It's not easy to make friends, even if you're a scruffy dog. I admit the atmosphere in the "under two feet tall" section of the dog park felt more inviting than the big dog area, but I think it was because it had a more social feel. In the big dog area, individuals showed up with two or three big dogs and played with them off leash. In the little dog area, individuals met up with other individuals with dogs, and they sat and chatted while their dogs played with each other.
Skippy and I were newcomers, and I didn't know how we'd be accepted. Skippy took it slow as he had in the other park. He studied every scent, but never looked intimidated by the other dogs. No other dog approached him, nor did he approach them. He was getting the lay of the land, as was I.
Once all the scents had been decoded, Skippy greeted all the humans in the park, and they pet him and commented on his fabulous smile. He wagged his tail, and made sure every person had formally introduced to him. When he started his second round on the same people, I finally said to him, "Okay, come on Skip. You've met all the humans. Now go make friends of your own kind."
I was surprised that he took up the request immediately. He walked up to a dog, sniffed him, and the dog barked back at him. Rejection number one. He tried another, giving a gentle play bow, putting a paw in the air, and was met again with hostility. I have to hand it to him. It isn't easy. I mean it's like asking me to walk into a room full of strangers and just start making small talk with them. I have no idea how to go about doing that; and now I was expecting Skippy to do the canine equivalent.
He just kept choosing the wrong dogs. His manners were fine, his communication clear, but these dogs were just not interested in playing with the tall scruffy mutt. One dog got vicious at him snarling, and I had to pull Skippy away. Another he thought he was playing with, but the other dog looked like Skippy did yesterday: running from fear, not fun. But he kept at it. My dorky little boy kept up his confidence and tried to make friends despite the rejection. He definately did better than I would have. I would have given up and gone home after that many rejections.
We kept returning to a group of three ladies and five little Chihuahua mixes (almost all small dogs in Los Angeles have some Chihuahua in their bloodline). Skip sniffed one of them and she turned and snarled at him. Her guardian explained the little dog liked to play, but just didn't want anyone sniffing her butt. Skippy insisted on playing, bowing down again and again. When the little dog snarled again, the other four barked at Skip.
"Watch out kid, she's got a posse," I warned him, but Skippy was having fun now. And honestly, the ladies were wicked nice too. I got the feeling they were three retired ladies who met at the dog park in the afternoon to let their dogs play. They were regulars and knew the names of all the dogs in the park. And they were having fun watching Skippy try to play with their dogs.
Skippy got in on the barking too, and as he barked I saw spit fly from his mouth. I tried not to hang my head in shame and pity. Yup, my kid was the awkward one, the unpopular one, the one that spits when he talks. I'm horrified when I accidentally spit when talking, especially in front of new people. Now my foster dog does the same. Poor Skip. He's a good kid and pretty awesome once you get to know him, but until then he's just the weird kid you don't want your own kids playing with.
But the ladies didn't notice or didn't care. They were very nice to Skippy, and took joy in watching him try to play with their dogs. They could read his body language and knew he meant no harm to their little ones. Course, I did note that although Skippy was eight times their size, he was outnumbered. If something went down, he'd have to fight off six little dogs. Yet he didn't feel threatened, and neither did the ladies feel their dogs were in any danger. Even when I got worried about Skippy sniffing a Chi who tucked her tail under and looked terrified, they said it was no big deal since they could tell Skippy wouldn't hurt her.
I was glad Skippy could finally have some fun. The awkward kid was making a comeback. It wasn't easy in the beginning. I walked by a young woman after one of the dogs got angry and tried to take Skippy down, and she frowned in sympathy to me and said, "Aw, none of the other dogs want to play with him. They're all being mean. Poor guy."
But in the end, the ladies who accepted me and let me chat with them had the dogs who allowed Skippy to play with them. We were newcomers, and had been accepted by regulars. It was a good afternoon.
It all came to a close when a little black scruffy dog entered the park. One of the ladies said, "Watch out for that one. She's just vicious. Keep Skip away from her and you'll be fine."
Sure enough, not even three minutes into the park, the little black dog threw down a delicate brown Chihuahua, who shrieked with urgency. Her owner picked her up immediately and she looked unharmed but she kept shrieking, that high-pitched shrill scream. Skip initially ran from it when he heard the fight break out, but once the shrieking dog was within the safety of her guardian's arms, he, along with just about every single dog in the park, ran over and surrounded him, as if they were all concerned for the dog. I watched to see if any of the dogs would retaliate and go after the scruffy black mean thing, but they didn't. From what the ladies told me, it would have been due justice.
The Chi stopped screeching after a time, and when he placed her down, she was fine. I was worried she broke a bone. Those dogs are so delicate. But the fun time was broken, and Skip wanted to call it a day. He sauntered over to the exit and sniffed the gate.
I hoped he had gotten his dog play time out. It was so wonderful to see him smile and play and interact with others. When we got back, I took him for quick walk to make sure he didn't have to pee. Thirty seconds into our walk, he spied a little dog crossing the street, and immediately let out his play bark and rose on his hind legs. The little dog was standing with his guardian who was talking to someone in a car. The little dog saw Skip and barked back, wagging his tail. I approached and the two noses touched.
"I thought they both might be quiet if they just meet," I said to the human attached to the dog's leash. He agreed, and my theory was proven.
Skippy said hello and wanted to play. I think the other dog might have, but with leashes attached, it's a bit difficult. So we pulled them away, and I realized that no matter how much one plays, there's always room for more.
When I inside I received an email from Alexis saying believe it or not, Skippy's adopters backed out. However, they backed out after his flight was booked. So, little Skippy is going to Canada, but not to his forever home. He'll go to a foster, but it's a little annoying he couldn't have just found a home here. The ladies at the park adored him and said if he hadn't had adopters they might be interested. One woman even said, "Oh, good, Canada is nice. Everyone in Canada is nice; I can't say the same of this country. I've been there twice, and everyone is great."
I'm sure he'll get a home there (although I can't say "everyone is nice there" is an actual fact), but it's unfortunate that he has to go through being flown there only to still be in search of home. I also got the news that he will be leaving on a flight tomorrow night, rather than Sunday. I'm to meet up at the vet's office with his transporters at 2pm.
I'll be sad to see him go, but I'm glad he's one step closer to home. I start a job on Monday, so Skip will be the last to have a long-term rental here at Casa de Canine for the season. For the next few months I'll still transport whenever I can, but the B & B portion of my adventures will only be open for the weekends. With all the dogs at the shelter needing out, I have no doubt those weekends will get booked quickly.
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