Years ago, after our kids were grown and our faithful black Lab mix had passed away, I began to long for another dog. I had been really sick, and spent a lot of time alone in our big old farm house. I felt like I was ready for some life in my life. A dog seemed to be the prescription I needed.
On Mother's day that year my oldest son, in his sensitivity, surprised me with a trip to the local shelter to pick out my present...any dog I wanted. Wow. OK, this was such a gesture of love and beautiful gift that I quickly accepted and soon found myself alongside my son walking down a hallway of caged sad-eyed animals who all begged me to take them home. I was sort of overwhelmed, but continued on in my search. There, in the next cage, was what looked to be a baby lamb but was really a poodle mix with very short legs and grown out coat. She looked shyly at me (most of the others were barking) and in that moment I knew she was the one.
The man opened the cage, and let her out and we "met"...confirming our love for one another. Soon, she was on her way home with me. I named her Sadie, and it fit perfectly. She was exactly what the doctor ordered to help nurse me back to health. We took walks every day, on her insistence. She was ever by my side. In fact, she would sit by me for hours, content in watching my every move. I often asked my husband why he didn't gaze at me with such rapt attention. Sadly, he never picked up the habit.
While Sadie was a sweetheart, she did have some strange behaviors, as one would expect from a shelter dog. She didn't warm up to people right away like she had done with me. In fact, she sort of scared my hubby the first night he came home from work to find a small lamb/dog in our house. I think he scared her too, which is why she growled and barked so much. They did become friends (though she never gazed at him like she did me).
Sadly, Sadie had another strange trait of which I learned the hard way. She would make friends with someone, then turn on them a moment later for no discernible reason. One minute she would be up in a lap making friends, and the next she would just get up and go bite them on the heel. This was unacceptable behavior.
I called the shelter and they told me that it was very likely Sadie had been abused by her former owner, and that her behavior was pretty much ingrained now. They left me no hope of helping her to change. I made the decision to return her to the pound. It was one of the hardest things I have ever done, to take this sweet girl who trusted me with her life, and walk away. I wish looking back, that I had made a different decision. Maybe if I'd just muzzled her, or crated her, in order to keep others safe and keep Sadie around. But it just didn't occur to me at the time.
We have all had experiences like this in life, with our human friends. We have known someone and befriended them, then later on, because of their wounds or past hurts, they have turned on us or others we love. The thing is, with people we can't simply return them. Nor can we muzzle them (though I'm sure my friends have wished they had a way to muzzle me at times!) We have to stick it out, lick our wounds, and continue on loving.
There is something else I have since learned I could have used on Sadie. It is a device called a "gentle leader" and it is simply a leash-like strap that goes over the dog's snout and it mimics the way a mother dog might correct her pup. The principle behind it is one that allows owners to communicate with their pet in a way that dogs instinctively understand. The nose loop encircles the dog’s muzzle and applies light pressure in the same manner in which the lead dogs naturally communicate with dogs lower in rank. Because of the placement of the nose loop, the dog immediately understands his/her place in the hierarchy. The dog considers the owner his/her leader.
I think that this is way more representative of how God leads His kids. It is all about communication, love, and understanding. May I become more like Him, and when bitten, may I stick it out and continue to love.
