The Cattle Dog Who Rescued Us

According to the Merriam and Webster dictionary, one of the definitions of the word adopt is, “to take by choice into a relationship,” (www.merriam-webster.com) and this is precisely what happens when one seeks out a pet from a local rescue, group, or facility. Regardless of whether the animal is a cat or a dog, they will never really know, whether their owners spent $2.00, $200.00, or $2,000.00 to acquire them; the only thing they know is, that they have been given a new life, a second chance, and a new opportunity to live a better life than they could ever possibly know. From my experience, I can assure you that this is something that your pet, as well as the owners, will know. When I have shared my adoption story with fellow pet owners in the past, we always seem to come to the conclusion that, somehow the animals know that they were rescued (adopted), that they are smart enough to know this, and are forever grateful.

It was around the end of 2011, when my wife and I started looking for a dog. We would visit a few of the local rescue facilities from time to time, and had been considering a dog, preferably a puppy that we could raise. At this same time, we already had a cat that we adopted, and had been with us for about ten years. The cat, who was named Nali, was a little older, used to being by himself in our house, and could come and go as he pleased. Initially, my wife and I had our reservations about getting a second pet (a dog in this case), for the simple reason that we did not want to cause any stress to the cat; again, the cat was very comfortable with life we provided him. In the rear area of our house, there is a door that leads to an outside patio, which is covered by see-through screening on all sides. The same door had a small pet door, where the cat could go and enjoy the patio, and engage with all the sights, sounds, and scents of the outside world. As time went on, however, the thought of having another pet began to materialize, and we decided to begin the process.

Our search took place over a period of approximately six months, and my wife and I visited local animal rescues, about once or twice a month. While we were not looking for a particular breed of dog, however, we did decide on a medium-sized canine – not too small and not too large. On one occasion, we saw a boxer that we were interested in. The dog had a blackish-grey and white coat, and was probably about three-years-old. Once we decided that this dog could be an option for us, we spoke with one of the associates, and awaited our chance to meet with him. The way this particular rescue facility operates is essentially this: you chose an animal (dog or cat) that you are interested in and then you have an opportunity to meet with them in a private room, which allows you to interact with the animal, and helps you to decide if you still want to adopt them. The boxer was very friendly and lively, and had a very good disposition. My wife and I felt pretty comfortable with the dog, and informed the associate that we wanted to adopt him. With this dog, however, we could not take him home right away, and had to place our names on a list, along with a three-day waiting period; the reason, for this is to allow time for the rightful owner(s) of the dog to claim and pick them up. We were looking forward to bringing the dog home, but two days later, we received a phone call from the facility, and they informed us that the original owners came to pick up the animal. Fortunately, the dog had a micro-chip implant, which allowed the facility to identify the proper owners of the dog. While we were a little upset that were not able to get the dog, we were even happier that it was going to be able to reunite with its family.

Some time had passed and our search for a dog continued. We continued to visit the local animal rescues and looked at a variety of dogs. My wife would often joke and say that I was “looking for the perfect dog” and also stated that “I’m not going to go with you anymore (to the animal rescues) because you always look, but never pick one.” She would say this half-joking, of course, and in reality, wanted a dog just as much as I did. At the same, if it were up to her, we probably would have taken home three or four dogs by this point; this, too, was me half-joking. Also, in my defense, I was not looking for the perfect dog – I just had not seen one that piqued my interest, exhibited a unique characteristic, or had a personality that caught my attention. On the second week of August 2012, is when this precise moment occurred.

My wife and I went to a rescue facility that is only ten minutes away from our house, and it is there when we first saw this dog. It was a four-month-old puppy, whose coat was a mix of brown, tan, black, white (streaks), and had unique marks around its face and eyes. We would soon discover that the breed was an Australian Cattle Dog mix. The marks on its face were called a “mask” and its coat was much shorter than the pure breed – whose coat is much thicker and fuller. There was also another dog which shared the “space” with him, and had a lighter coat, along with being approximately the same size. However, the uniqueness and features of the first dog had definitely caught our attention, and we informed an associate that we wanted to visit with the animal. The rescue had named him “Stevie” and we met with him in a private room. He was very friendly, attentive, and had a good temperament, not unlike the boxer which we had met with previously. Without exchanging any words, my wife and I looked at each other, and we knew at that exact moment, that we wanted this dog to become a part of our lives. I cannot help but think, that at the same moment, maybe the dog wanted the same thing to – to be accepted and become part of a family as well.

