Blog #12

by Christine Barfield February 13, 2026

When we adopt a rescue dog or support a dog with anxiety, it is natural to focus on what they have been through. We tell their story.

“He’s a rescue.”
“She has separation anxiety.”
“He went through so much.”

And while these things may be true, sometimes without realizing it, we keep our dogs living inside that story.

Dogs live in the present moment. They do not sit and replay yesterday the way we do. They respond to what is happening right now. They respond to the energy in the room. They respond to our nervous system. They feel what we believe about them.

When we constantly identify them by their past or their struggles, their nervous system keeps responding to that familiar signal. Not because anything is wrong with them, but because they are beautifully sensitive and deeply connected to us.

This does not mean we ignore what happened. It simply means we allow space for who they truly are.

There is a subtle but powerful shift between saying, “My dog has trauma,” and saying, “My dog is healing.”

Between saying, “He can’t be alone,” and gently reframing it to, “My dog is learning to feel safe when I leave.”

Language carries energy. Belief carries energy.

When we start seeing our dogs as healing and growing, we create space for their nervous system to soften, regulate, and build trust at their own pace.

What happened matters. But it does not have to define their future.

Healing does not happen by denying the past. It happens by meeting them gently in the present.

And sometimes, the shift begins with us.