The Project Dog
You wanted a dog and instead you feel like you ended up with a project. You find yourself thinking, “this isn’t what I signed up for.” You got a “Project Dog.”
I enjoy a DIY project as much as the next person. However, there have been many instances over the years where I have started a project feeling confident and full of motivation before quickly finding myself in over my head. Rescuing my dog felt like that for awhile. She felt like a project I was wildly unprepared for.
I had plenty of ideas and expectations when I rescued her, but I was in for a surprise. Much like purchasing my first home, where I planned to do a “few small cosmetic updates,” it did not end up turning out quite that simple. If you have a home like mine, you get ready to paint and realize that over the years previous owners have layered wallpaper on of top wood paneling on top of more wallpaper, and then finished it off with a coat of paint. What you thought would be quick and easy reveals itself to have layers of hidden challenges. Addressing these issues will take considerably more time, effort, and skill than you initially realized.
Much like a home, our dogs come to us with history. They come to us with layers from their previous experiences, layers that were laid down by those before us, on top of the foundation of their genetics. Whether we rescue them as a puppy or they find their way into our lives later in life, they may bring along more hidden challenges than we might have been anticipating.
Project dogs may challenge us, frustrate us, and at times, make us feel like giving up. But they will also teach us more about dogs, ourselves and what it means to love, flaws and all, than we could have ever imagined. The Project Dog blog series aims to highlight the journeys of some amazing dogs and their humans. We ask them to share the good, the bad, and the best. Follow along with us as we learn what it means to share your life with a Project Dog and what kind of lessons their humans have to share with you!
Meet our first “Project Dog” later this month as we share Julie’s story. Interested in sharing your reactive dog’s story? Contact us to participate in our interview series.
