On Being Humbled

Last week, I talked about adopting a dog named Fox as a companion for my 11 year old sweet heart, Pinto Bean. Well, all did no go as hoped. In simplest terms, Fox fought Bean. She is okay, but it wasn’t going to be a manageable (or enjoyable) situation, so he is being re-homed.

I adopted Fox from a friend of a friend (who said he was great with other dogs, he did live in a home with her dog for about 5 months) and she was unable to take him back, this left me in an obviously stuck position. I was being recommended by a trainer to keep Fox and Bean separate but I live in a single room house. When I kept them separate at Twin Wolves he was howling and barking. Not exactly creating the calming atmosphere we’re looking for here. The trainer suggested putting him in a crate as this can create a calm environment for dogs, but Fox found that even more upsetting and it’s clear he has not been crate trained.

After posting to many community forums, I found someone with 35 acres and a fenced in yard who was willing to try him out alongside her two dogs and I drove him there. He did well with her dogs and was running around and playing. She said she would try him out overnight and we checked in the next morning, she said he was doing well and she would foster him with possibility to adopt. But, two days later she said he had begun being overly aggressive with her dogs and she would want to re-home him soon. And this is where we stand now.

Fox is a friendly dog, he loves people and he is easily trainable. He is neutered and house broken and knows his commands like sit, wait, come, lay down. I feel so sorry for his situation and am doing what I can to help him. Because he was previously abused and has lacked structure and consistency, he is anxious and would benefit from a home where someone could spend a lot of time with him, building trust and showing love. It’s become clear he would benefit from a home without other pets, though I do think he could learn to have another dog around with time and a stable environment. If anyone knows of someone who would want to take Fox on, or assist in rehoming him, connections would be greatly appreciated. Anyone who understands herding breeds will best understand Fox, he’s wicked smart, curious, trainable and full of energy.

In the meantime, I spoke with the dog trainer during all of this and she questioned my want to have a companion for Bean. She asked questions like, does she have a happy and stable environment? Do you take her on hikes? Does she seem content? Yes, yes, yes. She said that a lot of people believe that their dog wants or needs a companion when sometimes that’s actually more disruptive than enjoyable for the dog, especially an older dog that likes how they are living already. She suggested I find a friend with a dog that Bean likes and schedule playdates, rather than create upheaval in her already satisfying life. I wonder how much I projected needs onto my dog that might not be there.

I am so happy to have my Peaceful Village returned. I love the little life I’ve built here with my creatures. I do not need more, I already have abundance.

I am humbled.