Apache and one of his favorite people , Ryan Brix . Rachel Brix and Apache enjoy a trip to the Michigan shore .
I ’ ve thought a lot about what saved Apache that day because it certainly wasn ’ t me . I wonder if he ’ d not been muzzled if it would ’ ve been worse , either his face being mauled or the intensity of the attack if he could ’ ve fought back . Would it have been a fight to the death ? But the main thought that keeps surfacing is that Apache never went down . Even though he was half both their sizes , he managed to stay on his feet — muzzled , without being able to defend himself . It ’ s all he could do . And he did it . He saved himself . In the face of trauma , brutality and unimaginable pain he kept his mere 45-pounds firm . Having witnessed it , it ’ s incredible to me he ’ s even alive let alone being his fun-loving self and doing well .
We will not be afraid to walk even though we may be made uneasy by certain triggers . We will not be afraid to protect ourselves by whatever means available and necessary . We will not let this trauma define us , but it continues to shape us ; much like water shapes rocks over time , only this was many years of wear poured into a single event .
We were doing everything right : he was muzzled , as he needs to be , my dogs were both leashed , and we were walking on a public trail in a town that has a leash law . So , what it all boils down to is we got lucky : my little boy survived , the dogs left my Emmie alone , and they didn ’ t turn on me . Could ’ ve happened to anyone , anywhere , on any given Sunday .
Rachel Brix is a Fear-Free Certified Trainer , Certified Behavior Consult Canine- Knowledge Assessed and Certified Professional Dog Trainer -Knowledge Assessed through the Certification Council of Professional Dog Trainers and an accomplished writer . She is currently on hiatus from training to focus on personal and professional development and spending quality time with her senior rescue dogs Emerson and Apache .
References Dolce , Jessica . ( 2013 , November 16 ). Should I Leash My Dog ? [ Flowchart ]. Notes From a Dog Walker : Stories from the Sidewalk . https :// notesfromadogwalker . com / 2013 / 11 / 16 / should-i-leash-mydog-flowchart / Donaldson , Laura . ( 2024 , February 7 ). Personal communication [ Personal interview ]. McConnell , Patricia . ( 2017 , February 17 ). Dogs and Psychological Trauma . The Other End of the Leash . https :// www . patriciamcconnell . com / theotherendoftheleash / dogs-andpsychological-trauma McMath , Melissa Hatfield . ( 2024 , January 30 ). Personal communication [ Personal interview ]. Tyler , T . ( 2022 ) Dogs who witness trauma . The IAABC Foundation Journal 25 , doi : 10.55736 / iaabcfj25.1
Resources https :// www . dogster . com / dog-health-care / how-is-fido-feelingunderstanding-dog-emotions https :// www . dogster . com / behavior / all-you-need-to-know-aboutoff-leash-training-for-your-dog https :// vetmed . tamu . edu / news / pet-talk / caring-for-a-dog-with-ptsd / https :// paws4udogs . wordpress . com / 2017 / 02 / 16 / understandingdog-dog-sociability / https :// journal . iaabcfoundation . org / dogs-who-witness-trauma / https :// dogpainrelief . com / ptsd-in-dogs-symptoms-diagnosesand-treatment /
Photo by Ryan Brix . The APDT Chronicle of the Dog | Spring 2024 43