I love my dogs. I have a 4 year old miniature pinscher named Sophie, a 5 year old shih-tzu named Chloe, and last but certainly not least is Charlie, a 2 year old boxer mix.
We live in the country on 80 acres, miles away from any paved roads. Charlie has always roamed. When he was about 5 months old, (he still had his milk teeth) he came to us as a dump dog.**
I want to tell you Charlie's story and how he never gave up even when he was afraid, alone, hurt and unloved. Charlie was so scared when he showed up at our place. We tried all day to coax him to come to us. We tried all the usual things dogs just love. Nothing worked. He would whine and want to come to us but his fear kept him distant. He was cold, hungry, thirsty, and exhausted. That night he curled up in the snow by a tree to spend the night. We put a blanket out for him but he was afraid of it. I went to bed that night full of worry for this little guy. I couldn't sleep and at 2 AM finally went down to see if he was still there and would maybe reconsider our offers of help. He was shivering and curled up on our porch right by our door.
I knew he would take off if I made any noise. I very quietly opened the door and grabbed him, taking him by surprise. He rewarded me with a stout bite on the hand, but I didn't let go. Instead I hauled him inside. After the first fright of it all, we both sat for several minutes to calm down. He cowered if I reached out to him. He cowered if I offered food and water. No matter the approach Charlie would not be wooed by my offers. I decided to let him settle down by leaving him alone. I went to bed after providing food and water and a blanket by a heating vent.
The next morning Charlie was curled up by our old chocolate lab, Ruger. He was an old dog but kind, smart, and calm and he was exactly what Charlie needed most. Whatever Ruger did, Charlie watched and learned. If Ruger thought something was ok, Charlie would try it too. Charlie's first lesson was going outside and coming back inside. It terrified him. He wanted to follow Ruger back inside but the screen door would sway, or he would see someone in the kitchen thru the window, or he didn't trust the person holding the door open.
I was home with him everyday, all day. He saw me all the time. It took about 3 months before he would just walk thru the door when I called to him. He still cowered when approached even slowly and quietly.
How could I let this dog go on to a new home? Who would have the time it would take to help him? 6 months later, Charlie came up to my husband and let him reach out and pet him. If I wasn't home to let Charlie inside, he would have to stay outside until I could call him. He wouldn't trust anyone enough to come to them. Strangers didn't ever get to pet him. After about 8 months Charlie would come inside for my husband sometimes. And then Ruger died.
He had a sudden stroke and was gone within seconds. Charlie was lost and alone again. We grieved for Ruger. Charlie grieved, and then slowly started to trust us more.
Charlie had some really odd quirks. He had picked out a spot in the yard as his place. He would take all his found "treasures" there. Things like bones, pop cans, paper, corn cobs and even a pair of mysterious sunglasses turned up there. One day while gardening, I couldn't find my nippers I had set on a rock beside me. I looked all over, then remembered Charlie's stash. Sure enough, there it was amongst all the rest of his prizes. Another time he brought home a whole deer leg. (Just the bones) I couldn't believe it. Then over the next few weeks the rest of the deer showed up. He must have found one that had died nearby and kept going to get another piece whenever he ran out. Another time he came trotting out of the field with a corn cob. He looked so proud. I asked what do you have and he put it down and looked at me like he was saying, "Yes!! I have brought home food for the family."
Charlie is wonderful to all of our other animals on the farm. He plays with them so gently, it is hard for me to believe that he bit me that time I grabbed him off the porch. I know it was just plain terror that made him react like that. It wasn't fair of me but I really thought it had to be done for his own good.
To this day Charlie is still very wary, and easily frightened. Unexpected noises send him skittering away. If he becomes scared of what I am doing, I give him a little laugh and talk to him. Then he looks at me sheepishly and wags his tail as if to say, "ohhh you got me! ha ha."
I often wonder what could have happened to Charlie before coming to us. I never looked for his owner. I couldn't bear the thought of him going back to some kind of abuse. Maybe he was just born with this temperament? I don't think so because he is afraid when I have something in my hand when I approach him.
Charlie doesn't operate on the same level as other dogs. No baby talk, no coaxing, no treat is tempting enough to make him come near a person he doesn't know well and trust. I feel special every time he comes to me to be petted and loved up.
Today, Charlie is even more at ease with us. He loves to roll on his back and get a good belly rub. He will even come up to smell people that come over if they will stand really still and not reach out for him. Whenever I call him to come in, I feel so happy to see him running flat out from clear across the yard, flying practically to run thru the door and into his home. He's home.
** A dump dog is a dog that has been abandoned in the middle of nowhere with no chance of the dog finding it's way back home. These people don't want to take care of their pet anymore for a variety of reasons, like too many problems with training, not cute anymore, or maybe they are moving and can't take them along. Some of them believe that if they dump their dog out in the country, the dog will miraculously be found by "country folk" and given a loving home, most just don't care what happens to them as long as they don't have to deal with it. We have about 2 or 3 dump dogs show up at our place most years. So far we have found good homes for them with help from our Humane Society. These are the lucky ones. Abandoning a dog is not "setting them free." Most dump dogs end up being sold to the testing labs, used for bait dogs for dog fighting, shot by people who have no tolerance for a stray get hit by cars, and many many starve or end up as prey to predators.
