Wings
Zucchini Muffin
- Joined
- Feb 24, 2012
- Posts
- 22,287
There was a dog at the animal shelter I volunteer for. He was gorgeous, tall, strong and proud. He'd been hurt pretty badly in the past by the looks of his scars and the way he had a hard time being vulnerable to anyone. If I moved too quickly around him he would go on high alert, snarling and snapping trying to protect himself. I used to be really worried that he'd actually bite me.
I never wanted to put him in a place where he felt like I would harm him so I tended to avoid talking too much or I'd only sit still when around him, always whispering and breathing deeply. I started to see him warm up to a few other people and I got pretty envious. I had been working so hard to earn his trust. I thought maybe I'd tried too hard and backed away.
What's interesting is the day I decided to not go near him, he started whining and eventually caused a pretty big ruckus. I finally came back to the shelter and went down to see what was going on with him. He quieted immediately and seemed pretty normal so I went home. The next day the vet called me after she'd been in to check on the residents, she told me that the shelter workers were convinced that this dog, the one I thought would bite me, actually liked it when I was there.
The next week during my normal volunteer shift I went in to his area and after changing out his blankets I sat in the corner and sort of sang to myself. Eventually he wandered over, laid down, put his head in my lap and fell asleep. I sat there for hours, afraid to move, eventually petting him gently. My ass had long been asleep by the time he awoke and moved back to his corner.
He came home with me a few weeks later to live in my house, sleep on my bed and protect my children. I loved that dog.
I never wanted to put him in a place where he felt like I would harm him so I tended to avoid talking too much or I'd only sit still when around him, always whispering and breathing deeply. I started to see him warm up to a few other people and I got pretty envious. I had been working so hard to earn his trust. I thought maybe I'd tried too hard and backed away.
What's interesting is the day I decided to not go near him, he started whining and eventually caused a pretty big ruckus. I finally came back to the shelter and went down to see what was going on with him. He quieted immediately and seemed pretty normal so I went home. The next day the vet called me after she'd been in to check on the residents, she told me that the shelter workers were convinced that this dog, the one I thought would bite me, actually liked it when I was there.
The next week during my normal volunteer shift I went in to his area and after changing out his blankets I sat in the corner and sort of sang to myself. Eventually he wandered over, laid down, put his head in my lap and fell asleep. I sat there for hours, afraid to move, eventually petting him gently. My ass had long been asleep by the time he awoke and moved back to his corner.
He came home with me a few weeks later to live in my house, sleep on my bed and protect my children. I loved that dog.
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