Lessons from Prince
It is truly amazing what animals can teach us. About five months ago my husband and I were at an animal shelter, looking to adopt a young, small, female dog. We left with an eight year old, male, Chihuahua/Rat Terrier mix. Prince was not what we had in mind, but he expressed himself in a way that made our original criteria obsolete.
I was sitting on a raised dog bed in an outdoor pen, when out of seemingly nowhere, a very timid, 11 pound black dog stood on his hind legs and put his front paws on my knees and locked eyes with me for a very long period of time. Standing perfectly still, his big brown eyes communicated clearly to me, "Please, please take me home with you. I need love and a safe place to be". We found out that Prince had narrowly escaped the fate of far too many dogs who are put down because their owners can no longer care for them. His elderly owners had severely neglected him and when they died, their surviving adult children took him to a kill shelter.
PRINCE LESSON #1
When you really want something badly, no matter how scared you may be, ask for it with all your heart. It is the greatest sales pitch you can give.
In the beginning, Prince was very much afraid of the outdoors, probably because he had mostly been an indoor dog. He did not know how to walk on a leash. He seemed to be afraid of just about everything, including our other sweet rescue, Sophie. The first month we weren't even sure he could bark because we never heard a peep out of him.
After a period, he learned to trust us. When his fear subsided, he was able to take in all the luxuries of the home for which he had lobbied so hard. He ate everything we put in front of him. He lavished us with kisses on a regular basis and his little black tail began to wag with joy almost every time we walked in a room. He and Sophie began to roughhouse and play. Walks were wonderful new adventures. And, out of the mouth of this tiny dog came a very deep, big-dog bark. He also became the family protector. Anytime my husband or I expressed the slightest bit of emotional or physical discomfort, he was on top of us barking like crazy and licking us in the face until he was reassured everyone was okay.
PRINCE LESSON #2
When you are frozen in fear, you are closed off to all the wonder and good things around you. When you relax and let go, the world becomes a very different place.
About three months after Prince came to live with us, a strange thing happened. He became a completely different dog, almost overnight. He did not want to go on walks. No more kisses or eye contact. His little tail stopped wagging. He stopped playing with Sophie. One day he even viciously attacked another small dog. My husband and I were crestfallen. Where had our precious dog gone?
A couple of weeks before his personality change, I remembered that he had banged himself hard underneath his chin on the curb as he was jumping out of the car. At the time I checked to see if he was okay and he seemed so. When his behavior started to change a week or so later, we decided to take him to the vet. My instinct had been correct. He had a delayed reaction to the banging of his head on the curb.
The vet said that he had very severe inflammation in his neck and was in great pain which accounted for his behavior change including the aggression toward other dogs. Even dogs get grouchy when they are hurting. Just one day later, after a prescription of anti inflammatory pills, pain killers and muscle relaxers, the Prince we had come to know and love was back.
PRINCE LESSON #3
When you are hurting and in pain, emotionally and/or physically, tell somebody. Prince couldn't, of course, but we can. Sometimes just the telling, along with a good cry, is enough to relieve the pressure, feel better, and see things differently. Stoically holding things in can not only harm our health, but it can manifest as misdirected anger, anxiety, and/or depression.
There's lots to cry about these days and it is okay. When we release it, we are better able to take in and appreciate the goodness that is always present.