A couple of months ago, a Reddit user posted a heartwarming video of his two dogs comforting their anxious dog sibling. The clip captures a small Shih Tzu named Huxley and a white, deaf dog named Winnie trying to take care of their big brother, Rex, an English/French Mastiff mix.
Rex suffers from severe anxiety due to a disturbing upbringing and multiple abusive owners.
From Abusive Owners To Loving Paws
(Source: Reddit)
According to a study conducted by the University of Helsinki in Finland, dogs are particularly prone to a wide range of anxiety-like traits, especially when they have been abused throughout their upbringing. The survey found that 72.5% of 13,715 pet dogs from Finland displayed anxiety-like behaviors.
Rex’s current owner shared that Rex was abused as a puppy by his previous owners. Rex is his fourth owner, having been adopted at 1.5 years old. His second owners would beat him and use a shock collar on him, leading to a fear of screaming, loud noises, brooms, clapping, and more. They even considered euthanizing him due to his “aggressive behavior.”
Due to the trauma inflicted by his second owners, Rex developed resource guarding tendencies, fear, and aggression, making it difficult for him to integrate into his third family, despite their willingness to help.
(Source: Reddit)
Rex’s current owner has spent the last 2.5 years rehabilitating him, and Rex has made significant progress. Although he still exhibits anxious behaviors, Rex now enjoys spending time with his dog siblings and human family members.
“With anxiety, the dog generally wants nothing to do with whatever it’s scared of, and will try to get out of that situation as quickly as it can,” Rex’s owner told Newsweek. “He was my first dog post-divorce, when I was single, so we kind of helped each other a lot.”
Bound By Love
In the video, you can clearly see how the two other dogs adore Rex. Whenever they sense his anxiety, they run to him and shower him with kisses.
Huxley, the Shih Tzu, is a puppy who loves everyone and fears nothing. He’s just happy to be part of the family. However, Winnie, the white dog, is deaf and relies on Rex for support. They have become very close, and she follows him everywhere.
(Source: Reddit)
Despite Rex’s vocal nature and occasional growls when scared, Winnie, being deaf, is unaffected and loves him unconditionally. Rex, in turn, helps Winnie by acting as her ears and assisting her in understanding what is going on around them.
Winnie and Huxley have played a significant role in Rex’s recovery, helping him come out of his shell.
(Source: Reddit)
This unique trio and their outpouring of affection have won the hearts of many online, generating almost 21K upvotes on Reddit. “I can’t tell you how much this information sparks joy in me. Winnie, Rex, and Huxley are some of my current favorite people. Oh, and you’re pretty awesome, too, for giving these wonderful dogs a happy home,” commented one Reddit user.
After everything he went through, Rex was fortunate enough to find an amazing family with the best owner and the best doggie siblings.
