It's that frightened look in her eyes. If a book could be opened that would tell the tale of Dora-dog prior to my friend adopting her exactly one year ago today, it would be quite the read. She was one very nervous bonehead to be sure.
Of course we can speculate forever on why Dora ended up at the Humane Society in the first place, but it would be just that, speculation. We do know that she has an absolute fear of the sounds of trains, so that may offer a clue as to what she has been through. And, any loud unexpected noise is another one of the things that she doesn't like. Looking at that face it's almost impossible to imagine that anyone would have just abandoned her. She's just so cute. But we'll never know.
Thankfully for Dora, my friend Mary came into her life a year ago today, and Dora (and Mary) have never looked back. It seems to be a perfect match. As an occasional visitor, it's been interesting to see the transformation take place. Back in the early days, Dora wouldn't even want to get into a car, and once in, she would crawl under the front seat. These days, she eagerly jumps in, and has the entire back seat to herself. She moves back and forth between the windows and is now happy to watch everything that is going past. What a change.
She used to skulk around the house and hide in (and sleep in) her crate. That was her safe space. Now she acts like she owns the place, and has convinced Mary, that there should be a dog bed in every room, so that she can choose the best location for napping. She even sleeps in the main bedroom each night. Dora has it very good now.
Dora has even managed a house move in the short time that Mary has had her. She wasn't really sure what that was all about, and I wonder if there was another move in her past that brought back bad memories. Once again, it's just speculation on my part.
She moved from being a lake dog to being a beach dog, and it took all of maybe a micro-second for her to decide that she loved the beach, and all of the wonderful driftwood that is there. I happened to be at the beach the first time she jumped into the ocean. Naturally, she took a drink of the water. That was a surprise for her. She had a very odd look on her face immediately afterwards, and I've never seen her drink the sea water since that time. Dora is a quick learner.
Recently she's had the opportunity each day to play in the snow. I'm not sure if this is the first time that she has experienced snow, but she just loves it. We spend as much time as possible out in the yard chasing each other around. And that's another thing. She now has a yard. She loves to run, and she takes full advantage of this latest opportunity.
All things considered, it seems to have been a very good year for Dora-dog. At the end of another play filled day, she's ready to relax, and get some rest, so that she can do it all over again tomorrow.
No more frightened look in those eyes, which is wonderful to see.
I've had the great pleasure to know a variety of wonderful boneheads, but I have to admit that Dora-dog takes the prize for first place as far as I'm concerned. I'm so thankful that my dear friend Mary, made the decision a year ago today, to adopt Dora. She's been a wonderful Valentine's Day gift.
maximizing my moments,
Paul
The Thoughtful Wanderer
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