The Face

I believe that I screwed up right from the start with Chili. I didn’t know it then, but I sure know it now. I wanted to do everything perfectly for my little angel. You know, be the perfect mom. What exactly does that mean? I obviously had no clue. At the time, that meant that I would give her unconditional love and a great home and the best food. In return, she would love and appreciate me. I was very frustrated when it didn’t quite work out that way. What’s wrong with this dog? She doesn’t even appreciate the fact that she’s been adopted and her life is going to be easier. OK, stop laughing at me. I know how it sounds. Like I didn’t have a clue. You’re right, I didn’t.

It must be a very confusing time for a dog. To be living their lives, then suddenly be placed in a cage at a shelter, then adopted into a new life. Now, they have to deal with the expectations of their new families and don’t even know the expectations. They’re just being dogs. They don’t sign any paperwork agreeing to the terms of their new lives. They’re dogs. I’m pretty certain if they knew what they were in for they would put a few of their own clauses into the contract.

The first day we brought her home I couldn’t wait to watch her explore and learn about her new surroundings. We watched her roam around and sniff and check everything out. She was very interested in everything around the house and not so interested in us. Then the face started. It was like she became a cross between an alligator and a crazed lunatic. Quite the combination. I’ll explain. She would give us these side glances, almost like dirty looks, as she walked by with her mouth open looking for something to chomp down on. It wasn’t the kind of look where you’re worried that she would bite you, it was just a,”HaHaaa, you’ll never guess what I’m going to do now,” badass look. It took all of 10 seconds for her to figure out that she was the boss. From that point on I just ran after her saying, “No, No, No, No.” She wasn’t understanding! Or was she? It was as if “No” would get her going even more. She just would not stop. That was when we started arguing about how to turn the whole thing around. What kind of discipline would she receive? My husband had a lifetime of experience with dogs and I only had a few precious years with Ruby. Somehow, I won out. Again, I know you’re not surprised about how things went from here.

As if the face wasn’t enough; there was the peeing. She wasn’t house trained. This was the first day and I was already overwhelmed. I had no idea about how we were going to get through the night. We couldn’t leave her loose, she’d eat the house and pee everywhere. I called my friend who has a Rottweiler and she

loaned us a crate. I was glad that we had a place to contain her and was looking forward to a good nights sleep. Ha. She did not like the crate at all. Every few hours she would go crazy trying to escape. This wasn’t working out. A few days later we ended up buying her a cage style crate. She seemed to like this better. I don’t think she liked being confined but since she could see out every side of the cage, she was settled and we were able to sleep better from that point on.

I put a lot of time and energy into picking the right dog. I believe it’s a great thing for people to rescue them from a shelter. People have the best of intentions but aren’t always prepared. I wasn’t in some ways but I was in others. When I started searching for a dog, I had a long conversation with my friend Carol. Carol has a lot of experience with dogs and isn’t afraid to share her opinions. She’s all about what’s best for the dog and she gave me some great advice. She made me really think about more than just the cute factor, which they all are. We were considering adopting a Newfoundland and she asked me if I was prepared for the cleanup of owning a long haired dog. It can be rainy here for a long time and even though it’s raining, the dog will still need to be walked. Was I prepared for the cleanup after days of wet walks? If we go down to the beach would we keep the dog out of the water because of the cleanup? Great questions. She also suggested to research the energy level, health concerns, and general information on various breeds. Are we OK with a dog that drools a lot and flings it on the walls and us? Do we like to go on long hikes in the summer and will the dog be able to handle it? This really helped us to narrow down what we wanted in a dog. You really have to be realistic and do what you can to get a dog that fits your lifestyle. If you don’t, it’s the dog that suffers in the end and they really don’t deserve that. Each dog needs to be with someone who’s prepared to do whatever is necessary to give them a good life. I may complain about my little brat but she’s my brat and I’d do anything for her to keep her healthy and safe. Bottom line, really consider the dog you’re choosing to bring into your life. A wise choice will benefit you both.