Felix is a 2 year 8 month old Labrador who has a sad story with a happy ending!
Felix started life being mistreated by his owners for a long time and was left outside most of the day with no interaction.
He was adopted by a new owner in December through Labrador Rescue, who were very patient with him as he was extremely nervous when meeting new people or hearing load noises
Felix came to our practice for a new pet check to meet one of our nurses and vets, he was so anxious that he was hiding wherever he could and shaking.
After hard work by his owner and regular visits to the practice for desensitization he has become a lovely happy dog that now loves life, walkies and playing
Desensitization is a process of exposing a dog repeatedly to stimuli that cause fear and anxiety, in very small doses so as not to cause the response. The stimuli are then gradually increased in small enough increments that do not lead to a recurrence of the response. The stimuli are repeated so many times with no effect that they become normal. Desensitization needs used alongside counterconditioning as it is essential to change the dog’s emotional response as well as to desensitize by rewarding the dog for not responding to the stimuli. This is one of the things the nurses can help with in their clinics and find really rewarding.
His new owner is so happy that he has a second chance at living a full happy life!
Now when he comes to the practice he is pleased to see all of us and wags his tail so much, it is a joy to see him.
Well done Felix!
