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Somebody's Dream Dog
Meg Boscov
On Friday April 17th, Liz and I went to one of our regular visits to Animal Control Center (ACCT) with the PSPCA and at this point not open to the public.
ACCT houses approximately 200 dogs, the majority being pit bulls and pit mixes, many of whom are playful, sweet dogs.
If you are searching shelters for a dog to rescue, there are a few very telling behaviors to look for. When you approach a dog's kennel, you want to see a low wagging tail, a wag which cannot be contained in the tail alone. The whole body wags and wiggles at your approach. The dog's face should be relaxed, mouth open, eyes soft and squinty.
Before you talk and make friends, take a few seconds and stand in front of the kennel and stare in the dog's eyes. You want a dog who does not return direct eye contact. The dog should look away, as this is polite doggy etiquette. A dog who stares back might be a very challenging dog.
Now, it is time to make friends. Talk sweetly to the dog. Some dogs will become super-excited by your attention and bounce around. Some will press their bodies as close to the front of the kennel as possible, trying so hard to reach you. Some will retreat. Some will pay attention but remain still, and you might see the whites of their anxious eyes. These are quick peeks into each dog's personality. The bouncy dog might be a very high-energy dog who is easily over-stimulated. The dog who presses against the kennel might love human contact and find people a calming influence. The dog who retreats or holds still might be shy or reserved.
We also like to press our hand in four (4) places on the kennel door. We want to see a dog follow our hand with his body or face, maybe give some kisses. When a dog meets your criteria, ask to spend some time with the dog outside of his kennel and inquire if the shelter has done a complete temperament test. Such a test will give you valuable information.
Back to that Friday April 17th. Liz and I walked through the great big room which houses so many pit bulls, some so glad to see us, others barking aggressively, others retreating—the whole spectrum. We eventually made our way to the small dog and puppy room. The moment we entered the room we saw her: a dirty, matted, wiggly tail-wagging mess. She was a stray who had not been claimed. I'm not sure Liz and I followed all of our steps—the stare, the four points of contact, etcetera. We both told one of the volunteers immediately, "We'd like to see her."
We walked her out of the building to their fenced-in area. She had to walk through the big room of large barking dogs, very intimidating. This little girl walked through with confidence, never giving the dogs a single look.
Once in the fenced-in area, we formally temperament tested her. She passed. She focused more on us than on her environment. She gave lots of kisses. She showed no signs of food guarding. When Liz brought her own dog over to meet her, she showed polite interest and no signs of dog-on-dog issues.
We were able to bring her home the next day for Liz to foster. We did not want to subject her to a potentially unsettling event like going to a groomer, so Liz and I carefully cut out four (4!) pounds of matted hair and bathed her, all the while feeding her good treats. She was so good, so accepting of everything we had to do. Besides being horribly matted, she, as we would discover, had never been vaccinated, suffered from kennel cough, and had hookworms. She did not know basic commands, such as sit. She had had a couple of litters and was still unspayed. A completely neglected dog, who seemingly had never meant anything to anyone.
Here is the beauty in rescuing a dog. The once-matted mess will surely be someone's dream dog, a once-in-a-lifetime dog. She loves everyone, gets along beautifully with dogs. She is so sweet, bright, playful and seldom even barks. Sorry, she is already spoken for. Once a discarded thing, she has now found a home, and we're so glad to have met and helped such a special little girl.
This was just one of our many visits and one of many dream dogs we have met.