We hear stories about dogs who come from abusive situations and show no apparent ill effects. I am sad to say my dog Mickey is not one of them. Mickey is still recovering from whatever horrors he experienced before he came into my life, and while I hope he will one day be completely fearless and confident, I know the reality is that he may never be able to completely put his past behind him.
My first experience with owning a shelter dog came in 1998, when we adopted Oscar. Oscar was eight months old and had little training but he learned quickly and, although he had his puppy ways, we really had no serious problems with him. You might say Oscar spoiled me or, at the very least, convinced me that shelter dogs were pretty near perfect. Of course, now I know that we got very lucky with Oscar and that some shelter dogs do come with unresolved issues.
I adopted Mickey solely from a picture I fell in love with on Facebook. There was little information in his shelter notes. All I knew was that he was tense and frightened in the shelter. I thought he may have simply been confused or that perhaps he could sense he was in a kill shelter and faced an uncertain future, or no future at all. I believed that he would be fine once he came home. Unfortunately, that was not the case.
My first experience with owning a shelter dog came in 1998, when we adopted Oscar. Oscar was eight months old and had little training but he learned quickly and, although he had his puppy ways, we really had no serious problems with him. You might say Oscar spoiled me or, at the very least, convinced me that shelter dogs were pretty near perfect. Of course, now I know that we got very lucky with Oscar and that some shelter dogs do come with unresolved issues.
I adopted Mickey solely from a picture I fell in love with on Facebook. There was little information in his shelter notes. All I knew was that he was tense and frightened in the shelter. I thought he may have simply been confused or that perhaps he could sense he was in a kill shelter and faced an uncertain future, or no future at all. I believed that he would be fine once he came home. Unfortunately, that was not the case.
My neighbors all knew and loved Oscar but when they saw me with this new dog they turned away in fear. I knew it was because he is a pit bull but I was convinced that Mickey and I would change their minds. Mickey, however, had other ideas. He wanted no part of being a breed ambassador. All he wanted was to stay in the house close to those he knew and trusted. He never wagged his tail. He would tremble in fear to the point where his teeth chattered and he could barely stand.
Needless to say, I was unprepared for this and was not sure I was equipped to handle his training requirements. I decided to give it my best shot though, because for whatever reason, he seemed to love me and I knew it was the only shot he was going to get. While I will never know why he is the way he is, based on his behavior I can say with some certainty that he was beaten in his previous home. My guess is that he also spent most of his life caged and muzzled, judging by his lack of socialization, his initial trepidation when not in his crate and his irrational fear of the mere sight of a muzzle.
Now, three years later, he has made tremendous progress. He wags his tail, loves car rides and visiting friends and has become a world-class beggar when food is in sight. He plays outside, rolls around in the grass, knows quite a few tricks and gives kisses with the best of them. But, he is not quite the positive pit bull role model I still hope he will be one day. He continues to be fearful of anyone or anything unfamiliar, and is at times reactive.
To those he knows he is the most loyal and sweetest dog one could ask for. He is especially gentle around my elderly mother who has trouble walking. When she is up, Mickey will not go near her. Without being told, he finds a spot out of the way and sits patiently until she is settled. When she is sitting up eating a meal, he lays quietly by her feet as if guarding her.
Mickey and His Friend Mia He has made many friends - humans, dogs and even cats. He loves everyone he knows. It is when we encounter someone or something new that I know I must be extra careful. His sitters, who he adores and vice versa, recently found this out the hard way when he bulldozed his way through their picket fence. Fortunately, he was quickly brought under control, the fence was fixed and he spent the remainder of his outdoor time with them on a leash.
We lovingly call him a “muscle-head” because doesn’t always think before he acts. So, my job has been, not only to teach him to trust but also to put him in a position to succeed. This often means being proactive on walks, taking him to the side and making him wait when people or dogs pass us on the street. Sometimes his behavior is flawless and sometimes he is set off for seemingly no reason. Only Mickey knows why this is – I have no idea.
We lovingly call him a “muscle-head” because doesn’t always think before he acts. So, my job has been, not only to teach him to trust but also to put him in a position to succeed. This often means being proactive on walks, taking him to the side and making him wait when people or dogs pass us on the street. Sometimes his behavior is flawless and sometimes he is set off for seemingly no reason. Only Mickey knows why this is – I have no idea.
I have learned how to calm him down and allow him to meet on his own terms, in a way that is non-threatening to him and then he is fine. Sometimes though, things happen unexpectedly. Such was the case when we were leaving my mother’s house one recent day. A neighbor was walking by and I instructed Mickey to sit in the driveway and wait until she passed. However, this woman instead walked directly toward us and stopped to ask about my mother. It is in situations like this, when a stranger approaches directly, that Mickey might put his worst foot forward. I made sure I had him securely on his leash as she came closer and held my breath.
Incredibly, this time he did not react. When she was almost next to us and I saw he was calm, she reached down to pet him and he profusely licked her hand. For many dogs this would be typical, but for Mickey this was a tremendous breakthrough!
I invited the neighbor in to visit. She stayed a few minutes and as she was leaving asked what kind of dog Mickey is. When I said “pit bull” her facial expression changed from a smile to one of disbelief. I asked if she was now afraid of him and she replied, “oh no, he is a sweetheart.” I went on to tell her Mickey’s story and she was very appreciative and supportive. She, like so many, had heard only the negative stories. Now she was meeting a live pit bull for probably the first time and clearly it was not what she expected.
Incredibly, this time he did not react. When she was almost next to us and I saw he was calm, she reached down to pet him and he profusely licked her hand. For many dogs this would be typical, but for Mickey this was a tremendous breakthrough!
I invited the neighbor in to visit. She stayed a few minutes and as she was leaving asked what kind of dog Mickey is. When I said “pit bull” her facial expression changed from a smile to one of disbelief. I asked if she was now afraid of him and she replied, “oh no, he is a sweetheart.” I went on to tell her Mickey’s story and she was very appreciative and supportive. She, like so many, had heard only the negative stories. Now she was meeting a live pit bull for probably the first time and clearly it was not what she expected.
I have never been prouder of Mickey than I was at that moment. Mickey is far from perfect but yet I have this irrational, profound, all-consuming love for him that is totally inexplicable. When I see him doing simple “dog” things like running happily in the yard with his deflated basketball, challenging me to chase him, it makes me happy in a way I cannot describe. It is knowing that I have given him something that he never had or would have had, but something we all deserve – a chance to know love. If I never do anything good in my life again, I will know that at least I did this one good thing for this one good dog.
No, Mickey is not perfect but neither is any of us, and, in his own, imperfect way, he definitely changed one person’s perceptions about pit bulls. I hope there will be many more to come. Good boy Mickey, you did it!!
No, Mickey is not perfect but neither is any of us, and, in his own, imperfect way, he definitely changed one person’s perceptions about pit bulls. I hope there will be many more to come. Good boy Mickey, you did it!!
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