"I want to find a new home for it," were the words that brought me back to reality.
It was a Sunday afternoon when I returned a "desperate dog owner's" anxious phone call. The conversation started off decently. "I'm a big fan of your column, I've been reading it for years . . . and I'm having a big problem with my two-year-old dog. Can you help?" I listened for the first minute to the dog owner's endless excuses and then I tuned out the drone voice on the other end of the phone. I gazed out my kitchen window and allowed my attention to wander to my horses grazing in the pasture and my dogs lounging in the warmth of a rare sunny spring day. I thought to myself, "I should go to the garden centre and buy some Shasta daisies." Then I heard the words, "That's why it has to go," followed by a pregnant pause and the sound of crickets chirping in the background.
I know what the dog owner was waiting for - me to speak for the dog, to offer my services at a discount, to bend over backwards to help, to compromise my time with my dogs, my horses, my family, my personal time on a Sunday afternoon in the hopes that I would be able to transform this dog into Lassie and therefore keep the dog in the home.
But instead I said, "Yep, that's probably the best thing. Just bring the dog down to your local shelter with a little note explaining in the most sincere, heartfelt words how upset you are that you have to turn your dog over to the shelter and hope it finds a new home."
More crickets . . .
The conversation continued, albeit silently in my head, and went something like this: "Then when you get home and realize you are finally free of the burden you created you can start to shop for a new dog and start the irresponsible cycle all over again. Because I guarantee that you won't reflect on your behaviour and wonder how you contributed to the situation which resulted in you dumping your dog off at a shelter. Maybe you can buy a dog that is trendier, like a chihuahua that you can stick it in your pocket or stuff under your arm like a newspaper. Or how about a labradoodle, or goldendoodle or anything-doodle - they are still a trendy breed. The trendier the breed, the more it is able to sprinkle magic responsible dog ownership fairy dust all over the place, don't cha know! Then once you bring the puppy home you can screw up the house training because you are working all day and on the weekends you are too lazy or busy to follow a proper training routine. Then after six months of your dog peeing in the house you can call trainer after trainer, until you find one who is cheap or free, then blame the dog. When you fail to follow the trainer's advice and your dog is still urinating in the house after a year, you can then blame the trainer. Oh, and because you decided not to spend the money on a puppy socialization class, you can then begin to blame the dog again when it starts to show aggression towards other dogs at the dog park. And then you can blame the breeder when your dog bites you - because the dog must be mentally unsound. It certainly could not be because you have failed to provide proper leadership and training."
So no, no I won't help you.
More crickets . . .
But what I will do is wait. I will patiently wait for that person or family who has made a decision to adopt a dog. Who understands what a huge responsibility and commitment it is to care for a dog properly for its entire life. I will wait for that person to walk into the shelter and see your burden - which they will see as a treasure. I will wait for their phone call asking for pro-active assistance to correct your mistakes.
And I will help them on a Sunday afternoon, instead of shopping for daisies.
Joan Klucha has been working with dogs for more than 15 years. Contact her through her website k9kinship.com.
