The Power Of Connection

Life long friends are a rarity and their are no mistakes though it may feel like it at the time. I met Ranger Spirit after my beloved Treasure passed away, a 16 year old lab Border Terrier Lab Mix. Treasure taught me a lot about health, love, and devotion, as he was a rescue that came with a horrible skin infection. With love, time, and lots of research his skin healed, and he blossomed into the best dog of my life. He was immaculately trained and with no behavioral issues, and was a constant source of comfort despite the neglect he came to me with. Treasure was brave he never complained even though the first five years of his life he spent living in an itchy wool sweater. He blessed me with eleven years of friendship that went by too soon. Cancer took Treasure away from me 11 years later, and he lived to sixteen years of age. When he died the heartache was so deep.

I wanted relief from the pain of losing my best friend, so I went to the county shelter after Treasure passed away the very next day. I walked down the line of kennels and saw Ranger Spirit a very large seven year old German Shepherd. He was the only dog not barking with kind eyes and a quiet nature. Like me he had just lost someone his senior owner passed away ,and he had no place to go. I asked to meet him and thought right away I did not have the set up. Ranger Spirit had an intensity that I though would not match with a condo setting but I still wanted to help. I went to Pet Smart and bought him a toy, a bed, and a collar so he would present better to the public. When I went to give the gifts I had purchased he had gotten a home. Unfortunately the home did not work out as a man asked the new owner if he could pet him and that did not go over well. They returned him. Still I continued to advocate for him until he got a adopted a second time by a man living in a trash filled truck. Ranger Spirit got brought back a second time for being impossible to control. Being returned twice and now having a record of behavioral issues set him up to be euthanized.

I am a dog trainer who works with troubled dogs, and special needs animals so I offered free training sessions to anyone who would adopt him. Nobody came through and he was in danger. I offered to foster him as I was his last shot. I picked him up a week later and our adventure began. Waking up with Ranger Spirit was like wondering how the movie was going to end. The first month was a roller ride. Not one person could handle Ranger Spirit on leash or in life. To set Ranger Spirit on the right path I had him neutered. While it did help him weeks later to settle down, neutering can sometimes cause a surge of aggression which was the case in this situation. He had horrible anxiety, and would pace cry and become aggressive to the point I thought he might have the onset of canine cognitive dysfunction. I talked to countless professionals, including veterinary behaviorists, other rescue orginazations, and even additional trainers. I was advised to put him down by several professionals.

Knowing Ranger Spirit has been humbling his behaviors were challenging to say the least. After trying different medications and training approaches I was finally able to figure out treatment for his anxiety which was Gapa Pentin alone. This seemed to work well and he started to calm down. He was also given a structured routine of restroom breaks, and inside enrichment, as well as behavioral modification techniques to work on impulse control. I also took several other courses including the bubble theory, and the canine calming code. In addition I started muzzle training him which was about three months worth of work.

As Ranger Spirit began to calm down I was able to figure out his story. There was nothing wrong with this dog, other than the fact he had untreated anxiety, and was taught to be a guard dog. Getting him to trust me to see me as pack leader where I make the decisions and he can sit back and be passenger has been profound. He came to me with no socialization taught to guard his surroundings for seven years. After three months of time we are now starting to go on short to moderate walks. He no longer paces, cries, barks uncontrollably, and is starting to trust me when I tell him he can relax. Our road is still long, but I am determined to see him through and show him he can count on me to be reliable. I know we will have mistakes along the way as we continue to progress and that is ok. Mistakes teach us where growth is needed.

Knowing Ranger Spirit has been life changing. Not all friends who come into our life will make our life easy. Some will challenge us, and some will question us and some will let us down from time to time. A good friend though will push us to be the best versions of ourselves, even when it is hard. Change is hard, and sometimes painful. We must face fear in order to progress and evolve. Life will always and forever be a dance of knowing when to hold back, and when to push forward, knowing when to hang on, and when to let go. My hope for Ranger Spirit is that I can get him to the point where he can trust his surroundings , and have enrichment for greater quality of life, and form connections that feed his heart. This is what saving his life means to me. I did take Ranger Spirit out of the shelter system to protect him from ending up in the wrong hands. We all deserve a chance to be seen, to be heard, and to be understood.