Sometimes I am focusing so much on George's anxiety and reactivity, I forget to recognise and appreciate his unique character.
He's not just a fearful and reactive dog. He is a sentient being with his own personality, likes and dislikes. He is a cuddly snugglebum who makes me laugh a lot.
In an effort to make sure I don't forget this and become consumed by the reactivity challenges, I decided to note down some of the special things that make George George!
- He loves to lie on the back of the sofa
- He's a bundle of energy in the mornings and a sleepy chilled boy in the evenings
- He snorts really loudly when sniffing the deck
- He's so nosy and curious - always in my business or peeking through the fence at the neighbours
- When I say back to bed, he barrels up the stairs at the speed of light and launches himself on to the bed
- His absolute favourite vegetable is carrot
- His favourite everyday training treat is possyum
- He loves parmesan
- He stares into my soul every evening until he's had his dental chew
- He likes to lick his paws at 4am
- He watches everything I do
- He has a very expressive face
- He loves a belly rub
- He starts every night sleeping on the floor in the bedroom and at some point stealthily appears on the bed
- He loves to steal my spot on the sofa
- He takes up most of the bed
- He always drinks water from the far side of the bowl
- He loves to stand half in and half out of the door, surveying his kingdom
- He enjoys attacking his dog bed
- He watches me with an equally sad and hopeful face while I cook dinner
- He fights sleep if he wants to keep being stroked
- He likes the taste of sunscreen and moisturiser
- He has no concept of personal space
- He is fascinated by hair and gets really excited when I pull my hair into a ponytail
- He loves to lie on the fluffy bathmat
- He runs back inside really fast after having a poo and runs outside again immediately
- He spreads his scent very dramatically after toileting
- He does the cutest little sneezes
- He loves shredding paper and cardboard
- He paws at the TV stand when he wants a different toy
- He flips the rug when he wants my attention
- He gets so excited and runs around when I say Good Morning
- He follows me everywhere
- He likes to sleep up against the baby gate so he will notice if I leave the room
- He will randomly do a 'down' and stare at me expectantly if he wants a treat
- He's conditioned to expect a treat if my hand strays near my left back pocket
- If in doubt as to what I want him to do, he will do a spin or a high-five
- He thinks every delivery is for him (it usually is!)
- He snores really loudly
- He likes to rest his head on my foot
- If I am making too much noise, he will sigh heavily and move slightly further away
- Sometimes he farts when he jumps up on the sofa and looks startled
- He loves laying on his blankets
- His favourite blanket is a little pink one
- He will drink out of my water glass on the bedside table given half a chance
- He sleeps better with the bedroom door slightly ajar
- When he's excited and trying not to jump up, he does dramatic little bunny hops
- He likes to scratch at the doormat
- He loves to lie in the sun even when it's very hot
- He puts his toys in places he can obviously still reach (the coffee table, the ottoman) and then paws at said furniture mournfully
- He's a tidy Kiwi - he will wipe his face on his blanket, the rug or the sofa after eating or if his face is wet
- He rolls around on the grass (or the sofa if raining) every time we get home from daycare
- He leaps up and gets in my face when the alarm goes off
- He sometimes wakes me up in the night by getting right up in my face and sniffing my mouth
- He always forgets if he's sleeping under the table and bangs his head when he gets up
- He's a trickster - he pretends to want to go outside when he wants me to get up and play or he wants to steal my spot
- He knows it's his quiet time if I'm talking on my phone or laptop
- He can sense when a work or personal call is coming to an end
- He stares at me at the end of the normal workday until I finish work
- He likes to snuggle on my lap even though he is too big
That was such a fun list to put together!
It was really nice reflecting on who George is outside of his fears and reactivity.
Anxious dogs are so much more than their anxiety.