Free at last
Joey, formerly Snuffles, was found by my wife’s coworker, Minh. He had his leash attached and had run away from his owners. Minh has a doggy daycare and is sympatico con perros. She saw Joey roaming around when she took him in. The dog had been havin’ some hard travelin’. His fur was matted and flea-infested. No collar or ID on the dog. His leash was gnawed where he was trying to chew his way to freedom.
Minh’s place-holder name for the dog was Snuffles. A Sesame Street-inspired moniker. Remember Mr Snuffleupagus?
A bit of a stretch, but you get the point. Snuffles took to Minh quickly. She noted that though friendly, he was timid and quiet. She also noticed that Snuffles was nervous around men and fearful of leashes. The Nextdoor conversation on Snuffles lead Minh to believe that Snuffles was being kept at a nearby homeless encampment. Neighbors recall seeing a tied-up dog that resembled the fugitive canine.
The handoff
We had been looking to add a dog to keep our terrier-mix company. My wife immediately accepted the fostering assignment for Snuffles. Luckily, we got Snuffles after he was groomed and treated for fleas. With a new haircut and a new home, the name Snuffles no longer fit. We took Joey (formerly Snuffles) in Thursday March 9th.
He was timid and didn’t much interact with Buddy, our terrier-mix, or the family (mom, dad, 2 kids) for the first couple of days. Buddy was also a rescue and spent some time on the streets. No alpha has emerged from this duo. One week in, Buddy and Joey have yet to connect. Hopefully that will change.
Joey’s affinity to women, and my wife’s enthusiam for Joey forged the first meaningful bond. Joey will wait at the bathroom door and whine when she uses the facilities. He will also jump and kiss her when she arrives home from work.
A dog who resists walks
Buddy loves his walks. This is dad’s job. One walk in the AM and one in the evening. The first few days, getting Joey to come along for the walks was a struggle. I would have to drag or carry Joey out the door before he would begin the walk.
On Monday morning, Joey would not get up from his bed. Leash in hand, I went to lift him to get the walk going.
Let’s add it up:
- a dog that fears men,
- a dog that fears leashes, and
- a comfortably sleeping dog.
You can see where this one is going. Joey bit my hands twice and made some awful snarls. It was more of a warning shot than an attack. He didn’t draw any blood.
Clearly Joey had been beaten with a leash before, and was reacting in self-defense. The leash seemed to be a trigger for his violent reaction.
A hungry dog cautious to eat
Buddy and Joey have gotten into some arguments over food. Despite our assigning bowls and separating the feeding areas, the two can’t seem to figure out how to eat without anxiety. They look warily at each other and keep there distance from their food before cautiously eating their food. The meal tango has yet to be resolved. We will continue to experiment till they come up with a mutually agreeable eating arrangement.
Some signs of confidence
Today, Joey took to the leash without the struggle of our other morning walks. It looks like he may be getting accustomed to the routine. Last night he stole food, or more accurately, a paper towel used to clean our greasy grill from off a waist-high counter. He wouldn’t let go of the towel. He and I had a little tug-of-war in which I ended up with 2/3rds of the towel, and he consumed the rest. That was Joey’s first sign of premediatated “bad behavior”. He is coming out of his shell and taking more chances. He is calculating the penalties for being a bad boy with the new family unit do not carry the severity of the punishments he had received from his previous owners.
How long till the wounds heal?
Joey has no visible physical injuries, but has mental scars from previous abush and neglect. Daniel Gilbert’s excellent book “Stumbling on Happiness” explains how people (and animals) cope and move forward from past traumas. The time to normalize and acclimate to a favorable environment is surprising fast for most. Victims of torture and catastophic tragedies bounce back far faster than would be expected. Humans “happiness” levels differ from one person to the next, but are mostly consistent for the individual. For example, a middle-class adult wins the lottery. Her baseline happiness of 6/10 spikes after the excitement of the newfound wealth and all the benefits the unexpected prosperity entails. After quiting the job, buying the new house and cars, and going on her dream vacation, the novelty of the “good life” wears off. Her happiness level drifts to a 6.25/10, only slighly above her starting point.
Just as extraordinary fortitious events spike our happiness, but briefly, negative events are recovered from as rapidly. Our inherent happiness levels are encoded. Our happiness baseline acts as a thermostat to bring us back to our natural levels. The immutibility of our happiness could be viewed as depressing, or as an invaluable protection against dangerous mood swings and devastating loss.
Gonna take a little time
It’s been a week. Joey is beginning to get more confortable in his new surroundings. The vet guesses he is 2 years old, which would mean he is still a young pup. He may not have had the most ideal puppyhood. Giving a stress-free and caring environment, he may yet earn the distinction of man’s best, or perhaps woman’s best friend.
