Darby

Health Issues:
Darby's Breeds:

In February 2016, we were introduced to a hyper little black-and-white bundle of unstoppable energy. Our photos of her that first evening show little more than a black-and-white blur as she zoomed around the yard! They told us she was a border collie/Australian cattle dog mix, and we thought, great! Smart, and lots of energy for hiking with us. She was less than a year old, so we knew she would require some training, but since I’d trained with my previous border collie extensively, I thought it would be no problem. Although I’ve been around dogs nearly all my life, I have never known a dog as stubborn and quirky as this one! It was obvious that Darby did not have any previous training, and clearly had developed some questionable behaviors due to neglect and sensory deprivation, and a stint in a crowded Houston shelter. Thankfully, she’s very smart as a whip and loves to learn. However, her leash-pulling, fence-jumping, truck-chasing, and all around reactivity to new things had us stumped, and worried for her safety. We started giving her Canna-Pet with the expectation that it might help her with our big thunderstorms in the summer, and fireworks as well. It has definitely helped in those areas (no more hiding and trembling!), but we’ve also noticed that a lower, not-acute-level dosing also helps her get through some of the more daily stresses, such as being startled by barky dogs on our walks and when big trucks go by. On walks, Darby used to act as if her main goal in life was to pull the arm off anyone who was walking her. She’s been making some progress but the hemp has accelerated that progress. When she’s had a cookie or two, our walks are much more relaxed. She takes time to take in novel situations, rather than treating each new thing as a threat. We even sometimes joke that she’s advertising “Darby’s Loose-Leash Walking Classes” when we walk around the neighborhood. She heels when we pass people on the sidewalk and sits proudly as people in the neighborhood comment, “What a well-behaved dog!” I chuckle to myself as I know that we still have plenty of work to do, but I am so appreciative of the great progress we’ve made so far. She’s still our bouncy, silly, sometimes wild and crazy hiking buddy, but we really appreciate the way the Canna-Pet helps to “take the edge off” in situations that she finds stressful and seems to help her to process them and think them through, rather than instantly react.