The power of good intentions and networking to find the perfect home… face to face conversations, phone calls, internet, and doggie social pages.
A man contacted me via my website asking for help with his small one-year-old dog, the man is wheelchair-bound, and someone had suggested a small dog as a companion. Shortly after acquiring this small dog, the man in question, let’s call him H, realised he had purchased not just a friend but a very active intelligent young dog who was bored, under stimulated and lonely… as dogs do need interaction with their own kind, no matter how devoted to their owners. H thought an indoor treadmill might be a good idea. I was slightly horrified. What could go wrong with a young, tiny, untrained, hyperactive dog on a moving treadmill with a wheelchair-bound owner in charge of the controls??
A very long story cut short, (but short in time, only took a week!) with about 8 people involved, ringing around dog trainers to eventually find one remarkable woman who could help, posting on social pages for help in walking, training, socialising this little dog. A wonderful outcome, stage one resulting in daily walks and home enrichment, stage two resulting in H admitting he should have bought a cat, and stage three finding the perfect couple to be the new family for this little guy.
I have spent so much time being grateful for this outcome, and reflecting on…
1) well intentioned but misguided advice to buy a dog for companionship… it’s just not that simple if you don’t consider…
Is this a right fit? Does the dog get his needs met or will he become bored, yappy, frustrated, peeing indoors, and thus making the owner frustrated… all of this was starting to happen in the situation just described, and it is a common reason why so many dogs are surrendered for rehoming. By then the dog probably has bad habits to be corrected, maybe a few personality changes… makes finding the forever home that much more difficult.
2) Dogs need exercise, socialising, a human who sets boundaries so the dog knows her place, play, goals, sniffing the grass/trees/roses/posts, variety, mental stimulation… that sounds like a lot!?!? It might make someone decide to get a cat rather than a dog?? Goldfish? It shouldn’t be so hard to pick the right companion… a bit of forethought, some conversations to consider who might best fit into your lifestyle… a fit german shepherd? an elderly rescue from the pound? a cat for cuddles and companionship? maybe a goldfish…
3) On intervention… this outcome has been for the benefit of both the human and the dog… and all those involved have learnt something.
Intervening on the dog’s behalf led me to speak strongly last night in a local dog park. I recognised a once beautiful x working dog who was so obese she could hardly move. I tactfully said hello to the owner and then “what’s happened to L?” She didn’t know what I meant, I had to say, ”L is so… big”. Her response being a giggle and “oh, yes, she needs to lose a bit”. The owner walked off and threw me a dirty look from her car. I was not rude, relatively tactful, and I had to speak up… I have been upset about that dog since seeing her yesterday. A good outcome here would be for the owner to put the dog on a healthy weight loss diet and to perhaps dislike me for spoiling her evening in the park… ’shoot the messenger’… so be it.