Can You Teach an Old Dog New Tricks? and me too

On my nature walk/ swim at the beach I was captivated by my dog taring around the beach in quick circles, ear flying, full of happiness. To see her so purely happy touches me because of where she came from. This is her new life. I picked her up flea bitten and skinny from the back yard where she had been abandoned. She had been there for years. What broke my heart is that no one could remember how many years she had been back there. She had been there so long.

Apparently her original owners had moved and left her and her son behind. She is a pure bred boxer I assume he was too. And there she stayed struggling for life. The properly was later rented out for spiritual events. Events were held every two to three weeks hundreds of people walked by her over the years. Her son disappeared at some point leaving her alone. My hope is  that because he was a pure breed someone took him in.

I went to one of these spiritual events and here she was smiling wiggling this way and that way. My son feel in love with her. I assumed the organizers had brought her. As my son followed her around one of the the organizers said, “Take her! We don’t want her anymore.” I thought they were joking. At home bothered by their statement I called asking about her. She was still in the backyard, alone.

I jumped in my car and drove the 70 miles to get her. Once at home she became the pet she used to be. She headed straight for our bed and hasn’t laid on anything hard since.

She is old at least 10. At 10 years old after struggling survive she has slipped into her new life without a ripple.  She spends her days playing my my 7 year old son and one of the cats she has  adopted  as her own. She is my shadow always at my feet. She learned how to heel and is perfectly obedient. Her old life forgotten she is now a picky eater. She is such a sweet loving  animal. her wonderful attitude not affected by her years of struggle. When she runs with her ears flying in pure joy you can’t help feel it too.