By the end of that week, the dog had already begun to change. No shoes were eaten, nothing was urinated on, no wires were chewed and she'd get excited to hear herself called "a good girl". From that week on, she never repeated the same actions she did in the first month, nor did we change our treatment with her. She grew to know what to expect and knew she'd get no attention, no eye contact or sound of our voices when she was bad.
Trixie Girl was adopted out at 6 yrs old. She had more character than you could shake a stick at - she needed a home that her character would be appreciated and not squashed so it took some time to place her accordingly. She hated men, disliked adults and l-o-v-e-d children! Her tiny frame was more like a terrier but her coloring and markings were that of a Rotweiller and in her heart, she thought she was a big watch dog.
An artist acquaintance came by to assist me on a project, a man in his late 30's and after her hair raising on her back, sniffing and being scolded, she finally allowed him to pat her.
The project lasted a month, so the artist was there frequently and Trixie finally took a liking to him. So much so, that to my surprise, she hopped into his car one day when he was leaving. This brought about the question " Can I take her home and see how this works out?"
I was stunned, her reaction was unexpected and with teary eyes, I said "Sure - see how it goes"
He called me the next day to report that he'd allowed her to hop on the bed with him to sleep and that she was following him like a shadow. So I asked if he wanted to keep her longer and her assured me he'd keep her forever if she kept up her good behavior.
Seeing that he was an artist, he spent most of his time at home working, painting and creating, so I knew that she wouldn't be left unattended and as someone who appreciated the beauty of life, he'd be a good companion to her and vise versa.
I wasn't wrong either. She never did come back to the shelter, she stayed with the artist and the two became best of friends, going everywhere together.
We bumped into them one day and she jumped and swirled to see us! I was concerned that she'd attempt to get into our car, but no, when it came time, he said to her "Come on Love, let's get going" and off she ran to his truck.
As he went to turn and leave, I grabbed him, hugged him and said "thank you - we don't see happy endings like this too often."
My heart knew they were meant for one another and who could ask for more?!
till next time
Animals Alone Society of Kindness Services - www.animals-alone.com