We live in the country on 80 acres, miles away from any paved roads. Charlie has always roamed. When he was about 5 months old, (he still had his milk teeth) he came to us as a dump dog.**
I want to tell you Charlie's story and how he never gave up even when he was afraid, alone, hurt and unloved. Charlie was so scared when he showed up at our place. We tried all day to coax him to come to us. We tried all the usual things dogs just love. Nothing worked. He would whine and want to come to us but his fear kept him distant. He was cold, hungry, thirsty, and exhausted. That night he curled up in the snow by a tree to spend the night. We put a blanket out for him but he was afraid of it. I went to bed that night full of worry for this little guy. I couldn't sleep and at 2 AM finally went down to see if he was still there and would maybe reconsider our offers of help. He was shivering and curled up on our porch right by our door.
I knew he would take off if I made any noise. I very quietly opened the door and grabbed him, taking him by surprise. He rewarded me with a stout bite on the hand, but I didn't let go. Instead I hauled him inside. After the first fright of it all, we both sat for several minutes to calm down. He cowered if I reached out to him. He cowered if I offered food and water. No matter the approach Charlie would not be wooed by my offers. I decided to let him settle down by leaving him alone. I went to bed after providing food and water and a blanket by a heating vent.
The next morning Charlie was curled up by our old chocolate lab, Ruger. He was an old dog but kind, smart, and calm and he was exactly what Charlie needed most. Whatever Ruger did, Charlie watched and learned. If Ruger thought something was ok, Charlie would try it too. Charlie's first lesson was going outside and coming back inside. It terrified him. He wanted to follow Ruger back inside but the screen door would sway, or he would see someone in the kitchen thru the window, or he didn't trust the person holding the door open.
I was home with him everyday, all day. He saw me all the time. It took about 3 months before he would just walk thru the door when I called to him. He still cowered when approached even slowly and quietly.
How could I let this dog go on to a new home? Who would have the time it would take to help him? 6 months later, Charlie came up to my husband and let him reach out and pet him. If I wasn't home to let Charlie inside, he would have to stay outside until I could call him. He wouldn't trust anyone enough to come to them. Strangers didn't ever get to pet him. After about 8 months Charlie would come inside for my husband sometimes. And then Ruger died.
He had a sudden stroke and was gone within seconds. Charlie was lost and alone again. We grieved for Ruger. Charlie grieved, and then slowly started to trust us more.
Charlie had some really odd quirks. He had picked out a spot in the yard as his place. He would take all his found "treasures" there. Things like bones, pop cans, paper, corn cobs and even a pair of mysterious sunglasses turned up there. One day while gardening, I couldn't find my nippers I had set on a rock beside me. I looked all over, then remembered Charlie's stash. Sure enough, there it was amongst all the rest of his prizes. Another time he brought home a whole deer leg. (Just the bones) I couldn't believe it. Then over the next few weeks the rest of the deer showed up. He must have found one that had died nearby and kept going to get another piece whenever he ran out. Another time he came trotting out of the field with a corn cob. He looked so proud. I asked what do you have and he put it down and looked at me like he was saying, "Yes!! I have brought home food for the family."
Charlie is wonderful to all of our other animals on the farm. He plays with them so gently, it is hard for me to believe that he bit me that time I grabbed him off the porch. I know it was just plain terror that made him react like that. It wasn't fair of me but I really thought it had to be done for his own good.
To this day Charlie is still very wary, and easily frightened. Unexpected noises send him skittering away. If he becomes scared of what I am doing, I give him a little laugh and talk to him. Then he looks at me sheepishly and wags his tail as if to say, "ohhh you got me! ha ha."
I often wonder what could have happened to Charlie before coming to us. I never looked for his owner. I couldn't bear the thought of him going back to some kind of abuse. Maybe he was just born with this temperament? I don't think so because he is afraid when I have something in my hand when I approach him.
Charlie doesn't operate on the same level as other dogs. No baby talk, no coaxing, no treat is tempting enough to make him come near a person he doesn't know well and trust. I feel special every time he comes to me to be petted and loved up.
Today, Charlie is even more at ease with us. He loves to roll on his back and get a good belly rub. He will even come up to smell people that come over if they will stand really still and not reach out for him. Whenever I call him to come in, I feel so happy to see him running flat out from clear across the yard, flying practically to run thru the door and into his home. He's home.
** A dump dog is a dog that has been abandoned in the middle of nowhere with no chance of the dog finding it's way back home. These people don't want to take care of their pet anymore for a variety of reasons, like too many problems with training, not cute anymore, or maybe they are moving and can't take them along. Some of them believe that if they dump their dog out in the country, the dog will miraculously be found by "country folk" and given a loving home, most just don't care what happens to them as long as they don't have to deal with it. We have about 2 or 3 dump dogs show up at our place most years. So far we have found good homes for them with help from our Humane Society. These are the lucky ones. Abandoning a dog is not "setting them free." Most dump dogs end up being sold to the testing labs, used for bait dogs for dog fighting, shot by people who have no tolerance for a stray get hit by cars, and many many starve or end up as prey to predators.
