Last January we picked up Sophie from a shelter in central NE. She was all kinds of timid. Her stance was hunkered down. Her tail tucked clear to her nose. She dodged all petting, ignored treats, hid in the back of her crate. And that was on her good days. It was three days before she would even pee for us. My bladder ached for her.
Over the months she has made so much progress. The thrill, for me, is seeing her act like a normal dog. Training her on the invisible fence has been a giant plus. I finally got brave enough to remove the lead she'd been dragging. At that moment our roles reversed. I was the scared one and she was the brave one. One gets to that point in parenting and fostering. You have to love them enough to keep them safe, and love them enough to let them go.
So, it was time to cut the cord. I got over my fear and got on with it. If you could see her fly though the yard. Tail wagging, ears flopping, tongue hanging, smiling like a poster child for canine Nascar. It more than makes up for every trip out with her on leash over 8 months. For the times in the rain, the snow, the bitter cold. For the times she'd hear a leaf fall and abort the potty mission. Time after time after time.
She runs in circles, she smells the bushes, she rolls in the grass. She's normal!! Who would have ever thought the day would come I would say that about her. Sure makes a foster Mom proud.
Life with dogs. A little humor, a dash of play, a seed of faith, and of course, some dog fur.
1 comment:
wow! finally free to roam around. She is going to be unstoppable!
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