Well, the reason that makes me happy, keeps me active, and motivated, and moreover, the reason that kept me alive so far is my lovely dog, Gigi. Gigi is not just a simple dog, she is an extraordinary dog who is always with me no matter where I am. I adopted Gigi when I was in Ukraine, during the pandemic corona time. When I posted her first day with me on the blockchain, a video; I remember I received so many comments, feedback, and support. To be honest many people know me because of my dog. Gigi carries a significant identity, I am now called "Gigi's Mom". Today I decided to share her story with you, her struggle, and why she is so special.
Gigi is a super active 3-year-old labrador. Those who own a labrador, know how much a lab can be active and Gigi is hyperactive. I wrote a lot of complaint posts before about Gigi's training. I couldn't train her properly when she was a puppy. Her first trainer was unable to give me training tips. Later, I found an amazing trainer who also spoke English but we couldn't complete the training because of the war in Ukraine. I remember Gigi only learned a few house behaviors and I learned how to hold her leash and a few other things. Gigi was only able to take 3-4 lessons.
No matter how naughty Gigi is or was, she was a puppy during wartime. But she was strong and often stayed beside me no matter what. We both had a challenging time when the Ukraine war broke out. I hardly was able to manage her because she was an untrained puppy and always very curious. We couldn't even go out for her walk and we both stayed together while hiding in the basement. She was scared at some point and never wanted to stay alone.
She was very calm during wartime when we were together in Ukraine and somehow she used to understand when there was any danger. The worst situation we both had was when we tried to flee from the Ukraine war. Gigi was not allowed in the train so basically she and I were sitting outside of the station in the cold. Like I said, she was not a properly outdoors-trained dog, so handling her was difficult. I was devastated when I was told to leave her behind to catch the train because Gigi is a big dog and takes a child's space. A lot of people from the animal shelter tried to convince me to give her to them but I was holding her in the severe cold and was constantly telling soldiers and people from the animal shelter that I never gonna leave her behind. Maybe for many people, she is just a dog but for me, she is a family, my companion. That trauma, that sadness I am still carrying now. I can understand the war situation and at that moment I saw fear and selfishness around me. That feeling still hurts. Even when we were trying to return home, all taxi people refused to take Gigi in their car.
I still can't believe I traveled all the way from Kharkiv Ukraine to the Poland border with Gigi, how I handled her I don't know. I can't even remember how many times she pulled me somewhere during our long journey. After arriving in Warsaw, Poland I noticed that Gigi got hurt on her head and it was bleeding. I was so nervous that I didn't know what to do but a kind person took Gigi to the vet and took care of her injury. Throughout the entire time, Gigi was never sad or scared, she was cheerful, happy, and always with me. In Poland, she finally had time to heal and all thanks to Jagoda (
After coming to the Netherlands, Gigi got sick suddenly. At first, she started losing tons of weight and became thin. She lost weight because of her diet change and I was not able to provide the food she used to eat. When we arrived in the Netherlands, she was 1 year and a few months old. Her skinny body really scared me. Labradors get fat but my dog was not gaining any weight. Then one day at night, she started losing tremendous levels of blood and stopped eating. She was on her heat but also the amount of blood she was losing was not normal. I called the vet and they said it's serious. They suggested me to take her to the hospital as soon as possible. She had bacterial infection and inflammation and the vet gave her tons of medicines for 3 weeks. The vet also gave me an appointment for her spray process after 3 months. That phase when she lost a lot of blood, I cannot forget. She was so weak and sick all the time.
Gigi has some allergies and a very sensitive stomach. Moreover, she takes a long time to recover if she gets sick. Only I know how many times I had to go to the vet for Gigi's recovery. I only wrote one problem but there are many allergenic problems she has. After the spray, finally she started gaining weight and now she is healthy. Gigi is now 3 years old, become an adult dog who loves food and loves to walk outside.
After coming to the Netherlands, I took Gigi to the trainer and taught her a few things so that I could handle her. Gigi is a friendly dog and she loves people. Unfortunately, she doesn't understand that not everyone loves dogs. I couldn't teach Gigi social skills and now, to be honest, I don't want to. I love her the way she is and I guess because of her, a part of me slowly recovering from trauma. I won't say Gigi is a therapy dog but she makes me smile and helps me to heal. My responsibilities towards her somehow keep me active and give me a purpose for tomorrow.
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I had a lot of concerns about Gigi's behaviour but now I accepted the way she is. She learned a little bit about how to respect the leash and not to pull me in exchange for tons of treats. She still pulls me if she gets a chance, she still chases birds and loves to jump on people if someone gives her attention. She is a well-behaved dog in the house now and she knows her limits even though sometimes she can't control her zoomies.
She is growing up fast and so far she is healthy. She has a nice temper and never barks at people except other dogs. She is not an aggressive dog in fact she is a happy dog and always spreads love. Those who know her, love her the way she is.
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Her before and after, look how skinny she was...
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I can't believe how fast she is growing, it feels like she was one year old yesterday. I spoil her a lot with treats and toys.
I try to cherish every moment with her because I know her life is small. I wanna fill her life with joy and happiness and I try my best to give her everything she needs. She is the only one who stayed beside me like a shadow and followed me almost everywhere and never ran away.
Gigi is the only purpose and reason of my life, that's why I am still alive during my depression...
By the way, Gigi's long pink leash was given by Anna (
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Priyan...
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.... An architect, a dreamer, and a passionate writer who loves to write about life. I try to present my own perspective and experiences. Please leave your feedback and criticism because it's the only way I can know and reach your mind and thoughts easily...
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