PTSD

sooooooo...for the past few months, bailey has refused to go to the bathroom in our backyard. it all started when she got sprayed by a skunk at the end of september. i was in colorado and got a text message from my roommate with a picture of a scared bailey in a sink saying "she got skunked!" my response was complete shock and then i felt really bad that my two roommates had to deal with it while i was away. sometime, last year, lily got sprayed by a skunk, so kukui already knew how to deal with washing and such. BUT the smell of the skunk lingered on bailey for at least 2 months. every time she got wet, she smelled like a skunk. anyways, i would get so frustrated with her because she wouldn't go out in our backyard. so i resorted to taking her on walks, all the time...which isn't a bad thing, just time consuming when she used to just sit by the door and i would let her out in the back. there were a few times where i got her to go, but she was on a leash and had to drag her on the rocks for her to go...and she got heavily rewarded for it. there were also times when we would have "mexican standoffs" with each other. she would stand there and stare at me and i would point and say in my mom voice "bailey! go potty!" and we would stand outside, in my backyard, for 10 minutes, and then i would finally cave and take her on a walk.

so my mom came to visit over thanksgiving and she brought a toy for bailey that would help her get over this PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder)...it was a toy skunk!! and bailey LOVED it!! AND it worked!!!! i don't know if it was timing or what, but something just clicked with her and she started going to the bathroom in the backyard! i was soooooo happy!! it's still a day-to-day process, but so far, so good! and i'm so proud of my little pup! she's doing so well!!!!

love her!