"The Dogs Who Found Me"

There's a book I'm listening to on CD, called "The Dogs Who Found Me" by Ken Foster. It's a very touching book, and I find myself holding back a cry at some parts, because a lot of it hits home.
I've had dogs since i was 16. Not a lot of time, but since then I've seem to learn more about them than many owners who've been around dogs most their life. I've read many books, watched many shows, and study every dog's posture that I see. I soaked everything up like a sponge and have become as knowledgable as any professional dog trainer. People are coming up to me at school and work, asking about problems they've been having not only with dogs, but with cats and a few other animals as well. I don't mind helping--I prefer it. I'd rather have them bother me than to 'dump' the pet, which is what so many people do these days.
Many people in America want the cute puppy they see on TV shows or on the big screen. The one that is always happy and bouncy and knows all the tricks. So they get a puppy from a pet store to find out that it isn't like that. What a surprise to have it pee inside, to chew up furniture, and to bolt out the door when you dont take him for a walk!
A dog lover isn't someone that likes puppies, or certain breeds. Dog lovers are the ones that see a dog on the street and make sure it has an owner. A dog lover will take a dog in, or find someone who will. A dog lover will put up with the chewing and peeing, because a dog lover knows how to train them, and knows what loving a dog really means.
It's irritating when someone who adopted a dog from Halo rescue, the pet rescue i volunteer with, brings back a dog cause he peed or tore furniture up. Some even make up excuses, saying the dogs aggressive towards kids, yet acts just fine around them with us. It's irritating because that's how so many Americans are. They want the cuteness, not the responsibility.
That's the dog's situation that I am fostering right now. She's had 3 different owners. All three said, "she peed in the house" and gave her back. I took her because...well, I don't know why. Perhaps out of all the other dogs Halo had up for adoption, she caught my eye the most. It was the second time i'd seen her in a cage--the previous time she was the last time she was adopted. And that saddened me when Michele, Halo's founder, told me she had been returned because of not being housebroken.
I wanted to take her in, to train her and give her what she deserves, but I was already fostering a little Shitzu named Sidney. As fate has it, he was adopted that day, by a woman who wanted a companion for her other Shitzu. I knew it was a good match, because i had told her Sidney's issues--mostly seperation anxiety problems--and she was still adamant on adopting him.
While we were packing up, I asked Michele if I could foster her. I was thinking that some paperwork had to be figured out in order for me to take her, but she said yes and handed me the leash. So I came home with a new dog, a complete opposite of Sidney--Serenity is a Doberman Pincher mix. only 10 months old and already her head reached the top of my hips. She was nearly as tall as me when she stood on her back feet.
My roommates bet on if Sidney would get a home, and also betted if I'd bring home another. But they all loved her. She begged, get food off the counter, pee inside the house, rip the cushioning out of the sofa, and whine when I locked her out of my room for the night.
It didn't matter to me. I knew, instictively, what to do. I'd only dealt with 4 previous dogs, but I felt ready for anything. Serenity's problem were basic routine for me.
What helped more than anything were my other two dogs. Lucky, a min pin, welcomed her in the house by playing roughly with her. I was a bit surprised cause i was told she didn't like small dogs. He was the king of the household, and showed her the ropes (pun intended) in the backyard. My other dog Oreo, a border collie mix, surprised me too. Usually, when a strange dog is around, she sits right at my feet, protective. This dog, she didn't seem to mind. Either Serenity showed no threat, or Oreo was getting used to strange dogs going in and out the household.
I can say confidently and truthfully that dogs are better at helping, training, and teaching other dogs than humans ever could be. A human's main way of communicating is through speech--a dog communicates through their body. Watch any dog that is ready to fight, and you'll see the hair on the back up, the tail curled up like a snake ready to bite, and their heads slightly lowered. Any book, reputable website, or dog trainer will tell you that--watch their body.

After three weeks, Serenity turned 180. She's housetrained, knew basic commands, was good with all dogs and kids, as well as most cats. Everyone at Halo that volunteered with me at Petsmart was amazed. But I'm guessing Michele knew how good I was with dogs--I was one of the few who'd get close to a strange dog knawing away on a bone, not hesitating or being scared of a bite. I can read dogs--I know which one's will growl, and which one's will run. I know what they want most, and what they need.
If only I was as good with dogs as I am with humans.