luvwinnie wrote: Last night he actually went for a WALK...ok, it wasn't even a whole block, but I was thrilled that he wanted to go!
Wonderful, just wonderful!! With your love, patience, and devotion it sounds like he is going to learn well about what it's like to be loved and know happiness!!
Cat
(Jim just reads the forum once in a while)
Be kinder than necessary because everyone you meet is fighting some sort of battle.... Live simply, love wholly, give generously, care deeply, speak kindly.
There is hope but it usually takes a long time and a lot of patience. We adopted a three year old that had been moved from shelter to shelter to keep her alive and had reached the end of her travels. DH had been following her on the internet so we got her the day before Thanksgiving. She was originally found as a stray and was very protective of her food and on the defensive all the time. It is now three years later, during that time she learned to trust us with her food dish, learned that she was not in danger by exposing her belly for a tummy rub and finally looks at us with those 'I love you' doggy eyes. So don't give up, it is a wonderful success story in the end.
Tansy & DH
FurKids: Buttons, Ginger and Gypsy
FurAngel: Sasha, our co-pilot in heaven
Give it TIME - lots of time. In his own way, he is adjusting. He has had so many medical problems he probably is not feeling really good at this point. Find something he loves to do. His Happiness may not be displayed the way you think it should. He has his own way of "being happy". Find out what that is and accept it. It could be in his stance, or the way he cocks his head. We even had one that "smiled"
Our daughter brought us a rescue ( a very mixed breed - corgi, aust. shepherd, spaniel, and spitz type) who she thought was about 6 or 7. The girl that had her kept he in a cage all day while working and all night while sleeping. She could hardly walk up our stairs at first. It took 2 years before we felt that she acted like she was having any fun (she smiled) and 4 years before she actually started playing with anything! She would sit quietly like she was bored - most the time. But then she would smile! We walked her frequently - which she enjoyed. She loved to travel; she was in the back seat of our van or pickup (when traveling with our 5th wheel). She would always bark at cows - not horses, not sheep, no other animal - just cows. She loved being on "cow watch". When she died last year, all we thought of was the love she had given us in return for the new life we have given her for 7 years. Had she gone to a shelter back then, she would have been euthanized. So we gave her a reason to "smile" and enjoy life as a dog before she came to the end of her life.
That is all you are really doing - giving him a chance to be happy in his own way.
You are so right. Believe me, when I look down at him when he has his head snuggled on my lap then I KNOW he is content and at peace and that brings me peace too. I know this is a JOURNEY we are on together. As our trainer said, "He is here to teach you patience."
Petunia was a "drop off" who chose us to take her, she had the whole park and only came to me for food and water. It took almost a month before she was comfortable with hubby. She had been abused the vet said, however was house trained.
We still don't know if Petunia's reaction to a "discussion" between hubby and I is due to her past or if she is possessive of me. If hubby comes in the door after getting upset at something that happened while he was gone, and the anger is still there, Petunia growls. Although he is only one she insists that they pick her up as soon as they get here, go figure. If he is late, she paces the floor from door to couch and back.
It took a year to get her to play with toys, started out with those tug ropes and graduated to small tennis ball/tug rope toys.
And after thinking about it, she is really no different in many ways than the other adult dogs we got from the county shelters or breeders. They each have their issues and personalities. And yes, the vet bills were always there. Some received 6-month checks instead of yearly checks.
Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass.... its learning to dance in the rain!
Traveling down the Road "Side by Side"
2004 Alpenlite TT 28RL
2008 Suburban 2500 Lt
Home Base: Tri-Cities WA - North America
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