Rusty's "Anniversary"

I took Rusty for an impromptu walk this morning. I say "impromptu" because I wasn't planning to; I usually take him out in the evenings. But I picked up his collar to put his new rabies tag on, so that he's legal. When he heard the tags jingling, he thought that meant he was going for a walk. He was so excited, I couldn't very well refuse!

As I was walking with Rusty down the street, I observed him closely: tail up, ears forward, head held up proudly, as a true Peke should comport himself. Not quite dragging me, but definitely excited to be outside, taking in the world. And I marveled to myself at what a different dog he is from the sad, frightened puppy we brought home from the shelter. Then, I realized that, on February 18, it will be exactly three years since we adopted him.

When we brought Rusty home, we could not even put a collar on him. The folks at the shelter gave us a harness, as they had discovered in the two weeks he was with them that he would not accept a collar. We learned later, from the behavior he exhibited and from Kathie, our dog trainer/sitter, that someone had probably used a shock collar to teach him not to run through open doors. When we would put him on lead, with the harness at first, and try to take him through the door, he would rare back and cower and we would literally have to drag him through the door. A shock collar is truly an abomination if there ever was one!

Patience, obedience training both with Petsmart (our dogs are all proud graduates of Petsmart training classes) and with Kathie, and lots of praise helped Rusty overcome his fear both of the collar and of open doors. But, for a long time to come, when we would take him on walks, he walked with his tail down and his ears back, and we could tell he was still very fearful.

Shasta was a big part of his rehabilitation with walking on lead. We always walked the two of them together, and she, of course, would show Rusty the way. She was tiny but fearless, and I think she showed Rusty that he had nothing to fear from his new people. As I have said to him many times in the last three years, "You will never be hit, you will never be hurt, you will never be hungry. If you are sick, you'll be taken care of. There is nothing but love in this house." I think he finally believes me.

I can't remember exactly when the change in Rusty's attitude toward his collar and lead, and toward going for walks, came about. It was probably so gradual that I didn't even realize it. But as I was looking at him this morning, I thought again about the role Shasta played in teaching him how to enjoy being one of the Three Pekes. Justin was right; she did indeed accomplish her mission.

Shasta and Rusty, fresh from the groomer, July 2008..I love this photo because he actually looks like he is smiling!