Carl and Violet, rescue dogs that rescued me

So what sparked this idea to blog? I am by no means a writer. Just an average person with a mild sense of humor that finds the little things funny.

I never set out to love the terrier breed. When my daughter was six, we went to a rescue event for her to pick a puppy. Trixie was a mix, but she looked like a pit bull. We got her as an eight-week puppy, so it was easy to adapt and train her. She didn’t have any history. She honestly was one of the best dogs we ever owned.

Fast forward 15 years after we lost her. I decided the house was quiet and opted to look again. Puppies are a lot of work we didn’t want at this point in life. There always seemed to be older dogs looking for homes. I have a soft spot for our local Livingston County Animal Shelter. The staff was amazing and didn’t seem just to let dogs go to anyone.

I found Violet online. They found her in Detroit with her litter of pups.Violet was overbred but so sweet. I went and visited a couple of times before the decision to adopt her. She was nervous at the shelter, and all her puppies found homes quickly. The ladies were so good to her, and she even went home with them often. They were happy to have me adopt her, but she had issues when she was neutered and was having problems with UTIs, so we had to wait. I would visit every few weeks, but the vet was making sure her infection was cleared. It was frustrating, but I was so thankful the shelter was concerned for her wellbeing. Livingston County Animal Shelter was always kind if we came up for visits while we waited. It took eight weeks before we got the clearance to take her home. We almost adopted another dog because we didn’t think it would happen, but she was worth the wait. 

Vi was timid at first. Obviously, someone hurt her or yelled at her before the shelter found her. She hid in my bedroom most of the day. She stayed close when she was outside and almost seemed happier in the yard. She was afraid of men. If we had company, she disappeared. All the shelters will tell you to be patient. Of course, we love them right away, but it is a significant change for a dog. She was three. All her puppies were gone, the ladies at the shelter that cared so well for her were gone too. Most people don’t understand how traumatizing it can be for them. We want them to be instant friends. We gave her plenty of time to be by herself. We snuggled and gave her time to be a dog. My kids are older, so that helped as well since sometimes younger kids don’t accept their boundaries. This went on for six months, and although she was doing better, she appeared depressed. She was scared of ceiling fans, vacuum cleaners, noises in the kitchen, loud voices all seemed to startle her. I decided a friend may be beneficial. She didn’t know how to play catch or play tug of war. She would just stare if you dropped a toy for her. This is where Carl came into the picture. A 3-year-old 85 lb beast that was friendly but unaware of his size. Violet didn’t take well to overly excitable dogs. She wasn’t mean, she just didn’t like them in her space. It tended to stress her. We visited the shelter a couple of times to make sure they were a match, and they did well. Carl was more prominent, but Violet was the boss. We brought them home with no issues. We had a trainer just because of the size and to make sure we were in control. With Carl’s size, we needed to be in charge. The only problem we had was car rides. If Carl got in the car, he wasn’t coming out until he went around the block. He would growl if you grabbed his collar. It was an unacceptable response and needed to be corrected. We learned by being patient with treats and making him come out on his account that was able to be fixed as well. He still grumbles when he doesn’t get a ride, but we can get him out without incident.

We were fortunate we never had any food or fighting issues. Carl usually submits to Violet. At first, if she had enough, we always let her have an escape. Now she engages him. The influence he has had for her has been incredible. She plays catch, she rolls in the grass and plays the way a dog should. Carl came in and modeled playful behavior. Maybe something she never had a chance to experience. I believe if it hadn’t been for Carl, Vi might still be hidden in a bedroom. Similar to friendships, she needed another dog to guide her, and that was Carl. Violet calms Carl. He came from a situation where he became too big for the household. He was in a crate for extended lengths of time. I believe in crate training, but if they are used as a holding place for too long, you can have an anxious dog that will be mischievous when they are out. They are both on an electronic fence, which they respect immensely. There are almost 2 acres to explore and run, so they sleep well. 

I know how many people feel about the breed. They aren’t for everyone. I see the stories, and I don’t dismiss some of the horrific stories. Yet, just like most news stories, if there is only focus on the bad, people will take it as the only truth. When the news focuses on negative police stories, minorities, or any other group of the week, there will always be attention to that particular group. If there are positive stories, then the focus becomes just that. They are loyal and smart. Don’t get a dog (not just pit bulls) if you don’t plan to get them out for exercise. They aren’t inherently mean but take the time to train them. An exercised and obedient dog is a great family member. All dogs have the ability to be aggressive. Humans need to be smart. 

It isn’t fair for the dog or your neighbors to have an obnoxious dog. We have all seen what happens to us since we have been quarantined. They are a working dog that needs exercise and someone to play. I won’t tell everyone they have to like them. Just remember, humans are the ones that treated them poorly. They are a product of their environment. 

Violet was treated poorly and had every right to be unkind to humans, yet she isn’t. She is timid but has no urge to growl or nip. It took her a year of being here before we knew she could bark. Now she will bark in play. It was as if she needed to know she had a right to a voice. I meshed with Violet. I often joke she is the epitome of a middle-aged woman who has had enough of everyone’s antics. She has a resting bitch face all the time. She is adorable and sweet but had a saggy belly and needed some loving care. She was what I referred to as “my snarky bitch” who had enough of everyone. It was time for Violet to get to be Violet. 

Now a year later, she gets the zoomies. She comes to the door for company. If you call Carl, she jumps in because she needs the attention first. She smiles when you come home. 

Carl has been referred to as the Godfather. He poses for pictures. He has to touch a human at all times. Much to everyone’s surprise, he doesn’t know he is 85 lbs. When he runs toward you, it is intimidating, but he is almost insulted when someone doesn’t like him. We affectionately refer to him as Bubba or Gomer.

Conclusion-

Carl and Violet are happy because someone took a chance on them. If you are looking for a rescue, definitely give the older ones a second look and even a breed you weren’t expecting. These two gave me an expected rescue of my own. 

What is your good rescue story?