*Quick Summary: The author fosters a dog and learns a lesson on trust.*
The old saying about lying down with dogs and picking up fleas is probably true if the dogs you lie with are unkempt. But this weekend we fostered a great little doggie named Buddy. As always with these types of things, I learned something.
Buddy was neglected by his former owner. He started off as an indoor dog, and was trained in all the polite doggie ways. I assume he felt loved and at home there. Once they had children though, something changed, and he became an outside dog. He was chained up in horrible conditions, left to starve and thirst. When it rained, his makeshift house would flood. If he had enough free chain, he’d jump on top of his house and ride out the rain. If his chain was tangled, he’d have to sit or stand in the muddy water as it rose. He had zero human interaction for long periods of time. His owner said he no longer wanted him and refused to feed him. If it weren’t for the neighbor, he’d be dead. In short, Buddy had it rough. He thought he had it made and he was betrayed.
Dogs are tough; they really are. Buddy is no exception. He showed me once again that dogs have an overwhelming ability to overcome their surroundings and their past. He is so loving and so eager to please that I have no doubt he will make someone a fine dog. And while he does have a little emotional baggage, I have every confidence he’ll eventually get over it. So it begs the question – Why can’t we be more like dogs?
I spent last night on a big pillow on the back porch hanging with Buddy. I did it because I figured he’s spent enough of his life alone. But in trying to comfort him I found my own comfort. A renewal of sorts. A realization of some of my own shortcomings. For example – if Buddy, a neglected and abused dog, can act so normal and be so loving, then why can’t we as people overcome lesser wrongs done to us? Why do we wear our past as a shield? When is it okay to drop our baggage and move on with life?
The answer is simple – when you learn to trust again. Unlike Buddy, we’re not as trusting by nature. We like to carry things with us into the next relationship. Buddy still has some of that baggage, but he’s only been with us one night. Given time, he’ll forget a lot of the bad and focus on the now. He’ll be better for it. So why can’t we do the same?
For the record, I didn’t get a single flea from my night spent with Buddy. In fact, we’ve moved into the kitchen tonight and plan to spend the night on the floor again. Maybe he’ll teach me something else?
