The Dog Who Couldn't Be Alone

When Ana adopted a three-year-old dog from the shelter, she imagined calm walks and quiet evenings on the sofa. Pepper was friendly, gentle and seemed perfectly relaxed when Ana first met her at the shelter. The problems started the first time Ana left her alone.

TerjemahanKetika Ana mengadopsi seekor anjing berumur tiga tahun dari penampungan, dia membayangkan jalan-jalan yang tenang dan malam-malam santai di sofa. Pepper ramah, lembut, dan tampak benar-benar santai ketika Ana pertama kali bertemu dengannya di penampungan. Masalah dimulai saat pertama kali Ana meninggalkannya sendirian.

When Ana came home after two hours, the neighbours were waiting for her. Pepper had been howling the whole time. The inside of the front door was covered in scratches, and a cushion had been torn to pieces. Over the next few days, it got worse: Pepper barked at anyone who walked past the flat and became territorial about her bed.

TerjemahanKetika Ana pulang setelah dua jam, para tetangga sudah menunggunya. Pepper melolong sepanjang waktu. Bagian dalam pintu depan penuh goresan, dan sebuah bantal sofa sudah tercabik-cabik. Dalam beberapa hari berikutnya, keadaan makin buruk: Pepper menggonggong pada siapa pun yang lewat di depan apartemen dan menjadi teritorial terhadap tempat tidurnya.

Ana took her to the veterinarian, afraid that something was physically wrong. After a full checkup, the vet found nothing except a little extra shedding, which she said was normal in autumn. The microchip records showed that Pepper had had two owners before Ana, and both had returned her to the shelter. "It sounds like separation anxiety," the vet explained. "She's afraid that you won't come back."

TerjemahanAna membawanya ke dokter hewan karena takut ada yang salah secara fisik. Setelah pemeriksaan menyeluruh, dokter itu tidak menemukan apa-apa selain bulu yang rontok sedikit lebih banyak, yang menurutnya normal pada musim gugur. Catatan mikrocip menunjukkan bahwa Pepper pernah punya dua pemilik sebelum Ana, dan keduanya mengembalikannya ke penampungan. “Kedengarannya seperti kecemasan perpisahan,” jelas dokter hewan itu. “Dia takut Anda tidak akan kembali.”

The trainer Ana found was clear about one thing: punishment would only make the fear worse. Instead, they used positive reinforcement. Ana started by leaving for thirty seconds and coming back before Pepper became anxious, giving a small reward each time Pepper stayed calm. Slowly, the seconds became minutes, and the minutes became hours. They also practised simple obedience exercises, because learning a new command gave Pepper something to focus on other than the door.

TerjemahanPelatih yang ditemukan Ana sangat jelas tentang satu hal: hukuman hanya akan memperburuk rasa takut itu. Sebagai gantinya, mereka memakai penguatan positif. Ana mulai dengan pergi selama tiga puluh detik dan kembali sebelum Pepper menjadi cemas, lalu memberi hadiah kecil setiap kali Pepper tetap tenang. Perlahan, detik berubah menjadi menit, dan menit menjadi jam. Mereka juga berlatih kepatuhan lewat latihan sederhana, karena mempelajari perintah baru memberi Pepper sesuatu untuk difokuskan selain pintu.

It took almost two months. There were bad days, and more than once Ana wondered whether she had made a mistake. But one evening she came home and found Pepper asleep on her bed, completely relaxed.

TerjemahanItu memakan waktu hampir dua bulan. Ada hari-hari yang buruk, dan lebih dari sekali Ana bertanya-tanya apakah dia sudah membuat kesalahan. Tetapi suatu malam dia pulang dan mendapati Pepper tertidur di tempat tidurnya, benar-benar santai.

Ana understood that Pepper had never been a "bad" dog. Her behaviour had been a way of speaking, and they had both needed time to learn the same language.

TerjemahanAna mengerti bahwa Pepper tidak pernah menjadi anjing yang “nakal”. Perilakunya adalah cara untuk berbicara, dan mereka berdua membutuhkan waktu untuk belajar bahasa yang sama.