A Three Dog Day

I don’t know how others were spending the last couple of days of 2021. But I can tell you how I was spending part of them – more time with the pups at the shelter! I usually spend about an hour at the shelter, visiting two dogs, one at a time. But these are holiday times, and the day before 2021 ended was a three dog day – I hung out with Pepper, Teddy, and Lizzy.

I’ve already introduced you to my sweetheart, Teddy. let me introduce you to Pepper.

When I take her to the shelter dog park she stays about 5 feet from me at first and then ventures further. I thought this was a sign about how people-oriented she is. And while I still think she is very affectionate and will make somebody a loving companion, I got a different idea about her when I took her up to the Annex for the first time. Check out her reaction to the park bench with its dog sculpture –

She’s the first dog who has reacted to that wooden dog as though it were a dog. Now I think when we’re in the park she sticks close because she hasn’t had much life experience. She was dubious about the agility tunnel as well, but she knew just what a metal folding chair was for – dog perch.

Pepper is a friendly, not very big dog. Makes her a good candidate for adoption . . . here’s hoping.

Next up was Teddy – he’s pretty business-like in the dog park, if you catch my meaning. I did get him to do a few zoomies before we headed to the Annex. And there – well, Teddy hits that room like a kid hits a play ground. He galloped a wide swoop then charged through the tunnel and to the park bench where he spun circles under the bench then popped to the other side of the bench and did circles there before galloping back in my direction. For Teddy, the Annex is FUN. A few minutes of that and then he’s ready to settle in for some serious cuddling. He is one sweet boy.

On the way back to the shelter building we met another woman coming out. She is an amazing human being – she sets a chair by a kennel door and reads to the dogs. Teddy wanted to go to say hello to her, and she was all smiles. “He’s so different on leash!” she told me. And it’s true. If you walked the kennel hallway and that was your only sight of Teddy, he’d be just another shelter dog going bonkers at the sight of people. You’d only get a full idea about him if you got him away from that setting. Fingers crossed that someone takes the time to do that.

Last but not least, is Lizzy. This photo gives some sense of what she looks like, but you’d have to see her in person to appreciate the subtle blush of red that runs through her coat.

In earlier posts, I’ve compared hanging out with the shelter dogs to teaching. Here’s another way they are similar – as a teacher, there’s no guarantee that you’ll ever discover if you made much difference in any one students’ life. But sometimes, you’re pretty darn sure you did. I’m sure the woman who reads to the dogs makes a difference in their lives, and I’m sure the time I’ve spent with the various dogs has made a difference in their lives. I find myself wanting to give a sales pitch for hanging out with shelter dogs, but I’ll leave it at this – I hope in 2022 many more people discover the pleasure of visiting animals at a shelter.