouched underneath an awning outside Cafe Frida, my favorite Mexican restaurant in our neighborhood. Phineas hates the rain, as most dachshunds do.

Just inside the restaurant a couple watched us through the window, looking on us with a great deal of pity. The man got up from the table and opened the door.

“We have two little dachshunds at home and we know how much they hate the rain. Take our umbrella so you can get your little guy home,” he said.

“But I can’t take your umbrella. How will I get it back to you?” I asked him.

“You don’t have to. We’re going to stay here until the rain stops and we’ve got plenty of umbrellas at home. Really – take it,” he said.

I thanked him profusely and Phineas in his tired / scared state gave him a smooch. Away we went. People often think of New Yorkers as pushy, arrogant, and self-centered. And maybe we are or can be from time to time. Though I must say that after 12 years of living in this city on and off, I’ve had more kind, generous, and selfless interactions right here in New York than I have anywhere else in the world. This was one of those times.

The wind whipped us around a bit on the way home and the umbrella didn’t keep us completely dry but it did a good enough job to get home before the next batch of really heavy rain started pelting down. The umbrella partially busted along the way, but I just didn’t have the heart to toss it in the trash can at the corner of our block. I’m going to hang on to it for a bit as a reminder of just how much good there is flowing through the streets of New York, at least if you have a dachshund in hand.

animals, dogs, learning

Beginning: Phin & I Continue Our Work on Separation Anxiety

Christa Avampato

Phin practices his best "stay"
Phin and I attended our second semi-annual gathering of dachshunds at Washington Square Park. The event is put on the last Saturday in April and the first Saturday in October by the Dachshund Friendship Circle. I’m sure that parents of other breeds are equally passionate about their pups, though I’ve never seen people go ga-ga over their canine pals as much as dachshund owners do. It’s also a great place to get support and advice about the breed, which I have needed in abundance.

The way of the dachshund
They are a temperamental breed to be sure. They are born with plenty of personality despite their small stature and with that can come a lot of anxiousness. Over the past weeks Phin has had some trouble with separation anxiety. He doesn’t destroy anything in the house; he just barks a lot when I leave. It is something that he wrestles with on and off, and though he’s mostly settled in now to our home (I’ve had him for almost 8 months) on occasion he still has some tough days. Most of my neighbors are dog owners and are very supportive. One is not, and is quite vocal about it. Though I’ve apologized profusely in the past for any disturbance Phin causes from time to time, she never lets up. He sneezes and I get a text message about it – so much so that I finally blocked her from being able to text or call me. Thankfully she’s moving in a few short months.

A tough week leads to further action
I knew Phin was safe in the apartment. I just didn’t know how to get him through his latest spell of separation anxiety, which is the hardest behavior to help a dog get past. At the last Dachshund Festival we met Gregg Karl, who is a professional dog trainer who specializes in dachshunds. (He has 2 of his own). He’s become a friend and invaluable resource over the last few months. On Tuesday I gave him a call because I was really worried about Phin’s latest bout of anxiety. To be fair, we’ve had painters in our hallways all week and we went out of town over the weekend, two things that certainly set off Phin’s anxiety. Still, he seemed more anxious than he would normally be even under these stressful circumstances.

Gregg Karl, our dog trainer, comes to the rescue
Gregg was full of tips including:

– A toy called a Buster Cube and Zuke’s treats to keep him busy.

– He also had me start teaching Phin the “Stay” command and practicing coming and going out of the house many, many times. “Stay” he mastered beautifully. The coming and going exercise is not so easy. I noticed Phin’s anxiety has increased over the week after we began the training and panicked a little. Gregg assured me that this is also extremely normal. Once they begin formal training, almost all dogs will be confused and anxious until they learn that the training is no big deal. Phin is only at the very early stages.

Friends Trish and Janet lend a hand, too
My friend, Trish, an animal behaviorist, recommended that I try lavender spray to calm him down and give the apartment a relaxed feel. That seemed to help some, too. My friend, Janet, another one of my dog whisperers, recommended mixing up Phin’s walking routing to stimulate his mind and taking him for short trips around the city (like the one to the dachshund festival!) to help ease any anxiety he has after a trip. That also seemed to help him this week. I’m so grateful for their advice!

