FEATURE | EXPERIENCING EMPATHY
Skye in Afghanistan
Mack and teen owner
myself , I keep up with events and even give presentations about the situation when I was there , about the history of the country , and what the future may bring . Mack , another dog sitting client , is the perfect size for me – I don ’ t have to bend down to pet him . He is a big dog , about 100 pounds , who either runs or saunters , pulls on leash ( thank you , front-attach harness !) or sits down on a walk and loves to watch the little fox kit gambol around in the backyard , the twin fawns bounce across the grass like little goats , and the flock of Canada geese waddle to the pond across the street .
I don ’ t always sleep well when I dog sit and this was my second-tolast night . I must have had another nightmare about Afghanistan because I suddenly woke up flailing and thrashing – but , at the same time , I felt a canine tongue on my face , licking me . Ah ha ! Mack had heard me and come from wherever he had been sleeping in the house to stop my bizarre actions in the middle of the night . Whether he was responding to my possible PTSD and wanted me to be happy and quiet , or if he was frightened by my actions and wanted them to stop so he could get back to sleep , I may never know . Mack , after all , is not a service dog , nor trained to respond in this manner . Regardless , it was comforting to have him there
Ranger and Skye
so I could pet him as I fell back to sleep . Had I been home ( I am currently dogless ), I probably would have remained awake in an agitated state for the rest of the night . Yet another example of experiencing the gift dogs bestow upon us , making me a better trainer . Thank you , Mack !
Skye Anderson , M . S ., CPDT-KA , CTDI , has been a reward-based trainer for many years , writing about and training shelter and rescue dogs , therapy and service dogs . Her advanced degree in Avian Cytogenetics and Experimental Design ( Statistics ) makes her uniquely qualified to train dogs and their people . A long-time member of APDT , IAABC , and PPG , Skye also incorporates canine massage into her dog training , is an AKC CGC Evaluator and ATT Judge , and served as a Task Force Chair for APDT and on the conference committee for several years . Her work as an instructor-trainer for the Red Cross Pet First Aid program has come in handy a few times . Skye specializes in leash reactivity and puppies , is a Pets for Vets trainer , MBTI Certified Professional , and military retiree .
The APDT Chronicle of the Dog | Winter 2021 41