That picture on the stairs... looking at him there, very much in "I have no effing clue what's going on and This New World Is Freaking Me Out" mode, and seeing the dog he's turned into... it's such a _huge_ change.
I'm really glad he turned out to be the right dog for you, and you the right person for him.
Good article. I adopted a 6-year old reactive Westie dog named Casey Jane that took me awhile to bond with. I already had the perfect dream Westie who was alive and fine, so there was no way this new dog could compare favorably. We did not instantly bond or even bond after a few months. I never considered rehoming her though, because she had some very bad habits (like biting people), and I would never want anything bad to happen (like an owner who would severely punish her) and there was no way to ensure this but to keep her. Eventually, I did realize that she didn't have to live up to the perfect dog, that she had her own crazy quirky lovable bossy personality that was endearing. Bonding snuck up on me.
That picture on the stairs... looking at him there, very much in "I have no effing clue what's going on and This New World Is Freaking Me Out" mode, and seeing the dog he's turned into... it's such a _huge_ change.
I'm really glad he turned out to be the right dog for you, and you the right person for him.
Me too. 💜❤️💜
Good article. I adopted a 6-year old reactive Westie dog named Casey Jane that took me awhile to bond with. I already had the perfect dream Westie who was alive and fine, so there was no way this new dog could compare favorably. We did not instantly bond or even bond after a few months. I never considered rehoming her though, because she had some very bad habits (like biting people), and I would never want anything bad to happen (like an owner who would severely punish her) and there was no way to ensure this but to keep her. Eventually, I did realize that she didn't have to live up to the perfect dog, that she had her own crazy quirky lovable bossy personality that was endearing. Bonding snuck up on me.
It does sneak up on you sometimes, doesn't it? Casey Jane is a very fortunate little lady.