Meet Charlie. He’s a Boykin Spaniel whose personality traits in mid-July of this year fell quite a distance from that of the breed standard.
The breed web site (http://www.boykinspaniel.org/standard.html) states that Boykins are friendly and eager to please. As a pet and companion he is exceptional with an amicable disposition. Faults: Hostility towards other dogs or people in normal situations or excessive timidity or hyperactivity is not in keeping with the Boykin’s character.
It’s Charlie’s “faults” that brought him and me together. He was not a hostile dog but suspicious and timid. Charlie was also guarded yet friendly and definitely excessively hyperactive, but at only at home, not at day care. Such a large contradiction in a small dog.
Putting the pieces of this puzzle together I realized that Charlie’s personality traits existed because of his body. Muscles and tissue had no suppleness, nor was there proper range of motion in the shoulders, hips, legs and neck.
Charlie’s personality changed immediately after our first session. His day care attendant reported to his owner that Charlie didn’t sit and watch the other dogs at play. He came out of his shell and tried to keep the other dogs away from her in a protective, playful way. Such a huge turnaround in one day!
It is now September. Charlie continues to improve physically and emotionally in different settings. His body feels good so he can participate with other dogs during play. At home his owner reports that is less guarded, even to the point of seeking visitors out for individualized attention.
My hope for Charlie in the short and long-term is for him to exhibit the Boykins breed personality traits. I think we’re on the right path as seen in the photograph below.
