Cassandra, I wanted to thank you for your reading with Fred. It was a wonderful experience because it gave me a lot of insight into him whether just sharing information that was right on the mark (the lemons, yard fear, purpose to make me laugh, or providing context to behavior I didnt fully understand.
It was interesting because you shared that he was having some physical issues and sure enough a few days later he did develop an abscess. I was concerned because there was no indication that was going on the vet said they come up very fast. But it taught me to trust my instincts. I had started to treat the symptoms I saw it just was not enough in this case. He was treated by the vet and is 100% again.
It shows that even if they are not doing something overt we do see the little changes no one else does. Most important was your conversation about what I could do to make him feel happy and safe now and every day. This is something dog parents want to know but especially with adopted dogs because we dont usually know the detailed early history. We read their behavior and try to make decisions from there. Fred is a very sensitive guy which was clear from your reading it showed me that I understand him much more than I realized. But it also showed me ways to support him further a gift!!
Thank you. Hearing from him what his purpose is in my life was amazing. I feel like it explains a lot of my experience to date and it matches with some personal goals I am working on. I keep reading it over and over it is so informative. It was an enjoyable and educational experience. I am grateful that you were able to connect with him. Thanks for being such a good friend to Fred and me.
Mickie Ballotta, 5/2020