When I got Holly, my lab-shepherd / pitt-bull mix, it was only two weeks after Shadow had been struck by a car and died instantly. Shadow was a beautiful little border collie, pitt mix, with a sweet white skunk line down the middle of her snout and oreo cookie like markings on all her paws. I love that dog so much! She saved me during a period of tiredness, sadness and work related stress. When she ran out of a gated dog park and in front of a car, I lost my best friend and I was lost. I couldn't live without a dog and so I returned to the local dog shelter and found Holly. Although, we had always had rescue dogs growing up; Shadow was the first dog I adopted as an adult. She will always have a special place in my heart.
I had met Shadow while volunteering at the SPCA on my weekends and hiatus from work. She was three years old and came from a reservation in northern BC. She was high strung and noisy, often barking herself mute. I walked her often and fell in love with her sweet disposition. Tragically, no-one wanted to take this dog on, as she suffered from separation anxiety, one of the hardest things to treat from a training stand point. It is easier to teach a dog to DO something, harder to teach them NOT TO DO something! As I said no-one wanted this dog and so she remained at the SPCA for three months. She had come from another shelter, totaling her entire time in a rescue environment to five months. From a psychological stand point, this is too long for a healthy nervous system, let alone one that was fragile like Shadow's.
One day I came to walk my favorite girl...and she was gone. I was happy that someone had finally made the commitment to take her on, but crestfallen to know I'd never see her again. I asked around to see if anyone knew where and who she'd gone to and was told she hadn't in fact been adopted. Shadow had been sent to another shelter. One that was better suited to dogs with her issues. They specialized in pitt-bulls and had bigger runs, so she'd be less stressed. I phoned the other SPCA location and told the desk clerk that I wanted to adopt her and that I was on my way. When I got there, she was so happy to see me that the kennel attendant told the desk clerk to push through the adoption. Usually you have to wait a week to have an assessment. I wasn't even ready to take her home. Sadly, I left her there another four days while I dog proofed my house and took care of getting everything in order to have a dog in my life. I came back each day to walk her and on the Friday took her home.
Luckily, this was during a period when I was on hiatus from my sixteen hour a day job. I could stay home with this dog, who when left alone would bark herself mute. I hired a trainer, Sarah from Rocket Dog (link to the right), to help me with her separation anxiety. It was a hard and long road, littered with noise complaints and very little social life. I couldn't leave her in the apartment and I couldn't take her everywhere with me. This dog couldn't be tied up any where, not even for a minute, before the howling and barking ensued. I got started right away, crating her, rewarding her with freedom when she stopped barking. I began with leaving her for a few seconds, eventually working up to minutes and finally four hours at a time. I would tie her up to a bench and walk around a bush, only to appear moments later to the howling and barking of this anxious pup. In the beginning, I couldn't even motion toward tying the leash to a pole or bench without her completely freaking out. It took three months of full time training to teach her that I would always come back and that she could even relax on the couch while I was out, instead of lying by the door awaiting my return. It was a long journey and I couldn't have done it as quickly if I hadn't been home full time. When I returned to work, I often took her with me. I also had help from friends who would take her when I couldn't have her with me on the job.
Seven months down the road, Shadow had become a reasonably calm pet. She could easily handle half days on her own. I had hired and excellent dog walker who took her for a few hours when I was at work and couldn't take her. We frequented patios, where she could lay outside, within sight and remain relatively quiet. We had completed basic training and beginners agility together. Shadow was fulfilling her potential and I was so happy I'd believed in her. She'd even place second at a "Bully Buddies" picnic for amateur Rally obedience. She'd come so far, but sadly, she never did get the idea of boundaries. She would often take off and running as soon as she was unleashed. She was a reservation dog, not one who had been taught about traffic or property lines. The world was her playground, so I couldn't let her play in any unfenced areas or anywhere near traffic. Sadly, one day, at dusk, we were at a dog park and she bolted through an open gate. Someone had forgotten to close it and in the dark, I had missed it. She ran straight out into the street and was killed instantly. I remember the look on her face, so happy as she took off toward my parents house...she died smiling. I was so grateful that it was quick and that she didn't suffer.
So this is my ode to Shadow...I miss you my girl.
PS: Please people close the gates when you leave the dog park!
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