That's the life of lady who likes to rescue dogs, but it's not all fluffy and fun. Adopting a dog, while I stand by the choice and encourage all people to rescue, it's still some very merky waters to get yourself into. Some of the time...
I adopted a little dacshund mix almost 4 years ago from Paws Rescue League in Boston. I named him Ron, after Ron Paul, and he was so cute with these big ears. I didn't do research, I didn't ask a lot of questions. I went in blindly looking at myself as some savior for rescuing a dog. Turns out, I was very uneducated, and ended up with an aggressive, anxious dog that to this day has a hard time acclimating to his surroundings (spoiler alert: he's a helluvah a lot better now compared to then).
Here he is:
It all started when I noticed he would nip at me when I would try to take off his harness. He also growled and charged the door when people would come over. However, he was so small (10 lbs), so I didn't think much about it. Once again, totally ignorant of what it takes to handle a troubled, behavioral rescue dog.
The worst came when I had him at work (we all brought our dogs in). My coworkers brought in his 8 month old baby human. Ron was on a leash, but when I wasn't paying 100% attention he lunged at the babe (if you're reading this Oliver's dad...I still feel awful about this) and bit his toe. It was small, sure. But he still bit the kid's toe. All I could think about was, "I'm going to be responsible for this kid being afraid of dogs and he'll miss out on one of the biggest joys of life!" I cried hysterically and realized then I have a broken dog, and I had to do something about it.
Years went by of half-assed training, big steps forward, and then 10 steps back. He bit me several times, nipped at people, and just seemed overall unhappy. However, I should note when it's just he and I on the couch hanging out, he was a snuggle bug.
I decided to move to Colorado years later and he and I took the trip across the country together. I don't know if you know much about Colorado, but my lifestyle quickly changed to an active one. We hike numerous times a month, visit parks, and dog parks, and his behaviors improved greatly. We worked with trainers, and I paid a FORTUNE to have them come in and help me with his issues, which I believe stem from anxiety and insecurity. He improved, but just like my own anxiety, it's not something that will ever just go away. Things happened to him when he was a pup...I never knew him then. Things shaped his synapses and sometimes his neurons fire-off differently. It sucks to think he'll never be the sweet dog like my second one is (he's a Chihuahua mix who would be friends with a rock, he seriously loves everyone). However, I went into rescuing him blindly and it taught me so much about dogs. I could've given up - and quite frankly if you need to "give up" sometimes that's the right decision. I will never shame someone for wanting to get out of a situation that is draining on their life. However, this was a lesson learned that brought me into a whole new world of understanding and embracing contentment.
Ron has improved, sure, he still has his ticks. He has a lot of people that love him, he gets plenty of exercise, and I know has the best life he could have at this time. I only expect things to improve more and more...but there will still be set backs. There are always set backs.
I want to share this story with those of you who have behavioral dogs. It's okay. Don't feel ashamed, and don't let people belittle you for taking on a challenge and helping another living thing. You can get through it, there is support everywhere, and patience pays off. Consider saving up some money and carefully considering outside help from trainers. You are not a failure because your dog has aggression or any other behavioral issues. However, be educated on what you rescue. Get as much information as possible, ask lots of questions.
Keep loving your dog(s). These amazing creatures improve our health and happiness. They are worth the fight.
Now here's a bunch of pics of my two boys: Ron and Sneaky
Thanks for reading. Hug those pups tonight, even the ones who drive you crazy! (but don't hug them if they might bite you...in that case, just give them a good ear scratch)