Tails: A Necessary Commitment

Yesterday, Thorp, my Chinese Crested Powder Puff dog – the one who was a puppy mill breeding dog for over 4 years sat on my lap.

Who cares…

It is not that he has never sat on my lap before it is that he reminded me of something that is really important to the both of us… when we first rescued him – he was a mess. Not just physically but emotionally, he was a train wreck!

He would shake constantly anytime he was introduced to a new room in the house. He had no idea of how to use the stairs. For a long time, he would run to laundry room when he got scared.

He was terrified of people and was completely unsure of the outside. Grass was foreign to him and let’s not even talk about his housetraining issues!

Nearly all puppy mill survivors who are rescued come with this type of baggage. But, the thing is – he was my first and that made a huge impact on me.

I would cry when I would wake up and see him next to me – thinking about what he survived and feeling horrible for the ones still stuck in the unimaginable horror.

As time went on… Thorp followed me everywhere and any chance he got he was sitting on my lap. Eventually, he started to understand that people really were nice and he gained self-confidence. (We won’t talk about the house training…still not necessarily 100%)

It will be 2 years in March since I rescued him for $60.00 at a puppy mill auction. And, I think both of us have grown leaps and bounds.

The thing is – as Thorp has evolved it has become increasingly apparent that he would make an outstanding therapy dog. He gives love so eagerly and I know that he would never hurt a soul.

I truly believe that Thorp was born to be a therapy dog. He is filled with a tenderness that amazes me.

Once I knew that this was his fate in life – I started looking in organizations who certify therapy dogs to work in hospitals, nursing homes, libraries, etc.

Thorp and I went to obedience school to get him started and we attended a class on what it takes to be a therapy dog.

BUT…then Penelope came along – my 2nd mill dog survivor and the dynamics of our family changed and Penelope became the center of attention because, she too, was a train wreck.

Thorp and I derailed and the possibility of becoming a therapy dog slipped away.

So, yesterday, when Thorp sat on my lap – he reminded me that he wants to be a therapy dog. He layed next to me, looking into my eyes – telling me it was time.

With Penelope adjusted and no more mill dogs coming – it is time. So, I looked up the next testing dates and have planned to go to a trainer to get Thorp and me up to speed.

By this summer, Thorp will be a therapy dog.

However, the last 24 hours also reminded me the importance of staying on track – of reminding yourself what your goals are and that it is so easy to lose sight of them in the day to day grind.

For me, beyond the desire to become active with Thorp as a therapy dog – I want to write a book – a book I started 2 years ago. And even though I have well over 100 pages written – I have let so many things come between me and finishing it.

It is hard to prioritize so many things in life – but all too often, I think we forego our real dreams and busy ourselves with what is really less meaningful.

Yesterday, Thorp not only reminded me that it was time to complete the therapy dog certification – he reminded me that it was time to make what matters to me important and to get working on the things that I allowed myself to drown out. Not tomorrow, but today.