The Lows Of Owning A Neurotic Dog

Me on the loo this morning

We all have had the experience of a neurotic relative.
Invariably they are hard work,
And often need careful handling
So dealing with them is often fraught with winced eyes and breaths held,
Owning a neurotic dog is no different.
In fact I think, caring for one is harder than looking after a person with high anxiety
For neurotic dogs can more more unpredictable and difficult to handle.

Dorothy runs on a certain high desperation level ...
She is desperate for acceptance and reassurance and is jealous of anyone or anything else who receives what she pecieves as praise or attention.

When I am on the loo she will sit on my feet content at that physical warmth my fat feet will provide and when I am talking to passing villagers , she will be stood with her paws on my thigh and pleading eyes fixed on my face in a needy request for an acknowledgement that she is still there and she is still loved.

Now Winnie's sanguine personality has helped tremendously in Dorothy's " rehabilitation." The two sleep together every night on the kitchen reading chair ( something I am very strict about) and puddles on the kitchen floor, although still common overnight, are staring to deminish in frequency and volume . Mary is another leveller when the two are out for a walk, as she just egnores Dorothy's constant lack of manners, but I am sure that the time will come that one barge too many will ignite a spat which will lead to a bitch fight of frightening proportions .

Dorothy still does not understand the rules of waiting for food
She is still quick to temper when Winnie joins her on " her part" of the couch
And she will react in the oddest of ways when suddenly she does not want to walk on this or that part of the road, an area she is fearful of moving towards.
Using a bowl she has not seen before will bring forth a sudden drop onto her belly that cannot be relieved by a kind word and a scratch on the head.

Boy is she hard work....

But it takes just one look at her desperate, needy brown eyes that makes all of the effort and the exasperation and the odd shouts of pain when sharp claws run down bare legs and the mopping of puddles worthwhile
Her fear and anxiety must be exhausting for her
She is a damaged dog who needs consistency and patience

I don't always provide both as I am only human
But I have chosen to take her on
and she  is my Dorothy to care for