While it’s common for dogs to feel crippling anxiety, I think that many people underestimate the severity of this issue in them.
Many dogs have a fear of abandonment and will suffer intense panic attacks when their owner isn’t with them, and this is something that needs to be addressed more often.
In this story, we will talk about a woman who found an amazing solution to deal with her dog’s separation anxiety.
Neil’s New Best Friend
When Neil was first adopted by his new mom, Rian, in New Jersey, it was already clear to her that he was abandoned before and suffered from a horrible case of separation anxiety.
Whenever she would go out to do some chores, the dog would go into panic mode and would not stop screaming until she came back.
Rian said for The Dodo: I can’t take a shower without him right outside. He really just does not like being separated from me.
She tried everything to help ease his anxiety, but nothing seemed to work. It also didn’t help that he didn’t like being around other animals.
However, everything would change when the family introduced a new family member to Neil. It was a tiny piglet named Auggie.
She was a very sick pig and the family did what they could from their home to help her be healthy again.
This was the start of something amazing, which would help Neil deal with his issues in the future.
A New Chapter For Neil
As Auggie was in the house now, Neil was naturally a bit curious about his new housemate. He would approach him and realize that the little piglet meant him no harm.
The two would then continue spending more time together when Rian was not with them, and she noticed that this helped Neil deal with his separation anxiety.
Rian was over the moon when she realized that the dog was now handling his anxiety a lot better.
As the two of them grew up, they spent almost every waking moment together, and loved playing a lot.
Rian said: They really are two peas in a pod. We bought them an enrichment puzzle, and so every night, we load it up with carrots, and they wait patiently by the counter, and then they do their puzzle together.
Time has surely changed Neil in ways that Rian did not even expect. His friendship with Auggie changed him completely.
He is now a lot more accepting of other animals, and he loved meeting the two new kittens that the family adopted.
The story of Neil and Auggie is something truly heartwarming and it really makes me happy to see that Neil is doing a lot better now that he has his best friend at his side.
If you want to keep up with their amazing adventures, you can follow their Instagram page.