March 17, 2006
Dozer ***NEW STORY***
DOZER, DOB Unknown
Placed through Mastiff Rescue
Coordinator and Agent, Julie Nelson
Note From Julie
This is the story about a family in Washington State, whose identity must be protected out of respect for what they have gone through. These are incredibly nice people who love their dog for what he has done for their family. Huge steps in their son’s recovery have been made thanks to the constant companionship of this loving mastiff.
Submitted by Dozer’s owner
Our rescue mastiff, Dozer was matched to our family for specific reasons. The main reason why our family sought a mastiff was for our son’s animal assisted therapy, specifically to help him overcome Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) which was the result of being the target of a sex offender who is currently in jail for what he did to our family.
The reason for our choice in breed (mastiff) was because of specific dynamics that come with PTSD. Since the trauma caused my son to be in constant fear, of his physical safety we needed to obtain a breed that gave him the comfort of always being protected, without the aggressiveness found in many working dog breeds. We needed a dog that was not going to be so over protective of the children that it may attack a person or another animal. The English Mastiff suits our needs perfectly. On an everyday basis Dozer is incredibly gentle with all members of the family, including the baby. Dozer with his size and constant presence makes our son always feel safe. Dozer is a shadow, always tending to the children, very tender, never pushy, never dominating, and has never growled or snapped at anything. He is a huge love muffin. By his presence and gentle nature alone, Dozer allows our family to feel secure after 14 months of stalking by a repeat sex offender.
Having Dozer in the house is a gift, we are able to sleep at night without my son constantly having night terror episodes and screaming due to his nightmares. Our son's anxiety has all but disappeared. In therapy our son talks about how much Dozer means to him, how he'll ride his bike outside, because Dozer can come too. How he'll play in the backyard and not be afraid because Dozer is always there. These are huge leaps from where he was prior to being so well-matched by Rescue with Dozer. Having a mastiff allows us to even travel to the beach, or hike on trails and watch our son laugh and behave like a "normal" six year old. Although, you can see who's the braver of the two now when our son runs towards the ocean, and Dozer runs away from it!
Dozer is not just good with our family, he has become the neighborhood mascot. All of the children in the neighborhood can love up on him. The parents always feel better when we are out with Dozer, and their children are with us as well. He is very popular due to his gentle nature.
I will forever endorse the English Mastiff, having one for our forever friend has certainly changed our life for the better!
Note from Louise
Julie has sent me several pictures of Dozer with his children. Due to the sensitive nature of his placement, those pictures have been withheld. However, it must be said that these are small children, children who can be seen clinging to their dog, who hovers protectively over them. I am so glad that Dozer and this family have found each other. Many thanks to Julie Nelson for making such stories as these possible
