I Met A Dog

Once a year, I like to share one of my favorite stories, and it's that time again. Three years ago, I met a dog. He was living in less-than-stellar conditions, on a chain in the far corner of a neighbor's backyard.

He was still just a pup, and he had a lonely life with very little human contact. Neighbors had seen to it that he got some semblence of a shelter, and I bought hay to go in it.

I couldn't get the little fella out of my mind, especially with the cold temperatures. I began visiting him and found a happy smart boy that just blossomed with the attention. I spent several weeks visiting him every day, feeding him, walking him, getting to know him. Such a good boy!

One day, I decided that he simply must come off that chain & find a new home. He was too good to live a wasted life.

I wasn't looking for a pup; my home was full with my three. But through sharing via FB and with the help of many angels, his freedom was secured, and he & I took off on a road trip to New Hampshire to deliver him to his forever family.

I was asked several times if I didn't want to just keep him. Nope, I would reply, I'm just meant to help him along to his family. But on the trip North, I realized how much I adored this little boy and how hard it was gonna be to say goodbye. I'll admit many many tears were shed on that drive.

I told him on the final stretch that if he wanted to go home with me, he was gonna have to make it crystal clear, give me a beyond-a-shadow-of-a-doubt sign. Welp. We arrived after dark to his new place, and he promptly went in & spectacularly failed his cat test. No, he didn't attack the family's cats, but he fixated on them & would not be distracted from them. It was a deal breaker for them, and justifiably so because the cats were declawed & wouldn't be able to defend themselves from him. He stayed on a leash that night, and we loaded up bright & early the next morning to drive a thousand miles home. He didn't seem upset to still be in my company...

At that point, he was still a foster, because without Jamie's consent, I couldn't commit to keeping him. As good a dog as he was, I knew everyone in the house had to be on board with keeping him because it was gonna be challenging to turn him in to house pup. Up until then, he had lived outside on a chain without training and next to no contact with people & other pups. It would take a very special family to commit to the ups & downs. Happily, within a few days of arriving home, Jamie could see what a good boy he was and how easily he learned the rules. At breakfast one morning, he looked at me & said simply, "Let's keep him." The happiest of tears flowed from my eyes!

Has it been easy? We've had some challenges for sure....

But we've met each & every one. He learned to be part of a pack.

He learned (very quickly) that car rides are one of his most favorite things to do.

He learned that Jamie aka The Daddyman is his most favorite person.

And balls! He learned that balls are his most favorite thing ever, and if you bring the ball back to a human, it will get thrown again!

We did training, and he excelled at that, even going one day with his group to deliver comfort at an assisted living facility. Imagine that! A pup I was told could never ever ever live in the house because he was too wild. He does get a little sad when he's on a leash and has to mind.

He makes me laugh every single day.

And I love introducing him to new experiences. He's like a child with his enthusiasm and curiosity and his reaction to different things.

He's my Roscoe, and though we weren't looking for him, I sure am glad he found us!