20/12/2025
Dobermans are the best counselor,service and therapy, protection dogs bar none.
As a child, the abuse and extreme cruelty that I witnessed and my mom experienced, wreaked havoc on my nervous system. It was like watching a horror movie that you’re starring in, involuntarily, and can’t get out of. The nonstop emotional torture and trauma, as a child, wasn’t just about fearing my father or one of his alcohol filled rages, it was the trauma of uncertainty…never knowing what was going to happen next — whether my mom and I would eat that day, be cornered in the kitchen by alcohol filled rage that felt like being held at gun point for hours, being awakened by one of my father’s late night eruptions or delusional tirades, or having to flee to safety.
It was a constant state of hypervigilance. My mother and I would crave the moments when we had the opportunity to bond over “speaking those things that are not as though they were.” It was magical, it was inspiring, and for just a little while each day, we were transported to places and thoughts that served as an escape from our reality. My mom was an encourager like no other, even in her own discouragement.
I remember those moments when trauma had me alone, without my mom, and tried to pull me into the abyss. In those moments, our dog was like therapy to me. We always had a dog — a stray dog, a puppy or two, and I remember holding our dogs tight, petting and talking to them like they were human whenever trauma tried to pull me in. It wasn’t so much that I loved dogs at the time as much as it was about the dog’s temperament, affection, unconditional love, and the ability to sit with me, almost instinctively, in my triggered state and calm my mind and emotions.
I learned later in life why my uninformed dog therapy as a child helped me to calm down. Dogs can sense trauma and distress by detecting subtle chemical changes, like stress hormones (cortisol, adrenaline) in human breath and sweat, allowing them to pick up on PTSD symptoms before they're fully apparent. Dogs help trauma survivors by providing non-judgmental companionship which reduces stress hormones (cortisol), boosting feel-good chemicals (oxytocin, serotonin). A dog’s unconditional love is grounding during flashbacks, and creates trust and safety for emotional regulation and recovery. Their predictable, calming presence interrupts negative spirals, encourages connection, and provides a sense of purpose, making post-traumatic stress more manageable.
What I’ve also learned from animals, dogs and horses, is that they teach you how to be more in tune with your body, your nervous system, and they increase your awareness of, sensitivity to, unsafe people. I’m good at sensing unsafe people. The Holy Spirit uses my trauma-trained and trauma-informed emotions to alert me of danger and unsafe people quickly.
