Some Kind of Wonderful

Someone who recently adopted a dog from a rescue said to me, "I didn't go to a shelter because I heard it takes something like six months for a dog to really show his true colors after he gets out."

Indeed it does take some time to get the shelter out of the dog once the dog is out of the shelter, but six months seems a bit excessive.  Or maybe I've just been blessed with more psychologically resilient canines.

The honeymoon period for Tia and my relationship is officially over.  Sure, she's still the sweetie who enjoys a good a cuddle, and in fact will go out of her way to make sure that some part of her is touching me while she's sleeping (i.e., just the tip of her bottom jaw on my arm).  But the night she attempted to pull a Harry, I knew she was over trying to explicitly please me and onto having her own opinions.

I had informed her that she was only allowed on my bed when I invited her.  That is to say, that I would help her up once I was ready for bed.  She has a habit of following me everywhere, and if she got up onto the bed the first time I walked into the bedroom, twenty minutes of up and down maneuvers would ensue.  (Note: if you ever want to know exactly how inefficient your bedtime routine is, have a dog follow you the entire time).

Tia had held to this rule for the most part, but the other night while I was in the bathroom getting ready for bed, I heard a commotion.  Usually Tia is lying right outside the bathroom door, and I couldn't seem to reconcile what the actual ruckus had been.  It sound muffled and then the sound of dog claws skidding across the kitchen floor.

I opened the door, and Tia was just turning around from the kitchen to face me.  But here's where she just couldn't pull off a Harry in completion.  Rather than the straight man head-cock of "What? I didn't hear anything," Tia fumbled, sat down awkwardly, couldn't stop her tail from wagging as if laughing from an incident only known to her, and of course: the shit-eating grin.  It's called that because it usually appears shortly after a dog has eaten shit.  I knew that wasn't the case, saw no harm in the kitchen, and closed the bathroom door again.

Moments later, Tia escorted me back to the bedroom, and there I found the blankets on the bed in some disarray, although not as if she had actually gotten up fully--just as if she had struggled to maintain her footing.  The muffled sound was her forty pound muscular body hitting the bedroom floor, and the kitchen skid was her reaction to falling: running full force back to the bathroom door, and then slowing herself by turning quickly into the kitchen.

She's a smart one, but she hasn't topped Harry yet.

Tia also has moved on from the fluffy toys with torn seams.  She's onto the hard bones (which is much more appreciated than say, a table leg).  She's starting to become more independent, at times staying where she's at to play on her own rather than follow me into my office.  However, now that I know she enjoys the taste of wood, I'm concerned I'm going to walk back into the living room and find my coffee table has only three legs left.

Due to a computer emergency, I had to leave Tia on her own for a short spell.  I turned on the TV, told her to watch the show, and that I'd be back shortly.  When I returned, I opened the door to find her lying on the couch, fully engrossed in the TV show.  She didn't even bark when I opened the door.  So, let's take "guard dog" off her list of possible occupations.  Her only request from a burglar would be to please pop some popcorn for her and leave it on the table so she might finish watching her "stories."

I have left her alone for short times (under an hour) to run errands, and usually (if the TV isn't on), she's right where I left her, sitting or lying in the same spot.  I'm hoping she is pulling a Harry, and running around doing stuff, only returning to the same spot when she hears my key in the lock.  Otherwise, I'd just feel bad.

Tia really is a great dog.  She can easily be calm and lay on the couch when watching a movie, or play and run around when space and time allow.  I thought for sure we'd get multiple hits on her adopt-a-pet page.  We got one, within 24 hours.  The couple and their dog sounded like a great match.  Their dog's name was Titus, and who wouldn't want Tia and Titus to be sister and brother?  They had a big backyard, lots of time to spend with her, and even held dog block-parties in their yard for the neighborhood canines to come and play.

But of course, it was merely a tease.  Not on purpose of course, but the couple had been looking at another dog, and were about to have their second meeting with him.  What kind of dog would be better than Tia, you ask?  A three-legged special needs dog that had been at a shelter for over a year.  Even though the adopter really really loved Tia, she felt that her family could help and rehabilitate this dog in need. A part of me wished they could have been dicks about it, and I would think, "Good!  Tia shouldn't live with them anyway!"  But instead, her excuse was the equivalent of saying, "I'm sorry I can't help with your food drive this weekend. I signed up to help build a school for impoverished children in a third world nation instead."

I do worry that Tia will have the same problem that Harry had: everyone assumed he was so adoptable, no one tried to adopt him.  He wasn't needy enough.  Tia is not only a pretty girl, but social and sociable.  But just like the prettiest girls don't get asked out because guys assume other people are already dating her, I'm afraid everyone will assume Tia has enough suitors already.

So here's the announcement: Tia is single!  I'm just her transitional person, and she is seeking a soulmate to spend the rest of her life with.  Everyone who meets her seems to want to be "the one," but no one's putting in an application.  Tia can't stay here forever, nor should she.  She deserves a big backyard, doggie get togethers in which she hosts, a big brother to play with, and a human who builds schools in third world nations.  (Okay, we can live without that last criteria... how about just a really good example of a human being who loves Tia with her whole heart?)  I don't think that's too much ask for a dog who is simply some kind of wonderful.