When we brought the dog home, he was still in the puppy phase and this was just a part of the overall, adjustment phase for everyone. One of the first things we did was, change the name of the dog from Stevie to Melbourne. There were several reasons for this: his breed was of Australian descent, and Melbourne is a city in that country; my wife and I once lived near Melbourne, Florida and have good memories of our time there; and last but not least – the dog certainly did not look like a “Stevie.” His training began at home, and we had our share of challenges, with the dog chewing certain items of clothing, shoes (unfortunately, most of them belonged to my wife), and parts of furniture; for some reason, he was also drawn towards buttons, and other items that contained plastics. Melbourne also did this weird thing with his mouth, and it was not a bite, chomp, or aggressive in any way. As we soon learned, this “nip” or “nipping” behavior is a very common characteristic of dogs belonging to the herding group; in fact, cattle dogs use this technique when rounding up farm animals, such as cattle, sheep, and livestock. To help with his training, Melbourne was enrolled in puppy training classes at a local pet supply store, and completed both the basic and intermediate level sessions; these classes provided structure, helpful instructions, and assisted greatly with his socialization skills. From our experience, this is something that I would highly recommend to any pet owner that already has, or is considering adopting a puppy.

As for our cat Nali, he seemed to be bothered with the dog, and expressed an immediate disinterest in making any sort of connection with him. If he could have spoken, he probably would have said something like, “I don’t know what this other thing is, and don’t want anything to do with it.” If the cat were laying down in a particular area of the house, and the dog entered that same space, the cat would immediately get up and leave. Melbourne was curious about the cat, more than anything, and simply wanted to play with him or get his attention. This type of exchange went on for a long time, and it actually took about two years, for the cat to adjust to having a dog around. Again, if Nali could have spoken, he would have said something like, “Well, I guess that this other thing, whatever it is, is not going anywhere, so I might as well just deal with the situation and accept it.” After that, they became pretty close friends, and it was not uncommon to see both of them taking naps together, within a few feet of each other. Based on this experience, it is very possible for dogs and cats to befriend each other, and share the same space with their pet parents.

From those early years until now, there have been many memorable moments since we brought Melbourne into our lives. We have taken him to the beach, jumped into the water, and gone swimming. There is a local organization that hosts “dog-luring,” which Melbourne has visited, where he chases a lure, and runs very, very fast in an attempt to catch the lure. The first time that we went there, he was so excited from seeing the other dogs, as well as the lure, that he began barking in a distinct manner, with a high and unique pitch that we had never heard before. When we are home, he often spends a lot time outside in the back yard, enjoying the weather, along with the sights and scents of the world. One day, he was outside, and I heard a bark from Melbourne. As I went outside to see what was going on, he was sitting straight up and staring at me through the screen door. Basically, he was letting me know that he wanted to come inside of the house! This communication tactic was one that he learned on his own, and completely surprised us. Soon after, he began to bark to let us know that he wanted to go outside; in fact, I have stopped several times while writing this to let him in or out. Sometimes I wonder, who is training who? Melbourne has travelled with us on many road trips, visiting family out-of-town, and on vacations. On these trips, we have explored new places, dog parks, and have even taken him to craft beer breweries (most, if not all, of them being dog-friendly). After dinner, on most nights, my wife and I usually eat some type of dessert, such as ice cream, cake, cookies, or chocolate. If it is ice cream, Melbourne knows by the sound of the spoon against the cup. If he hears the unwrapping of plastic, then he knows it is a piece of chocolate or a cookie. While we never give him any food that we eat, it is an opportunity for us to give him a “doggie treat,” and then all of us have a little snack together.

Just a few weeks ago, my wife and I celebrated Melbourne’s ninth birthday, where we spent the day together. First, we went to one pet store, where we got him some mini cupcake doggie treats. Then we went to another pet store (the same one that he attended puppy training classes), and took him for a walk throughout the entire store. A few additional gifts that we gave him were, a brand new harness and a leash. From there, we went to a nearby beach, and drove alongside the main road, with the windows rolled down; Melbourne could hardly contain his excitement, while the wind swirled about. We continued our drive and spotted a small, city park, then parked the car, and explored the area. After a moment we decided to sit on the grass, but not before he quickly dropped down and started rolling around; this only happens, when he is content and comfortable with his environment. Overall, it was a special day that we spent with our dog, and we felt that is was important enough to take time out for this – after all, he is a family member.

In fact, not a single day that goes by, where I am not reminded of the fact that, my wife and I adopted Melbourne and gave him a second chance at life. When we first saw him, he shared a space (rather a cage) with another dog and could not roam free, sprawl out comfortably, and feel that he was safe, loved, and protected. Whenever he rolls around on a grassy area after a walk, and see him laying upside down with his paws reaching up, this says that he is really happy in that moment; this warms my heart every time I see it, and never, ever gets old. Whether it is animals or human beings, I am a firm believer in second chances, and the adoption of any pet, does exactly that – provide a new opportunity for any pet to experience a better life than they could ever possibly know. Sometimes I even wonder – did we adopt the dog (cat, or other)? Or did they adopt us? Whatever the case may be, the adoption of animals may just be, one of the greatest experiences for animals and humans alike.

References

Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Adopt. In Merriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary. Retrieved April 17, 2021, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/adopt