A few months ago, a Reddit user posted a video of two dogs comforting their anxious sibling.
The video shows a little Shih Tzu named Huxley and a deaf dog named Vinnie trying to take care of their older brother Rex, an English/French Mastiff mix. Rex suffers from a severe form of anxiety-related behavior as a result of a very difficult upbringing and many abusive owners.
From bad owners to wonderful feet
Two dogs petting each other on the sofa
According to a study conducted at the University of Helsinki, Finland, dogs tend to exhibit a variety of anxiety-like traits, especially when these dogs have been abused while in foster care. The survey data showed that 72.5% of the 13,715 Finnish dogs that participated in the study showed anxiety-like behavior. [2]
According to Rex’s father, Rex was abused as a puppy by his former owners. He is actually Rex’s fourth owner and was purchased when Rex was 1.5 years old.
The second owner beat him up and put him in a shock collar so he is now immune to screams, loud noises, hits, kicks, etc. fear of They even wanted to put him to sleep because of his “aggressive behavior.”
Unfortunately, due to the second owner’s injuries, Rex began to exhibit resource-guarding, fearful, and aggressive tendencies, so although the third family wanted to help, they did not interact. Two dogs pet an anxious dog on the couch
So it was left to the current owner who has been trying to restore it for the past 2.5 years.
He has come a long way and achieved great things since joining the family. Rex still exhibits anxious behavior but is now able to socialize with his other brothers and sisters.
“With anxiety, the dog generally wants nothing to do with whatever it’s scared of, and will try to get out of that situation as quickly as it can,” the owner told Newsweek. “He was my first dog post divorce, when I was single, so we kind of helped each other a lot.”
Bound By Love
In the video, you can clearly see how the two other dogs simply adore Rex. Whenever they sense that he is feeling anxious, they run to him and try to shower him with kisses.
But, according to the owner, the story actually goes even deeper than that.
Huxley (a Shih Tzu) is a puppy that loves everyone and fears nothing, so he’s just happy to be there and part of this happy and loving family.
However, Winnie (the white dog) is actually deaf, so she kind of relies on Rex. They have become really close, and she follows him everywhere.
Even though Rex is very vocal, and sometimes even growls when he is scared (not aggressive), since Winnie can’t hear him, she just accepts him the way he is and loves him.
Rex is so accustomed to her and her “disability” that he even helps her. She kind of relies on him to be her ears, and even helps her understand what is going on.
Winnie and Huxley have actually played a huge role in Rex’s recovery and in bringing him out of his shell.
This unique trio and their outpouring of affection have won the hearts of many people online, generating almost 21K upvotes on Reddit.
“I can’t tell you how much this information sparks joy in me. Winnie, Rex, and Huxley are some of my current favorite people. Oh, and you’re pretty awesome, too, for giving these wonderful dogs a happy home,” commented one Reddit user.
I am so happy that after everything he went through, Rex was lucky enough to find such an amazing family with the best owner and the best doggie siblings.
“I’ve always said I’m really lucky to have such a cool dog,” the owner said.
References:
[1] Cohut, M., PhD. (2020, March 10). Many dogs are prone to anxiety, study finds. Medical News Today.
[2] Salonen, M., Sulkama, S., Mikkola, S., Puurunen, J., Hakanen, E., Tiira, K., Araujo, C., & Lohi, H. (2020). Prevalence, comorbidity, and breed differences in canine anxiety in 13,700 Finnish pet dogs. Scientific Reports, 10(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-59837-z