Tia and Tank... and Randi... and Everyone Else

Usually people describe dogs as "Good with dogs" or "Good with children" or "Not good with cats."  But after Steve, a fellow dog rescuer, spent the afternoon with Tia, he described her as "Good with everything."

I can't agree more.

Tia's age is still up for debate, somewhere between six months and a year, but her intellect and exuberance is never doubted.

She still follows me room to room, and when I get out of the bathroom, she is right there waiting on the other side of the door.  It makes me wonder how many dog owners have abandoned their pets by sneaking out the bathroom window as if on a bad date.

I've had friends over the past few nights, and I was surprised to find that this little girl has a bit of a passive aggressive jealousy in her. First, when my friend and I were sitting at the kitchen table, I suspected Tia was simply lying beneath us snoozing until I felt the table tremble and heard the sound of canine teeth on wood.  She was gnawing on the table leg.  When I told her this was unacceptable, she slunk into the living room to be on the couch.

Fifteen minutes later, I look over to the couch and see that she's pushed all of her toys off the couch and instead, has the couch pillow between her teeth.

The next night, I had two friends over and were busy conversing at the kitchen table when I heard an odd sound from the living room.  There's Tia, quietly munching on the carpet.  This was the only action I could sort of justify.  Earlier in the day, I had gotten a Comfortis pill (flea protection) to give her from the vet.  When I asked how to give it to her, they were nice enough to throw in a pill pocket.  Giving her Drontal (de-wormer) proved to be a struggle, and the staff at the vets said just put the pill in the pocket and she'd gulp it down.

Alas, Miss Tia has a sensitive palate, and when I gave this to her, she proceeded to take twenty minutes to eat the pill pocket AROUND the pill, and leave the pill all crunched up.  The pill pocket became a gooey mess as I continued to mush it back up and put it back in her mouth every time she dumped it on the carpet.  So, the fact that there might be pill pocket morsels in the strands of the carpet was a likely scenario.   However, still unacceptable.

I had a meeting Wednesday afternoon, but all these things combined, there was no way I was leaving her alone.  I was not looking forward to having to put her in boarding for even a few hours.  She still had anxiety during our car rides, and I didn't want to prove to her that every car ride ended in a crappy time.

Maripat had asked a fellow rescuer if he knew of any place, and his wife chimed in that if Tia was good with other dogs, she was welcome to spend the afternoon at their house.  At that exact moment I was standing on the corner of my block, and Tia was staring across the street at a bulldog/pit bull mix appropriately named Tank who was standing inside his fenced in front yard, yipping at her in a not-so-manly manner.

I told Maripat I assumed Tia was dog friendly, but since people were crossing streets when we came along, or the neighborhood dogs just barked at her, I couldn't be certain.  Tank's owner came out the front door, hearing her big burly dog's squeaks and I crossed the street to let Tank and Tia become acquainted.

Tank is not neutered (I wasn't in the mood to educate; I was just happy that Tia appeared to be having fun), so Tia couldn't join him on his side of the fence.  Instead, the two romped up and down the fence, Tank letting out squeals of joy and Tia dodging and weaving and wagging her tail.  It appeared that Tia liked other dogs as much as she liked people.

On our way back from our evening walk, we ran into Randi, the beagle puppy that Harry had enjoyed going twenty rounds with on someone's lawn.  Tia enjoyed the play as well.  She was gentle enough to play with a dog only a third her size.  I was overjoyed.  There should be no issue at all the next day.  Tia didn't just have a place to go on Wednesday; she had a play date.

With all the other guests in Steve's house, it was one big dog party.  I waited in the living room as he brought one dog in at a time.  I realized I'm not crazy for speaking to dogs the way I do: in conversation.  From where I stood, I heard him say, "Randy, come here.  Come inside.  No!  Just Randy."  I guess "Just Randy" was understood by them.

One by one they came in and met Tia, and then treats were given to all.  Once the introductions were made, the entire group was led out to the backyard.  Now this was a backyard to be envious of.  Steve said that's the only reason he and his wife got the place.  They didn't care about the house--just the yard.  Tia romped and played with his dogs and his visiting dog.  He was on his way out the door to pick up another dog, one he was rescuing from a local shelter, so one more would be added to the group soon.

Seeing Tia with those dogs made me realize how much she does need to be with other dogs; whether it's at doggy daycare or in her own household, equal life dog and human is what she would love.

When I picked her up two hours later, she was happy to see me, but clearly had been having a grand time where she was.  Steve emailed me the pictures, and there's no doubt she had fun with the humans as well as the dogs.

Steve even took a video to use for promoting her:



And if all this wasn't proof enough, the evidence of her fun was her deep sleep which she began the moment we got home.  She didn't even follow me room to room, but only made it to the doorways where she could catch a glimpse of me--if she had the energy to open her eyes.  For the first time while I made dinner, she wasn't at the kitchen doorway watching me, but still sound asleep in the middle of the living room floor.

Tia is one special little lady.  And she deserves one very special human guardian who can give her snuggle time and canine romping time.  I’ll miss her when she's gone, but I know she's got a grand life to lead, and I feel blessed to share this time with her now.

If you're interested in Tia, or know someone who is, please check out her Adopt-a-Pet page:

http://www.adoptapet.com/pet5071735.html