Have you ever seen a dog just roll in grass or splash through puddles of water with such joy that you can't help but laugh? All dogs roll in dirt or grass, especially after a bath. Why do they do that?! None of us can say for sure how their minds work but more often than not, you will find that dogs are goofy little creatures and the happier they are the more goofy they seem to be.
I was not always a huge dog fan. They are good pets to have, one at a time, give the kids a companion and some responsibility. That changed one day when two tiny chihuahua puppies was brought to me....for my children. They both hung out with me when the kids were out playing or at school when I was at home. Two puppies from the same litter and both so very different.
One puppy, Kacie was scared of everything and just wanted to snuggle and cuddle, eat and sleep. She could care less if she was always on you or at your feet. You could get housework done and it was no big deal. She was perfectly content on the back of the couch where she could eye you from time to time, giving a "I am trying to sleep" look, as though you washing dishes or starting the washer was a noise disturbance. The other, name Happy, always had you watching where your feet were because she wanted to be close. She felt the need to be in your lap when she slept or on the back of your neck, hung over you shoulder like a cooling towel. She was lively and silly all the time.
Getting any dogs to go outside while it was raining was often a huge challenge. For Happy it was the greatest weather. She would shoot out that door in search of the largest puddle of water she could find and jump in like she had finally found her a swimming pool after searching her entire life! I found that I often wondered what was going through their heads. The girls at some point got to the point of not liking each other and had to be kept separate, Happy always wanted to pounce and play while Kacie just wanted to be lazy and sleep. What sort of dogs would they have turned out to be if they had been abused as puppies? Dumped out on the street with someone thinking "someone will find them", even if it is over a year from then and they looked and smelled dead. Would they have always been good with kids if they had been homeless with kids throwing rocks at them because "nobody cares about them or they wouldn't be homeless"?
When you adopt a pet, you are saving their lives but at the same time, you can't ask the what kind of history they had or how you can help them over come their past. The most we can do is give them time, love and a lot of patience. They need to decompress first. Give them a couple of weeks of slow movements and get them into a schedule. If you have a large party planned, they may feel scared, overwhelmed or unsafe. Put them in a quiet room where they can be alone and if you want to show the newest family member off, take one or two people into the room at a time to help keep their anxiety and worry to a minimum. Don't be too harsh when they have an accident on the floor, clean it up and take them outside. They will learn that you intend to take them out when they need to go but in a shelter, they didn't always get to go out so they had no choice but to go on the floor in their kennel. Give them time to adjust and it shouldn't be long before you see them begin to relax and start showing some happiness and joy, and hopefully, some of that goofy side that YOU helped save. Not all dogs will need a long adjustment time.
Some may come home happy and goofy with you while another may take a couple of weeks and another may need a month or even more. Never hesitate to reach out to a rescue for advice on how to help them better adjust or how to handle some situations. Rescues are all about helping the animals and the owners. To help them, is to help the new parents. You may be informed that a specific training would come in handy for both of you. The most important thing you can do though is to never give up on them. Someone already did that and that is what they come to expect. Show them you are determined to heal their broken and shattered heart and bring them new dreams.
Photo shown is Dharma (Junnie) in her Virginia foster home. She is getting along well with her other pets and continues to improve everyday!! We can't see her ribs or scars anymore! Anne is doing a great job working with her and giving her lots of loving's!! I sure do miss this sweet brindle but I am over joyed at her progress! Dharma is available for adoption. She is a sweet girl that does get along with other dogs but needs a slow introduction to them. She is super sweet and loves to stretch out and sleep on the couch or bed. She is 11 1/2 year old brindle Pitbull mix searching for a loving retirement home. If interested let us know.
The link below will take you to our PayPal if you are able to donate towards Buddy's surgery that is scheduled for July 26th!! If you prefer to donate on Venmo it is @voiceforanimalsrescue
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