Over the years, we have rescued dogs that are great with other dogs but terrified of people. I’m not writing about human aggressive dogs or even fear biters, these are just dogs that would rather hide under a table if you look directly at them. In general, if the dog is over 16 weeks, it’s almost impossible to ever really change the super shy dog. This type of dog will always have issues being comfortable in new social situations. Now this is not to say that a dog that has not had a lot of human contact early in her life, if still young enough, can’t be adopted. It’s a process that takes time, patience and a lot of routine. I’m working with one now named Bernadette.
On Saturday, I took Bernadette back into our kennel. Like her brothers Dino and Curtis, they were probably all kept in a backyard in Compton without any human interaction until they were several months old. Fearful, skittish, whatever you want to call this, it’s a dog that hesitates and tries to hide when meeting new people or experiencing a new situation. For a rescue, showing a dog like this is extremely difficult at an adoption event and like my boy Curtis, the dog spends most of the time under the volunteer’s chair or hiding in a crate under a blanket. These are the dogs that, we, the volunteers, usually keep as our own personal dogs.
Bernadette had a great long term foster home, where she played with other dogs, for almost two years, until things changed and now she is back with us at age 3 ½ years. It’s difficult enough to be a black pit bull but forget getting adopted if the dog is a black pit bull who is terrified of people, keeps her tail between her legs and won’t make eye contact. She wouldn’t go in the crate, she went wild on the end of my leash when we were re-introduced to each other Saturday afternoon.
Then the change began to happen. We developed a simple routine of watching each other, moving from one run to eat, another run to relax during the day and a third run to sleep in, that was much smaller and had a nice safe feel to it. I am hand feeding Bernadette chicken and treats and allow her to just watch me and listen to me talk and interact with the other dogs. She has already calmed down considerable and understands the “OGs” at our kennel. Simon barks a lot but it means nothing, especially when he standing on the roof of his dog house, trying to get something going with Bertha who also has a lot of nothing to say. Sunshine likes to bark, “let me out of this run” and will get Medira crazy until Damien shuts the whole party down with his commanding bark. I watch Bernadette as she listens to the same thing every day, at the same time, very boring, very reassuring. We aren’t going for walks yet, we aren’t doing much of anything yet. No judgments about what she can and cannot do, or if or when we will ever find a home. We are just enjoying our time together, hour by hour, day by day.
Going through this process of socializing and gaining the trust of a borderline feral dog got me thinking more about the challenges that face many shelter dogs. Specifically, 19 dogs that would fit the description of Bernadette’s temperament, sitting at the North East Shelter, waiting to be rescued. All were held as evidence dogs in a felony animal cruelty case that is still pending. The person that was in charge of all the dogs and countless others, including our sweet Pepper who lost her leg and Amanda who lost her eye because of the lack of experience and commitment of this person, actually runs a non-profit rescue. She made no attempt to socialize any of the dogs, no attempt to make their life comfortable, she just kept taking more and more dogs, with no regard for the dogs already in her “rescue”.
Any reputable rescue understands that they can have only so many Bernadette type dogs. I have my Curtis, who has learned to trust and love a small group of people and my old feral Chow, Gabby who has to be 14 years old now and lives the life of a wild dog in my back yard very happily. Sandy has her Mickey, who will always be a nervous boy and our friend Esther has Curtis’ brother Dino, another nervous boy.
If you can find it in your heart to rescue a under socialized dog, like our sweet Sam who also needs a forever home or any of the “61st Dogs” (check out their Facebook page) please get in touch with me. You will be amazed at what you will learn about yourself and the world by inviting a dog like this into your home and into your life. The experience has sure changed my life forever for the positive.
61st Street DOGS (join their page on FACEBOOK)
On Saturday, I took Bernadette back into our kennel. Like her brothers Dino and Curtis, they were probably all kept in a backyard in Compton without any human interaction until they were several months old. Fearful, skittish, whatever you want to call this, it’s a dog that hesitates and tries to hide when meeting new people or experiencing a new situation. For a rescue, showing a dog like this is extremely difficult at an adoption event and like my boy Curtis, the dog spends most of the time under the volunteer’s chair or hiding in a crate under a blanket. These are the dogs that, we, the volunteers, usually keep as our own personal dogs.
