Kissed by a Roadie

A little over a week ago I got an urgent text from a client. “Help! Help” it started. She had been driving down a major interstate to find a German Shepherd puppy running into oncoming traffic, had somehow managed to get him into her vehicle, and wasn’t sure what to do next. After guiding her to get him to a veterinarian to be scanned for a microchip, it was discovered that he hadn’t been chipped. Also no tags. She reported him missing to Animal Control in the county where he was found along with all the surrounding counties and learned that, while she wasn’t required to bring him directly to the shelter, he did need to be held for thirty days before going into an official foster or rescue program, to give his people the chance to find him. My client’s challenge was that she was in the process of moving.

I’ve never considered myself a foster kind of person. Don’t get me wrong, I have great respect for those of you who do foster, and appreciate each of you beyond words. But there was something about this dog that spoke to me, and I soon realized that I had the chops to put all I had learned over the years to good use in a new way and to help this fellow and my client. So, I offered to take him in for that period, and to foster him beyond if his people couldn’t be found. Due to his circumstances, we named him Roadie.

With four dogs in the house who had been specifically selected for us and each other using Suzanne Clothier’s CARAT assessments I understood that their stable temperaments would make bringing in a new dog relatively straight forward, if the dog I was bringing in had CARAT traits to match their needs. More specifically I knew that Diva’s Arousal and Confidence would require a dog who takes very good notes about other dogs, that Buzz’s Energy meant that the dog’s Arousal and Predatory/Chase Persistence would need to be just right, and that Swift’s Social Use of Space required a dog who wasn’t pushy.

As a Certified CARAT Assessor, I knew that I had the knowledge to evaluate this little guy and learn more about him, so we scheduled a meet up and I just watched him interact with the world. He had already been living peacefully with my client’s two reactive dogs, without separation, and that told me a lot about how respectful he would be with my own dogs, who are not reactive. I watched how he took space relative to the humans around him and knew that he neither took space without invitation, nor needed big space from others. I watched how he responded to some of the wildlife and farm animals around him and learned that his Arousal and Predatory/Chase Persistence might present a bit of a challenge with Buzz’s Energy, but was willing to take a chance on that knowing that he was respectful and attentive to the communications of other dogs, and that I had the means to intervene if necessary.

Still guarding my heart and knowing that it could potentially be broken when it was time to transition Roadie wherever he was to end up, I became more convinced that I could handle this as I learned about his Environmental and Social Confidence along with his Arousal and Resilience. It was abundantly clear that this guy could handle life wherever he landed and handle it well, so I agreed to take him in, regardless of the outcome.

Thanks to Suzanne’s Elemental Questions, when I picked him up a couple of days later I knew I had the tools to meet his needs every step of the way, that asking “How is this for you?” and listening for Roadie’s answer would help me give him what he needed during this transition and beyond. He was clear about needing time to defrag, rest and regroup for the first three days he was with us, and we gave him the time and space needed to make that so. No pressure, no expectations. He was free to interact with us and the rest of the environment as he wished, and happily played with toys and our other dogs. As he became more curious about the humans in the house, I sought out those social interactions both at home and on the road. He enjoyed visiting with folks, and especially loved their touch. Then I asked how he felt about some basic training, and he made it clear he was all about using his sharp mind for treats, so we started some work that would help him in the future. We both enjoyed those two days immensely.

Further evaluation of Roadie’s CARAT traits helped me understand that he LOVED using his nose, that he wasn’t particularly interested in social interactions with people unless he was prompted, and that he’s a show me the money kind of guy. No treats? No work. This gave me plenty of information to find him a home that would suit him well if it came to that. I was feeling pretty good about that transition if needed.

In the meantime, I joined every local lost pets group on Facebook, and scanned them multiple times a day, without any success, until yesterday. A week after being found, there he was. His people were missing him, looking for him, and hoping for his safe return.

Last night I called the number on the poster, asked for some details that would confirm it was Roadie they were looking for, and then took him to be reunited with his family. It turns out the pup, who was now seven months old, was purchased for their six-year-old son. The son had forgotten to close the gate to their fenced yard before going off to school one morning. As I listened to more about the family’s story on the scene, it made me smile to understand just how perfectly this dog fit into his home. A young boy might or might not give the dog the time of day depending on whatever else might catch his fancy, matched with a dog who didn’t particularly care about social interactions until he was called, was a nice combo. A dog who loves to be touched, perfect for a kid who would certainly have his hands all over him. A dog who wasn’t particularly biddable without treats was much better matched with a family not interested in putting the pressures of training on him. Their location, close to that major interstate where he was found, made it much less likely for Roadie to come across the deer, foxes and other wildlife he showed great willingness to chase when he was with us. And he would be free to use his nose all he wanted, likely without much interruption. Without CARAT, I might have been heartbroken to return Roadie to his rightful owners.

Any room left in me for heartbreak completely evaporated as soon as Roadie got out of the van and leaped towards the six family members who came to pick him up. His squeals of joy, their laughter, the celebration. A dog and his boy. It was a sight to behold, and a memory I’ll hold on to for a very long time.

To the client who trusted me and gave me the opportunity to be a part of this fellow’s life, to Suzanne Clothier, who gave me the tools to get it right, to everyone who met him and loved on him, and especially to Roadie, thank you.

It’s a quiet morning here. Peaceful. Just right. The tag I ordered for Roadie just arrived in the mail. It’ll be a nice way to remember a very special few days.