Chapter 85: Psychological Trauma

"Xiao Zhang, this..." The landlord sighed, utterly exhausted.

He and his daughter loved their dog dearly, but Bai seemed to loathe his own tail. This behavior repeated almost daily. For the landlord, the cost of treating Bai’s injuries was nothing; what worried him was that Bai kept biting himself—when would it ever end?

Zhang Congwen pondered for a long time before he spoke. "We might have to consider psychological trauma. Some dogs, under stress, show symptoms similar to obsessive-compulsive disorder, repeating certain behaviors over and over. Especially with strays like this one—we have no idea what they've been through, so there’s a lot to take into account."

The landlord paused, as if something had just occurred to him. He quickly took out his phone and showed Zhang a photo.

It was from the time when the landlord had first found Bai. The dog was filthy from head to toe, not a single clean patch on his body. In several places, dried blood clung to his fur, and even from the photo it was clear that one of Bai’s legs was lame.

“When I first saw Bai, I suspected he’d been beaten,” the landlord said. “You could see the wounds all over him, obviously caused by blows. The vet said the limp was from a bone fracture, probably from some blunt object.”

Zhang Congwen felt his suspicions harden into certainty.

To test his theory, Zhang pulled out his own phone and walked toward Bai.

As soon as Bai saw Zhang approaching, he grew restless and uneasy—nothing like the happiness he’d shown when they’d first met. Zhang took another step closer, and Bai immediately tried to bite his own tail again.

Zhang had no choice but to retreat and slip his phone back into his pocket. As soon as he did, and came near again, Bai's anxiousness vanished; he was suddenly eager to please, his demeanor changing as quickly as a mask.

Only then did Zhang become fully convinced of his suspicions. He spoke gravely to the landlord. “This dog was very likely abused in the past. Even if it wasn’t overt abuse, he must have been beaten repeatedly over a long period. Whenever someone approaches him with an object in hand, Bai remembers the pain of being struck. The anxiety and pressure have nowhere to go—so he turns it inward, savagely biting his own tail.”

“What!” The landlord and his daughter were both stunned.

They had considered countless possibilities, but this had never occurred to them. As these thoughts sank in, the landlord’s daughter began to cry.

Remembering all the times Bai had bitten his own tail, she felt as if he were saying, “Please don’t hit me anymore—I’m already punishing myself.”

Yet, no matter how much Bai hurt himself, those who had scarred him so deeply had never thought to stop.

Unable to contain herself, the landlord’s daughter scooped Bai into her arms, gently stroking his head as she sobbed, “It’s all right, Bai. Now that you’re with us, no one will ever hurt you again.”

Zhang Congwen sighed, silent and sympathetic. He felt deeply for the dog’s plight.

He said nothing more, giving the landlord’s daughter space to release her grief.

After some time, she wiped her tears away and asked, “Is there any way to help Bai stop this?”

The landlord, feeling equally troubled, turned to Zhang. “Xiao Zhang, is there any way you can help Bai?”

Zhang nodded. “First, we have to help Bai release the pressure inside him.”

He pulled out a tissue and handed it to the landlord. “Wipe both sides of your nose and behind your ears with this tissue.”

The landlord was caught off guard by this request. “Is there something on my face?” he asked, taking out his phone to check, but his face was perfectly clean. He grew even more puzzled.

Zhang smiled. “It’s not about dirt. I want you to leave your scent on the tissue. Those areas are oily, so the scent will be stronger for the dog.”

The landlord understood, though he’d never heard of such a training method. Still, he did as Zhang suggested, wiping the four spots on his face, then his hands for good measure.

Suddenly remembering how much Bai loved sniffing his shoes, he took off his shoes and rubbed the tissue on his feet as well.

He was about to hand the tissue to Zhang when he realized what he’d just done, hesitated, and drew his hand back.

“Pfft!”

The landlord’s daughter, still nursing her sadness, couldn’t help but laugh at her father’s antics.

Embarrassed, the landlord asked, “Should I get a new tissue?”

Zhang shook his head. “No need. Just use this one—toss it to Bai from a distance.”

The landlord crumpled the tissue and threw it near Bai. The dog sniffed it, and immediately seemed much happier.

Not only was his prior tension gone, but he even began to roll and nuzzle the tissue, as if seeking affection.

Seeing how readily Bai accepted the scent, Zhang asked if the landlord had any gauze at home. Since Bai often bit his tail, they naturally kept some first-aid supplies.

Once assured, Zhang asked the landlord’s daughter to bring a basin of water and had the landlord wash his hands and face in it. This time, the landlord obediently did as told, without taking any liberties.

Meanwhile, Zhang fashioned a temporary muzzle for Bai with a leash, to prevent him from biting himself again.

After all this, Zhang told the landlord and his daughter to treat Bai’s tail and bandage the wound with gauze. He then cut a piece of gauze, soaked it in the water the landlord had just used.

When the bandaging was done, Zhang asked them to wrap the wet, scented gauze over the fresh bandage.

With everything in place, Zhang once again took out his phone and, making sure Bai could see it, walked toward him.

Just as before, Bai backed away, showing clear unease and a renewed urge to bite his tail.

But then, something remarkable happened.

As Bai caught the scent of his owner on the gauze, he licked his lips uncertainly, hesitated, and after a few moments, gradually calmed down.

Seeing this, the landlord and his daughter both breathed a sigh of relief, and Zhang himself felt a weight lift from his heart.

This method had only ever been a theory; Zhang had never tried it, nor seen it used elsewhere.

But reality proved him right.

Witnessing Bai’s transformation with their own eyes, the landlord was overjoyed and immediately asked what they should do next.

To his surprise, Zhang’s next instruction was to shut Bai in a room, leaving only himself and the landlord’s daughter outside.