Pop! The lock comes out of the jam as my key turns to unlock the front door. I slowly open the door and am greeted with extreme excitement. Sophie’s whole body wags and curves. Her eyes are wide like dinner plates, and her tail spins like a helicopter. I thought you left me forever, she seems to say!
Although I am happy to see my sweet, loving girl, I am apprehensive as I see the family room door, which had been closed tightly when I left, is now wide open… Oh no! What horror awaits me in that room? I think to myself.
My rescue pup, who has extreme separation anxiety, managed to open a closed door in the house. “That can only mean one thing…” I mumble to myself, “DESTRUCTION!”
Time moves in slow motion; I am a sloth as I slowly creep up the stairs and begin my initial inspection of the room. The furniture remains untouched- that’s good news! The clothes that were hanging to dry are also exactly as they were when I left- WHEW! Maybe she didn’t do anything. I need to learn to trusss… OH NO! THE WINDOW! I begin to internally panic. Alarms sound in my brain! I start to sweat! This window is from the 1800s! How can I fix this?! What am I going to do?!
As the panic ensues, Sophie cries loudly from the bottom of the stairs. Her cries sound like nails on a chalkboard (high pitched, squeaky, and constant). She knows that I am upset, and my anger and panic fuel her cries even more. I turn, and at the bottom of the stairs, I see her sweet face cowering while her ears are pinned straight back and her tail is now in between her legs; the anger in me turns into pity.
As I look at her, and back at the window, my body starts to relax. I feel the tension in me release, and I realize that she didn’t do this purposefully. I know that she was just trying to get to me; she had been abandoned before, and she thought she was being abandoned again. In that moment, I take deep breaths as I count to ten, and I calm myself. I calmly call her to me, and when she comes, she curls her body into a u shape and presses against me. I sit with her, pet her, and tell her that I love her no matter what. “You are so much more important to me,” I whisper to her. I feel us both calming together, and I realize that all she needs is love.
Later this weekend, I think to myself, I will fix the window; it’s going to be ok.
Sophie’s Mistake A whole tub of wood putty and a
weekend of work later…
She’s worth it!
Sweet Sophie... I could feel your emotion throughout the piece. I could sense the dread, the hope, then the frustration... having puppy is such hard work, but also so rewarding! She is so lucky to have you!!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Peg!
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