Twelve days ago, we welcomed 2 dogs. One of them was a happy-go-lucky Pomeranian and the other a dog, so filled with fear but so beautiful, that even though we didn't say anywhere that he was up for adoption, we got a lot of inquiries from people wanting him. He just isn't ready.
When we welcome dogs into our homes, we immediately want to shower them with love, hugs, kisses, watch them gobble down food, take walks, nap in the sun. But with Anakin, I had to choose to either invade the space he claimed as his safe space (under the spare bed) and take him food or let him go without food. At food time, while all the other dogs were crowded around, waiting for handfuls of food (we like to hand feed here), Anakin would quietly watch from his safe space. We all respected his space and he did get a little skinny, but I did always put some extra food near him that he could eat when no one was watching.
On day 11, in the afternoon, after flopping down on my bed from exhaustion, I felt a dog jump up and rest his head on my shoulder. I just imagined it was one of my personal dogs, maybe Bandit. To my surprise, it was Anakin! I dared not move a muscle in case it was a mistake and he thought I was someone else. He put a paw on my arm so I gently touched his paw but he pulled it away and I understood he didn't like that so didn't try again.
There is an unwritten law when it comes to animals falling asleep on you. When it happens it's ILLEGAL to wake them up to move. Once an animal is sleeping on you, that is your life until they wake up.
Well, to my surprise, Anakin stayed resting on my shoulder till morning and even let me kiss his face. He ate a whole bowl of food from my hand and is slowly opening up. This afternoon, as I write this, I'm resting on my bed with a hot coffee and Anakin is in his new "safe spot," right by my side. He still has a long way to go, but what a breakthrough!
It can be tough resisting the urge to grab your new buddy and love the bejeezus out of them, but many times, especially for rescue dogs, it's the best thing you can do for them. And the reward for respecting their space and earning their trust is well worth the wait!
I'm excited to watch Anakin Bloom into a confident, happy dog.
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