Up the exercise
I gave up running a few years ago as my yoga practice deepened. I need to have these knees of mine as long as possible and running seemed to be wearing on them. This was a big change for me as I used to run regularly and in 2001 ran the Chicago marathon. Now that the weather is getting nicer (finally!), I’ve noticed Phin has much more energy and a walk does not tire him out. One of the best remedies to separation anxiety is to exercise a dog so that he is very tired every time you leave. With all of his anxious energy gone, you’ll walk out the door and he’ll go to sleep. So, it’s back to running with Phin as my running buddy. So far this fix has worked beautifully. He loves the run and is thoroughly exhausted by the time we get home. It’s good for my health to get some more cardio and it’s good for Phin, too. Win-win.

More company
I was previously scheduling my dog walker to just take him in the middle of the day when I couldn’t get home right after work. Now, I’ve asked her to come by every day I go to work no matter what time I’ll be home. This gets him used to being with someone else who cares for him more often and he gets to see his canine pals more often which always has a very pacifying affect on him.

A new vet helps us, too
I’ve been rather unhappy with our vet. He doesn’t have much of a bedside manner and Phin is a special dog with special issues and we need a vet who understands that. In the park I met several people who recommended Westside Veterinary Clinic and we went to see them last weekend. Dr. Lewis was very happy to hear about Gregg’s tips, and she suggested that while he’s getting through this latest bout it may be a good idea to put him on a very, very low dose medicine to help ease the anxiety. I was worried about taking this step though I have to say that Phin is much calmer with the medicine and his quality of life is much higher. Plus, the dose is so low that he hasn’t lost any of his personality. The medicine cuts the anxiety without inducing any other side effects.

It takes a village to raise a dachshund
Gregg, Janet, Trish, my dog walker, and my vet continue to assure me that getting a dog through separation anxiety requires confidence and patience in boatloads. They promised me that Phin would come around, and eventually would become a well-adjusted, relaxed pup no matter what circumstances he’s in. Trauma reveals itself in stages, whether we’re talking about trauma in people or in animals.

It feels more like I’m raising a dog than training a dog, and I’ve learned so much along this road. Thank goodness for my village of advisors. No matter how much I want to speed through the process, I remind myself that in every phase of this journey Phin and I have much to learn, and we’ll both be better off for it.

animals, dogs, New York

Beginning: Ringing in Spring at the New York Dachshund Spring Fiesta

Christa Avampato

Phin and I went to the semi-annual NY Dachshund Spring Fiesta yesterday. By 1:30, Washington Square park was filled with hundreds of dachshunds and their parents were enjoying the sunshine, warmth, and fun. Dachshunds are a funny breed because they really do seem to know when they are among other dachshunds. It’s a place to share stories, get advice, and generally tell one another how much we adore this breed.

The event is held the last Saturday of every April and the first Saturday of every October. Only in New York City do you find these kinds of off-the-wall events and hundreds of people who diligently mark their calendars to attend every time. What’s more, there were plenty of people who don’t have dachshunds and come out just to take a look at all of the varied examples of this special pup.

I had to share some pictures with you, the lyrics of the Dachs Song (yes, they have their own anthem!), as well as my favorite quotes of the day. Enjoy, and join me in October! Phin will be glad to introduce you around.

My Favorite Quotes:
“This is the funniest thing I’ve ever seen.”

“No, we don’t have a dog. We’re just here to have a great time with everyone else’s wiener.”

“There’s no way you can keep a dachsie down. You can’t put baby in a corner.”

Lyrics and melody to the Dachs Song
Paul de Vries, Adrian Milton, & Murray Weinstock

To hear the Dachs Song, visit http://www.dachsong.com/

“There’s no other dog like a dachshund,
walking to close to the ground.
They’re stubborn and sly as a fox
and the happiest pet to be found.

Most kinds of dogs seem to either have
shapes or proportions all wrong.
They’re only one way or the other,
but dachshunds are both short and long.

Dachsie, meine dachsie,
the best canine under the sun.
Call you wiener or sausage or hot dog,
We know that you’re number 1.”

Photos

A dachsie pow wow

Shotzie, our trainer Gregg's pup
A dachsie on his wiener leash
A pup who is half dachshie, half rottweiler
Phin takes a break and listens to some toons after meeting so many new friends
animals, dogs, love

Beginning: What Animals Teach Us About Love

Christa Avampato

Phineas with the cherry blossoms in Central Park
“It’s no trick loving somebody at their best. Love is loving them at their worst.” ~ Tom Stoppard

Phineas and I had our first fight. Last week he had one day when he didn’t want to go outside, didn’t want to go back inside once we finally got to our walk, didn’t want to go back into our apartment, and then didn’t want me to leave for work. He howled and howled when I left. And not his “I’m sad; don’t leave me” cry” but his “I am so mad at you for leaving me” cry. This was completely unlike Phin. He’s never done that before. the few days prior he did seem to be having some nightmares, and would whimper a little bit in the middle of the night. I should also mention that this same morning both the elevators in my building were clogged due to a movie filming in our building (we live on the 17th floor!), and Phin could hear every single clang of the movie equipment from our apartment. (If they’re going to inconvenience us, the least the producers could do is put us in the movie.) Oy! What a Monday!

