[Dailydrool] comfort people

[Valerie via Dailydrool]

There is a category of service animals called "comfort animals" who stay by the sides of persons disabled by post traumatic stress disorder or agoraphobia, and by their presence enable their people to go out in public with reduced anxiety.

I have just realized that I am the "comfort (animal) person" for my dear old hound, Harley, who has his own form of PTSD called separation anxiety. Before he was three years old, Harley had had six different homes. He was born in military housing at Pearl Harbor and was separated from his mom too early, then passed from one family to another as each deployed. then he started flunking out of homes by barking incessantly if chained or left alone and becoming hysterical if crated. the family before us traveled a lot so Harley was left at a kennel one month out of three. When we got him, he was a lovable basket case on this one dimension alone--otherwise he is perfect (well, aside from a little pedophilia with puppies). He was advertised as "needing a home with other dogs and a retired owner or stay-at-home mother who doesn't  travel much, or an elderly person who is housebound." Lol Red flag. Red flag. Over the nine years Harley has lived with us we have worked mightily to help him overcome separation anxiety. (Citronella collars, behavioral training, doggie daycare, and finally hiring in-home dogsitters if we are away from the house for more than an hour or two). Harley has gotten so much better--the out of control barking stopped maybe three years ago. But Harley wants his MOM. so long as he is by my side he is happy. In the past, if I went out to do errands and Harley was with either my husband or a babysitter, he would howl and whimper and wait by the front gate for a few minutes to a half hour then settle down with the human companion and canine companion(s) still at the house.

Until yesterday. My husband and I flew over to Oahu and back to see an art show in which our artist son had a painting. Harley was here at home with Mila and his favorite babysitter for twelve hours. the babysitter reported that Harley lay at the front gate and softly whimpered or moaned, with an occasional ghostly howl for the entire twelve hours. Today I am home and he is happy again. i am thinking I will never leave him home alone for more than an hour for the rest of his life. Harley is six months past an initial lymphoma diagnosis and his lymph nodes are starting to enlarge again. I do not know how much longer we will have him. I love him so much, and my plan is to simply be beside him from here on in. I am not sure why I am writing this, but think maybe because today is the first day I have reconceptualized his separation anxiety in terms of PTSD and comfort animals, and I thought it an interesting idea. snooters to all from sunny Hawaii. Val, Harley, Mila, and one more month and counting before Mariah of Daphneyland joins our crew. Vlbzwick at yahoo.com  (Don't forget to add your email address after your sign-off.)