Last night, something very interesting happened with Etta. As I've mentioned, she's been coming out of her shell really nicely, even with company around.
Well, last night it was just Etta, myself and two members of the 'pack' (Doobie-named after my three year olds version of the words Scooby Do and Gretchen- our high intensity GSD) were relaxing in the living room watching 'Just Friends'. If any of you have seen the movie, you know there's a scene intended to be funny, that involves fire, sparks and lots of noise. I should also mention, we have surround sound and a TV that is at doggie eye level.
As the scene progressed, Etta, who had been comfortable enough to come up to me and take treats from my hand for the first time, began focusing on the images played on the television. I watched as this dog, who had moments before been so calm and open and excited, closed down and started to show the exact signs of someone suffering from a flashback during a PTSD episode. Her eyes widened, her breathing quickened, she slunk back and began the 100 yard stare for a few moments before retreating to her 'safe place'.
I couldn't move to even comfort her at that moment because I was so taken aback by the likeness of her episode to that of someone suffering from PTSD. Gunfire, helicopters (we live near a Ft Campbell and they routinely fly over our house), fireworks, etc haven't startled her a bit. She's slept through them all peacefully. But for some reason last night, the visual images combined with the sound obviously brought back memories of something in her past I can only venture a guess at. She 'snapped out of it' fairly quickly, maybe within two to three minutes but the episode left me shaken and pondering what this poor girl has seen in her lifetime. However, it also cemented my belief (the driving force of our new program) that dogs that exhibit these types of behaviors can be used to help rehabilitate Soldiers (and others) suffering from PTSD by having a canine companion to work with that can relate. The hope is that as they help the dog through their issues, they too can begin to work through their own.
With the help of my wonderful friend, Denise Smith, we have started to build the foundations for what will be Raja Renata Ranch. Not only are we hoping to pull dogs from shelters to become companion, therapy and possibly service dogs for those who need them but we're hoping that we can do the same with dogs from war zones. We want Soldiers to be able to come here to help in the rehabilitation process of these dogs which will then go on to help others and lead a fulfilling life. We are currently looking for volunteers with experience in dog training, grant writing, filing for 501c3 status, or those who simply wish to donate their time to do some research for us. Anyone who is interested can either leave us a message on Facebook, here OR contact us by e-mail at lifewithetta@yahoo.com.
Until next time....
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