Description
Book Synopsis When Champ, a German Shepherd, was adopted from a local breed rescue, his family hoped and expected to spend many fun-filled years with him. However, Champ suffered physically and mentally from neglect and trauma from his first years of life. Despite numerous treatments, Champ was never able to overcome that trauma to become a normal dog, and his family made the painful decision to give him peace through behavior euthanasia.
This work serves not only as an account of Champ''s life and his family''s attempts to help him, but also as a resource on behavior euthanasia, which is a compassionate choice for unmanageable aggression, reactivity, bites or severe anxiety. Investigating the potential causes of these issues, chapters examine scientific research on dog behavior and emotions.
Table of Contents
- Table of Contents
- Acknowledgments viii
- Preface
- Introduction
- 1. Bringing Champ Home
- 2. Treating Champ
- 3. Anxiety and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Dogs
- 4. Nature vs. Nurture
- 5. Communicating with Champ
- 6. Making the Decision
- 7. Grief
- 8. Moving Forward
- 9. Behavioral Euthanasia: What It Is and What It Is Not
- 10. Dogs and Emotions
- 11. Behavior Problems and the Owners' Well-Being
- Conclusion
- Chapter Notes
- Bibliography
- Index
