Catriona McDougall
My 6 year old dog's mental health had been deteriorating following a long and loud fireworks season in October/November. It started with being fearful to go for a walk in the dark, but gradually worsened to refusal to leave the garden by day too. When I drove her to familiar spots to walk or play, she would simply stand and shake with fear. Sometimes taking her to a new place would result in a successful walk, but often when I returned a second or third time, the shaking and refusing would occur - I was running out of places to go and nothing I had tried had helped. Reaching out to Aileen was the best thing I could have done - I booked 5 sessions, 2 weeks apart, because I knew there was no quick fix for this. Aileen listened, asked questions, didn't judge. She could make no promises on outcomes, but I no longer felt alone with the problem. Through a mix of games, exercises and distractions, my dogs, fear slowly lessened and her confidence grew. When something worked, we repeated it, when it didn't Aileen thought of something else to try. Improvement was gradual but marked. At the end of our sessions my dog was consistently walking from the house and coping better in other local walking spots. My dog and I continue to use the techniques Aileen gave us and a year on we are enjoying all our walks, even in the dark, something I never thought to see!
