It's been a long time since I've written anything more than a quickie email or two-
It's been a busy busy year so far- but mostly my doing-
I adopted a dog in February. After being her foster parent for 2 weeks.
Me - a dog - my first dog ever really. I've lived with dogs before. Cared for one 15 years ago. But after I was deep in the sh*t with this one I realized I SHARED custody of that dog with my live-in boyfriend at the time and he pretty much cared for her. I just handled the medical/nutrition parts since I was working for the vet at the time.
So I got myself a dog 4 days after my 2nd cat died. 4 days. 4 days after spending 10 days not sleeping because I was frantically trying to save him from cancer. I got myself a dog. A rescue. A 2yr old dog who'd been abandoned in her home for however long. Abandoned while pregnant. Downtown. Raised to be a guard dog for some drug dealers. A Shar Pei. If you don't know the significance of her breed well -- this breed was developed to accompany the Chinese army in war. So I've got this dog with war instincts, raised to be a guard dog, for drug dealers, downtown, abandoned while pregnant, moving in my home 4 days after working overtime to save a dying cat.
My childhood, as chaotic and unstable as it was, apparently appeals to me on some base level.
After 4 months, Kennedy (my new dog) and I have established a nice routine. I have the coffee maker brew me some fresh poison to be ready when I get up at 5am. I groggily pour cup after cup to drink while checking email, social sites, and random celebrity gossip.
I could say Huffington Post and BBC but where's the fun in that?
I get cleaned up, dressed, and pour another cup to take with us on our walk. We walk for an hour- to the ocean, up and down the park along the water, then back home. A little bit of fetch with her little teddy bear in my living room. Then breakfast. Then she takes a nap in her crate while I go to work.
We're quite adorable together.
ok- it was insane when she first moved in. insane. she was insane for the first month. Now everything is calm.
So the rescue group who found her with her puppies last August learned one of her puppies's adopted homes is abusive. So they removed her. Since my Kennedy is so incredibly stable and very patient and nuturing with any random puppy we meet on walks and at the parks, I thought she'd be the perfect teacher for her daughter and volunteered to foster.
A 9month old. Shar Pei. chained in the back yard daily for 6 months. Abused by the husband in the home. No discipline from his abused wife. Shar Pei. Abused for 6 months. Not exercised for 6 months.
yep.
So she moved in last Thursday. It's chaos. She growls if you approach her head too fast. She wants to kill any man who comes near. She wants to kill any dog we pass on our walks. But I love her. But it's chaos. Kennedy does keep her in line. It's funny I considered Kennedy to be this little dog (47lbs really isn't that big in the dog world)--- Her daughter moved in and I was reminded that I am the guardian of a tank. She's huge. Not in poundage but in heft. She's got the neck of a pro football player. And don't misbehave young lady- she'll snap you into place toot sweet.
Kennedy, despite her mellow sweet soul, started to lose patience Monday morning. I found myself standing between 2 shar-peis ready to fight commanding them to sit, down. The I grabbed their necks and quickly rolled them on their sides/backs forcing them into submission nose to nose.
There are few things better for empowering a woman than stopping a fight between 2 grown shar-peis with nothing more than her hands and emotional strength.
But its' chaos nonetheless.
So as I drove to work, late, yesterday exhausted by 8am, I thought "how long can I handle this insane little girl?"
We all thought given how cute she is, she'd have applications after her 1st adoption day this weekend and she'd move into a permanent home next weekend. But the abuse has made her a project dog at best. Some cities would just euthanize her if she entered a shelter. So her time with me became "indefinite".
sigh
Yesterday morning I got an email from the rescue group saying someone from Cesar Millan's facility would be coming to my home last night or today to pick her up to live with him for rehab.
heavier sigh
what?!? you can't take her from me!! Her mother and I are doing great work with her! She lets me pet her and she listens to my every command. She slept with my boyfriend over the weekend. She's improved dramatically in only 4 days of being with me! I'm doing great work! you can't take her!
so the chaos is overwhelming and exhausting but when presented with some relief I protest.
Cesar's people have not come so Matt (my boyfriend) took her to his place for a sleepover as this may be his only chance for some alone time with her. He's smitten. He wants to adopt her. So last night I looked forward to some alone time with Kennedy. I thought she'd rejoice.
She moped for an hour - laid in front of the front door for an hour. She still seems a bit sad today.
The crazy little one will return this morning as Matt drops her off on his way to work. The trainer from the rescue group will come down to walk the 2 of them and reinforce training on the little one. I'll come home at 4pm to chaos.
It will be exhausting.
But apparently both Kennedy and I think it's worth it.