I tried everything I could to calm Phin down and nothing, absolutely nothing worked, so I ended up just having to leave with him angry at me. And I was mad at him, too. A grown 35 year old woman angry at a 15 pound, 18 month old dachshund. Now looking back on it, my anger was pretty hilarious. How was Phineas supposed to understand that a movie was filming and he would just have to contend with the noise? At the time it was awful.

In my mind I know Phin was just fine. He had his food and water, his treats, his nice warm bed as well as my nice warm bed if he wanted it. The TV was on and his dog walker was scheduled to take him out later in the afternoon. Still, my heart was sick at work. So sick that I asked the dog walker to send me a text after their walk to let me know if he seemed okay. Chalk it up to still being a beginning full-time dog owner. How do parents manage to their crying children at daycare? A howling dachshund is about all I can manage.

I hate to say this but a small part of my dreaded going home that night. What if Phineas gave me the silent treatment? Maybe I’m a terrible dog parent. What if he didn’t have just a bad morning but this was a turning point in his personality?

Phineas’s walk with the dog walker went well and when I got home he was overjoyed to see me, just like always. We went for a walk, had some dinner, and then he snuggled up next to me on the couch and promptly put himself to bed early. He was just fine. We were just fine. It was just an off morning and nothing more.

Phineas and I learned a valuable thing about love and co-habitation. Eventually, we have to go home and sort out our differences with the beings whom we love. We have to keep showing up. The love and companionship trump any difficulties that may surface along the way. When you love someone, you love regardless of their mood. And yes you’ll get mad and they’ll get mad, but it can and should be forgiven. Tom Stoppard was right – real love means loving them just as they are, Monday morning or not.

animals, dogs, yoga

Beginning: Yoga Dogs

Christa Avampato

I’ve often thought that dogs were the original yogis. Not only are certain basic postures named for these zen creatures, but just living with and observing a dog on a daily basis reminds us that they really are some of our very best gurus, on and off the mat. Just for fun today, take a look at this slide show for proof that dogs and yoga were made for each other! Just one more item on the long list of things we can learn from our beloved canines.

Want to really test the link between your pooch and the ancient practice? Check out the Doga (Dog yoga) event on April 14th at 7pm with instructors Amy Tobin and Laura Barket at Bideawee.

Happy weekend!

Being the owner of a dachshund, I had to make the image above the headliner for this post. Pictured is Yogi Rocky Barkjan, the original Hundalini Yoga Dog master. Clearly he’s a wire haired dachshund, just like Phin!

animals, dogs, kindness

Beginning: My Pup, Phineas, and the Homeless

Christa Avampato

Phineas happily rolling around on the grass in Central Park shortly before meeting his new friend
I took Phineas out for two long walks on Saturday and Sunday. The warming effects of Spring are underway and he’s more than happy to get outside for as long as possible and stretch those legs after a long and too-cold winter. He’s felt cooped up for too long; we both have.

One our way back home, Phineas stopped on the sidewalk right in front of a homeless man who was asking for change. I didn’t have any to give him though Phineas was intent on sitting with him for a bit, letting the man stroke his head and even give him a little kiss on the snout. I was surprised for a number of reasons:

1.) Phineas can be a bit skittish around men he doesn’t know upon first meeting them.

2.) This man immediately stroked the top of his head rather than under the chin. Usually Phin likes to sniff out a new person before he’ll let them pet his head.

3.) Kisses on the snout immediately upon meeting someone is a dicey proposition for a dog. I’m not sure anyone has ever done that with Phin except for me. He more than happily took the affection.

As Phin and I said good-bye to the man and headed for home, I wondered how long it had been since the man had someone to show affection toward. Social services focus on feeding and clothing the homeless, getting them into shelter and providing them with medical care and job skills, but rarely considers the value of basic kindness: a touch, a hug, a smile.

Phineas offered his affection and time to this man without any hesitation, even when I was a bit nervous about the endeavor. He wasn’t nervous at all; he was confident and calm and glad to sit with him for a while. I learned a lot about the role of kindness and concern in that moment, and plan to carry it forward. We have so much to learn from animals.

