When Tito first arrived at Paws Give Me Purpose in January, he was literally the untouchable dog. No one could get near him let alone attempt to touch him. He was for the lack of better terms a behavioral mess.
For those not familiar with Tito, head over to: https://www.pawsgivemepurpose.com/sneak-peek/ to read his full story.Â
Decompression time was lengthy for this spicy Chihuahua, but in time he began to trust his handler — only his handler. He would not allow anyone else to even get close enough to try.
We took care of his medical needs. Tito had to go through 2 surgeries due to his neglectful condition, and we helped him heal physically. But, there was and still is so much more mental and spiritual healing for this broken boy found wandering the streets to do.
Today, 5 months since his arrival, Tito took his first cautious but big step toward socialization with other humans under the watchful eye of his handler. He went and sat down next to a staff member he would until today only growl and attempt to bite.
This may sound like slow progress to some of you, but it’s not. People are often so eager for their dogs to make friends with their family and friends that they push and fright can easily turn into fight or flight.
Dogs who suffer from neglect and abuse may find it hard to acclimate to certain people or situations, and need a lot more training and tender loving care. Other dogs just haven’t had proper socialization and insufficient contact with other people beyond those they already know and this can cause them to behave differently. These beautiful souls have to learn to trust their world and the world that surrounds them.
Tito was given the time and space he needed to decompress, observe, begin to learn to trust and do this on his own terms – and today he was ready to try and make a new human friend.
This is what we do here at Paws Give Me Purpose.
