| Chloe was adopted
from NCDL at Evesham in November 2000 when she was four years old. In her first months
with us, Chloe behaved like a visitor in our home and remained fairly aloof. Her behaviour
has two extremes, she is either very quiet or very excitable and noisy.
Chloe gets on very well with other
dogs but still has some issues with people, particularly men. She can become quite
excitable and noisy with some strangers but is slowly gaining more self control and
confidence now that she has the opportunity to make more human friends.
Chloe was very touch sensitive in the
beginning, particularly around the head, neck, back, hind legs and tail and could become
quite mouthy when touched. She was clearly unused to walking on the lead and had
difficulty moving slowly in physical balance. Patience, quiet handling and lots of
Tellington Touch have really helped but we still have quite a way to go to undo four years
of habitual behaviour.
Happily, a few months down the
line, Chloe is now very much part of our family and I pay tribute to the honesty of the
NCDL in assessing her behaviour and being totally honest about her problems. Her ability
to socialise with other dogs makes her a great asset to the Paws'n'Learn
socialising team.
Chloe caused great concern in the
Summer of 2001 when she suddenly became reactive to some people again. A physical
examination revealed little but when she was taken to swim her action in the water was
remarkable. She held her head in an odd position and twisted her body so that her right
hind leg moved almost horizontally in the water. Further investigation and examination
revealed severe pain on the left side of her neck and the right side of her lower back.
Xrays revealed no significant bone problems but she has responded well to
anti-inflammatory medication and physiotherapy. Her physical balance is much improved and
she is at last able to walk slowly, without leaning into the lead.
In the Autumn of 2001 Chloe's
temperament again deteriorated owing to pain from her injury. She was refered to a
veterinary surgeon who practices Accupuncture and this has improved her life considerably.
However, Chloe is no longer able to cope reliably with busy public places. The nature of
her injury makes it very uncomfortable for her to wear a headcollar or muzzle for more
than a few minutes at a time so there is a potential risk of her snapping at any strangers
who might touch her without warning. It is therefore no longer safe for her to be
exercised in public places. She is still enjoying life, is very attached and affectionate
to family members and regular visitors to the home, has plenty of company, travels in the
car and goes therapy swimming.
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