This blog is also available as a podcast on Cinch and iTunes.

animals, dogs

Beginning: 10 Things I’ve Done to Ease My Dog’s Separation Anxiety

Christa Avampato

Last week Phin, my faithful and adorable dachshund, had a bit of a setback in his training. To be fair, his schedule was a little out of whack with me coming home after work to walk him and then leaving again to meet friends, as well as having friends visit us before we all went out together, leaving Phin at home on Saturday night. His separation anxiety came back with a vengence with these changes and sent him into a panic, shaking and crying, sometimes for hours. Most of my neighbors were exceedingly kind about the situation and concerned about Phin since he has been fine for months.

Yoga and dogs
For a moment I stepped back and thought how ironic it is that I am a yoga instructor who teaches relaxation and stress reduction, and my dog has separation anxiety. Then again, if anyone can understand what he’s going through and ease that feeling in him, it should be me. This is the professional calling of my life – to help others find ease and to become aware of their own inner confidence.

The toll of stress
The weekend with Phin was stressful, and it was a wake-up call for me. I had forgotten how much stress can harm us if left unchecked. Within hours I had developed a stiff neck, a loss of appetite, restlessness coupled with exhaustion, tight muscles, a general state of nervousness / anticipation, a fuzzy mind that made it difficult to think clearly, and my skin broke out. I wanted so much to help Phin, and yet felt so unstable myself. If I felt this badly, I could barely imagine how upset he must have been! It was a reminder of how important the work of stress reduction is, and how much of my life I used to spend in this state.

Calm, assertive, and relaxed
Several days later, and back into a normal routine, I’m glad to report that Phin is back to his sweet, calm self. Animals, and dogs in particular, are creatures of habit. They thrive on rituals and predictability. Stability and structure is something Phin needs as we slowly work toward his rehabilitation, and as his loving caretaker it is my responsibility to provide that for him. It will take patience and time, and there will undoubtedly be stumbling blocks for us. I sometimes forget that Phin and I are still at the very beginning of our relationship because I feel like I’ve had him forever.

Tips to ease anxiety in dogs
Here are some tips that so many incredible friends and animals advisors gave to me over the past few days that have helped Phin and I by leaps and bounds. There is no way to thank so many people for their support and love:

1.) I put his playpen back into place, leaving the door open but giving him a room of his own

2.) I put him back on his homeopathic anxiety relief supplement that helped so much when I first adopted him

3.) When the cold weather set in, I gave Phin a down comforter to snuggle into. I had put it into my laundry bag last week and now that he has it back he seems to feel much more secure. Just like Linus.

4.) Despite the cold, I am waking up earlier and walking Phin for a full hour every morning. Bundle up!

5.) He’s got a stash of new toys that seem to keep him more occupied: an extreme kong (which I now stuff and freeze), a tuffy circle, and a kong bouncy ball.

6.) Rather than just leaving music on during the day, I leave the TV on for him so he has the comfort of hearing human voices. I’m relying on him to keep me up-to-date on breaking news.

7.) Taking a cue from Temple Grandin’s research, I purchased a Thundershirt – a soft, close-fitting shirt that applies very slight compression to Phin and is said to ease anxiety in 85% of dogs. $36 and it comes with a money-back guarantee if it doesn’t work. I have nothing to lose so we’re going to give it a whirl.

8.) I’ve decided to have my dog walker come back regularly in the near future. Walking with other dogs gives Phin the experience of being with a pack of his canine pals. Walks with Jamie, my dog walker, helped him tremendously when I first adopted him and also eased up my after-work schedule. It’s important for him to be able to walk well with someone other than me, and it will make it easier on him whenever I might need to board him in the future.

9.) One of my neighbors suggested that a stuffed animal might help Phin feel less lonely when I’m gone. Kind of like a teddy bear helps little kids go to sleep. I gave Phin a plush Kermit the Frog, expecting him to rip it up in no time. He chewed it a bit and now happily uses it as a pillow.

10.) I had been leaving one my t-shirts in his travel carrier and moved that t-shirt to his dog bed. With that t-shirt, he knows I’ll always come back to take care of him.

My role in Phin’s rehabilitation
I’m not sure if it’s just one of those things or the combo that is really helping Phin. All I do know is that he seems to be in a more zen state in our home, and to me that’s all that really matters. As his owner, it’s incumbent upon me to be his leader and to constantly provide him with my calm, assertive energy. And not just 99% of the time, but all of the time. I saved a life by adopting him, and I want our life together to be well-lived.

If you have rescued and rehabilitated animals, I’d love to hear your stories! Any advice is most welcomed here 🙂

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