Roddie; our beloved Corgi boy; the Prince of Yodel-ville… the Rod Man…. suffered a trauma. Even though he is now home, gaining weight, getting stronger, and reconnecting with the sights and sounds of home…. he is not done. He is still unpacking his trauma.
We see it on our morning walks. He is much slower due to losing muscle tone and pain due to physical issues around the site of his bite when he was attacked by a neighbor’s dog walking on his morning walk on 11-9-2019. The vet saw trauma on his x-ray that appears to be a ruptured knee sac, and believes there is ligament and tendon damage. He also has a broken fibia…… those jaws were powerful.
We see it in his interactions with other dogs and humans. Once, he was outgoing and engaged with anyone and everyone; dogs, cats and humans alike. Now, he holds back and doesn’t approach, even looking wary of those who approach him. Once he is petted, he begins to soften but the playful light in his eyes is not always present.
We see it in his interactions with his fur siblings. When he returned home he had a skin infection and the odor was pungent and his siblings didn’t recognize him due to his odor. There were weeks of avoidance between the kids and he was not in his leadership role. Over the last two weeks, he has begun to emerge back into his dominant role and is being the silent general. He is letting them know if their play is too much and he will stand up, walk in between them, and let them know to knock it off!
We see it in how he relates to the scents and sounds around him. He gets a distant look on his face and even when called to come; he doesn’t respond. There are times when he is outside that he just sits and looks off into the distance.
He shows signs of hypervigilance on his morning walk. He reacts to every sound; a dog barking inside a house or off in the distance, looking under cars, sniffing the road, looking behind him and he still reacts to the sounds of doors opening, His pace will quicken and he immediately is back into flight mode. Starring straight ahead and just trying to go. It is in those moments where we stop walking, call his name and put our hands on him and affirm his safety. We wait until his eyes return from flight mode and we turn him around to let him see there is nothing behind him and he is not being attacked.
Unpacking trauma is a lengthy and individual process. Roddie is making strides everyday as he reclaims pieces of himself that have taken a seat in the back row. Healing will happen… how much….. when….. are to be determined. What it will take is patience, love, understanding, and a push at the right time to not stay stuck in the trauma but continue to unpack it and move through it.
People experience trauma in very similar ways. The one thing that separates fur babies from people is that we have the ability to use our words and our insights to move through the trauma. Talking it out, getting a coach to validate the trauma and to provide a healing space to unpack the trauma is crucial. A coach can offer you support to confront the your fear so you can unpack the trauma and reclaim the pieces of you that are in your back row.
If you are ready to unpack a traumatic life event that is holding you back from reclaiming who you are…. I would be honored to be there for you. To schedule your free / complimentary session; click the link below.
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