Inadaquate

Ever have one of those days where the more you learn, the less you seem to know?? Or is the saying the smarter you get, the dumber you are? I had one of those days.

An upset woman called - she has a foster pit/bull terrier X 10 months old - Severe separation anxiety - depression, destruction, defecation, vocalization -all the clinical signs and went to the vet to see if they could get some anti anxiety meds for him, just to take the edge off. The vet at this clinic told her she would not prescribe the meds until they brought the dog to me for a consult first. Well, I really appreciate the thought, but - she said vet said I was a behaviorist - I'm NOT!!! A behaviorist does much more in-depth things than I do. They delve deep, they figure out things. I basically 'go from here'. I take the dog 'as is' and work from that starting point. Dog jumps on people? I give them another way to behave. Dog runs away?
I teach them coming is the best choice they have ever made. Compared to others I've seen, others I read about, I'm pretty darn good, but certainly not great, too much more to learn! And I'm absolutly not a behaviorist! I gave her a start - told her how I'd begin, but.....

And THEN - last night a very hysterical woman calls -I'd had her in puppy class with another dog. She says her new dog got out -the pound picked him up, and her husband says he hates the stupid dog - who runs away, jumps on people and pees in the house (the MAIN three reasons dogs are returned to the shelter, in my unstatistical opinion) and he's done with it unless she does something. She says and I quote "I'll pay you ANYTHING to take this dog for a couple weeks and train it!" and she went on and on about my 'skill' and how great it was to have something like that to share with others.........

I'm feeling very........inadequate right now. sigh.