As pet parents, we have the difficult task of taking care of our canine friends. Anyone who has ever owned a dog will know what I mean.
They will misbehave a lot, either by breaking something or rolling around in the dirt, and you will have to bathe them and clean up after them.
These problems are common and solvable, but what if your dog has a different issue? What if he has separation anxiety and can’t deal with it?
Well, in this story, we will talk about a family that found a rather interesting way to deal with their dog’s separation anxiety and it is not what you would expect.
A Not-So-Secret Life Hack
Meet Marc and Kirsten Peralta, and their dog, Shorty. The three have spent many happy years of their life together.
According to Marc’s wife, Kirsten, he first met Shorty eleven years ago in the shelter he was working in, and it was love at first sight.
Marc and Shorty did everything together for many years, including traveling to work together. As Shorty got older, his health deteriorated and he was no longer able to go everywhere with his owner.
Marc and Kirsten run the Vintage Pet Rescue Center, so they are pretty busy most of the time.
When they are separated, Shorty doesn’t know how to handle it, and he becomes very distressed to the point that not even other dogs can comfort him.
Luckily, one night, Kirsten’s mom came to visit, and she had the genius idea of how to help their dog. Kirsten said: she was over one day while Marc was away, and saw how upset Shorty was. She went home and ordered the mannequin from a Halloween store that night.
Her mother suggested that she use the mannequin to help ease the dog’s anxiety. They did so by covering the doll in the same clothes as Marc, and they even went as far as putting the tattooed sleeves on his arm.
Kirsten was skeptical as to whether this would work at first, and didn’t think much of it.
The mannequin was called Farc, as in Fake Marc. The last step was to introduce it to Shorty and see if it helped.
Surprise, Surprise, It Worked
Without a doubt, the plan was genius. Just as the dummy was placed in their living room, Shorty was much calmer.
Thirty minutes later, he was already asleep and there were no more problems for the rest of the night.
The idea was so good, in fact, that it also helped other senior dogs that lived at the pet rescue center, and they continue to use it even now.
The family shared this on Facebook and there were many positive reactions to the post.
One commenter said: Oh my lord, Vintage Pet Rescue, I am going to tell you this is THE most brilliant solution for pet anxiety I have EVER seen! I knew to leave my robe and nightgown for my terrier, but never thought to get a dummy!
Another person commented: Oh my gosh, this is really funny and creative. You need that warm heartbeat now!
If this situation can teach us anything, it’s that even when you feel that a problem might be a bit difficult to handle, there are always ways you can help your pup feel a little better.
