Choosing a New Family Member
There are various ways to go about selecting a new furry family member. But when I think back on the last four dogs that entered my life I don’t think I actually chose them as much as I accepted that they were a part of my life and clearly there to stay.
Meet Molly. Molly was a mess when she entered my life. She had a horrible yeasty ear infection, she was destructive, anxious, could not be crated, leashing her was a different issue. She was out to drag you to her destination. There was no walking this dog. If you had the guts to attach a leash to her, you were in for an experience. She caused two foster homes to quit fostering, was involved in a dog fight and out of control. Molly had no place to go and a storm was promising large amounts of snow. This dog needed Not just a safe place, she also needed a structured environment - so away we went to my house with a bag of dog food and a bottle of Trazadone.
It took 24 hours to get her to understand my rules:
1. Mornings are work
2. Food comes after work
3. A crate won’t kill you
4. Don’t try to kill the cats, goat and birds
There was still a lot she had to learn but she made great progress in 24 hours - this girl was smart and hungry for training. We survived the storm and Molly moved on to a new foster, was spayed and then brought back because she refused to go into the crate and would not stop barking. She was prescribed Trazadone the full 2 weeks she was with that foster before coming back to stay at the office. While at the office she learned that she could actually be comfortable in a crate and a head halter was a life saver for walking her.
Those changes made her more appealing to the fosters so she left for a new foster home. Things went well for the first few weeks or so I thought. I had not heard any complaints. But that was the issue, I had not heard the complaints. Another snow storm was brewing and I took phone call stating that there was a dog fight, Molly was mildly injured and her stay was over at this home. The dogs were outside unattended so only the dogs know what happened. I was told that Molly would remain crated outside until another placement was found. I understood that they were upset but that was no way for any dog to live, even short term. Molly was dropped off at the office that day. I cleaned her wounds which were swollen and slightly infected. Preparations had already begun at home for the next snow storm. I grabbed another bag of food as I locked up the office and Molly came home with me again.
Molly went off on 3 trial adoptions and came back after each one with reports of too much energy, no house manners, struggles with the other dog in the house not liking having another dog around... she had lots of interest but nobody determined or skilled enough to be able to make it work. She was on a quick path to being labeled unadoptable. I knew that wasn’t true, I just hadn’t found that adopter yet. I contacted breed specific rescues, trainers that specialized in shepherds. The rescues said they wouldn’t take her because she was obviously not pure bred. The trainers said they had their hands full already. I was frustrated, angry and not ready to give up on a dog that seemed to only be understood by me.
At that point I understood that the only solution to the “problem” was to accept what was throwing a ball at me was my new charge. The third week in May 2019, I made it official and made Molly a member of a family.
It’s August 2020 now. My parents adore the dog I call my “wild child” and she adores them. My siblings... They still think I’m out of my mind. She is a lot of dog and very overwhelming. She might win them over in a few years when the edge starts to wear off a touch.
Now that I’ve shared this story, looking back on it I ask myself why I chose her. I love working breeds (Huskies, Rottweilers, German Shepherds, Dobermans). I love to work hard and get rather stir-crazy if I can’t. Working breeds are the same way so I understand their need to work. Molly is no more complicated than any puppy. The problem is that she never received the basic training frequently taught to puppies, so she is learning that now. I knew I needed (and wanted) to help her. I was planning to get another Husky when the time was right. Molly arrived when the timing wasn’t right and kept coming back until it was.
