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It's fair to say that Rusty was traumatized. On September 11, 2001, the border-collie mix's owner dropped him off at doggie day care, just blocks from the World Trade Center.

Everyone, including Rusty, knows what happened that day. He saw the panicked faces, heard the relentless sirens, and sat waiting for an owner who would never return.

The dog's worldlike ourswas turned upside down, says Sarah Wilson, an author and trainer in Gardiner, N.Y., who fostered Rusty until he found a new home. He came to us beside himself, clearly disoriented and needy.

Rusty's behavior was understandableand correctable: By putting him on a very predictable routine, as well as a rigorous exercise schedule, Wilson succeeded in giving structure and meaning to his world.

Now a well-adjusted dog living with his new owner in Florida, Rusty is proof that trauma in our animals can be successfully dealt withif you have the right approach.

Don't be an enabler. Constant reassurance often has the opposite effect, signaling that there really is something to be worried about. Always act the way you want your dog to react, Wilson advises. And look at your own feelings: It's possible that a person may deal with his or her own trauma through empathy with their pet, Wilson adds. Sort of I'm all better from the car accident, but Spot, well, he's a mess.'

Proceed in stages. With dogs that are afraid of specific thingsthe sound of sirens, or getting into a caryou need to work on a combin...

Author: Denise Flaim

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