Nervous Nellie

Daphne has a phobia that comes out only a couple of times a year, but when it does, we are all keenly aware of it.

This is often the challenge with a rescue dog; they have fears and issues that we don't really understand and therefore sneak up on us unexpectedly. With Daphne, loud noises do her in. She is a little high-strung in her own right, but noises like thunder or fireworks send her spiraling into a shaking, shivering, nervous wreck.

We first discovered this issue last year when we had a little early-summer thunderstorm in the middle of the night. It wasn't a super strong storm, but it did have thunder and Daphne was beside herself. I am sure that I would have slept through the storm if left to my own devices, but having Daphne jump up on the bed made sure that I was aware of the storm. It must have taken her a good 30-minutes after the storm passed to calm down and it took me petting her and trying to lull her to sleep before she would stop pacing.

The 4th of July is no treat for the nervous one, with the excitement extended this year by the kids living in the apartment complex behind us, courtesy of their illegal fireworks. As soon as the first pop sounds off, Daphne comes galloping/sliding into whatever room we in are to look at us desperately as if to say, "DO something!"

Let's hope those kids run out of their fireworks soon so that Daphne doesn't have a nervous breakdown!