By Kavita A Chhibber
They say when you are ready, the guru and your dog find you.
I certainly wasn’t looking for either a guru or a dog, but HE had decided he was going to show up whether I was ready or not.
It all began with trying to rescue animals from an animal shelter that was closing down and an appeal had been posted. It said that animals that are not adopted will be put down. We sent out thousands of emails to people on our mailing list, and within weeks every animal was adopted.
I was online checking on the latest updates about the shelter last May, when out of nowhere, this picture popped up- of a gorgeous golden haired dog with blazing leonine eyes-aptly named Simba. I still don’t know why or how that picture showed up since it was not of an animal from that shelter. But I was mesmerized and hopped into my car to go adopt this gorgeous creature from a volunteer run rescue organization called Our Pals Place in Marietta, GA.
I called and left a message and then finally showed up at the facility on a weekend when they have open adoptions and you can walk in without an appointment. On reaching I was told by this charming, petite woman who I didn’t even introduce myself to that Simba had just been adopted. However, she added, they had a rule. They observed the adopted animal for about 3 months to see if the animal was happy in its new surroundings and if not, they brought it back.
She told me they had other dogs, but I refused to even enter the facility saying I would wait and if for some reason, the adoption didn’t come through I would go ahead and adopt Simba. Little was I to know that Simba was just the carrot that was dangled by the Universe to get me to the real deal!
Three weeks later, I decided to go back because I had been looking at the OPP website and was very impressed by the kind of work this organization was doing. It was not just about rescuing animals, but a big focus was to educate children and their parents. Meanwhile I was being teased about Simba-“Oh your blond online blind date that didn’t happen”. I did manage to meet Simba but his story will appear shortly in another piece.
I remember walking in to interview Gigi Graves the executive director of OPP, who turned out to be the woman I had met earlier and not even introduced myself to. I walked with her into a room full of dogs.
And then I saw him. He was in a large cage, by himself, looked weather beaten but not broken. There were tennis balls scattered around him and a few other toys. His ribs were sticking out and his face seemed a bit too large for his scrawny body that day. But what caught my attention was his regal bearing, a serenity that emanated from him, the most beautiful kohl lined golden almond eyes, and a reserved but friendly disposition. He emanated this aura that said “I’m quite fine as I’m but I will accept your affection if you choose to give it. On my part, I take my time.”
It wasn’t love at first sight but I was very impressed by his regal dignity. Everything about him echoed only one thing – noble disposition, great genetic background – a purebred German Shepherd.
And so began weekly trips to OPP to try to get to know this 6 year old German Shepherd who was found as a stray on the street and kept at Cobb county shelter for almost a month in cage number 66. Usually the owner has 5 days to reclaim the dog. After that, I’m told 83 to 87 percent of dogs are euthanized within the first week of being found. Older and sick dogs go first. But I guess even the people at the shelter couldn’t bring themselves to get rid of the noble one!
It was Sandy Adcock, a scientist and dog trainer who volunteers for OPP and admits that she is more fond of small, soft fluffy dogs, who passed by this large German Shepherd and was drawn to him instantly. She told Gigi, the next time they went back to rescue more dogs, they needed to get him out. They did.
I met him some time in June. It was after my third or fourth meeting with Ramses when he finally accepted me as family. Earlier I was treated with affection but not in a special way that a dog reserves for his master. Not surprising because for Ramses, I was one of the many people who walked in and out of that room day after day. And there are so many-volunteers, Gigi, Sandy and a lot of people on the weekend when open adoptions are held. He always attracted attention because even among German Shepherds, he is one of the handsomest I’ve seen. And while a Pitt bull inspires fear in people, I think a true German Shepherd inspires awe because it’s such a beautiful animal and highly intelligent.
I was in an apartment since I’m moving to another city later this fall and I told my apartment management, who are the nicest bunch of people, that I was adopting a German Shepherd. They were very apologetic and said they do not allow German shepherds in the complex because they are considered “ dangerous species”. They are very protective of their owners and can attack if they see anyone as a threat to them. When you get a dog in a shelter minus his papers, as was the case with Ramses, the dog is usually referred to as a mix and not a pure bred. That’s because there are no papers to prove its breed. So my sweet apartment ladies in the office started suggesting ways to bypass that rule: “Why don’t you say he is a Labrador mix?” Then they saw his picture and said “Uh… never mind!” There isn’t an angle from which I could have pulled that tall tale off. If there is a dog who embodies not just the body, but spirit of a German Shepherd – it’s Ramses.
I was not ready to give up on a dog I had committed to adopt even though people at OPP would have understood. And in that I learnt a lesson about myself. I try very hard in life not to make promises I can’t keep but I didn’t realize that I could love a furry canine with the golden almond eyes, so much that I would step totally out of my comfort zone just to adopt him. I gave in my notice at the apartment and began hunting for a house with a fenced backyard. I also decided I was going to close my office and see if I could work from home so I didn’t have to leave him alone for long hours.
It took me 3 long months before I found the house that was a perfect fit. OPP was kind enough to hold him at their facility for me even though that is not the norm. It showed me what a stellar group of people run that place. For them it was more important that their rescued animals found a good home than just dump them on anyone who came along. I have seen Gigi bring back dogs if she felt the owner was not a good fit for their rescued canine. I guess these beautiful animals have had enough trauma, already having been abandoned by their owners and they can do without more hurt and pain.
It was interesting to get to know Ramses in our many trips. He behaved differently while he was at OPP. What impressed us was his patience and that he was a very quiet dog. He seldom barked unless he was really pushed over the edge. He was very popular with kids at OPP where they hold education camps for kids in the summer to teach them about animals. I would see the kids taking Ramses for walks, bathing him while he patiently let them do as they pleased.
In a way the 3 months of going back and forth turned out to be a blessing in disguise. I learnt two lessons here. That no matter what curve balls life throws our way, if you are really smart, you will adjust graciously without whining or complaining and bide your time for things to get better as most dogs did there. The second lesson I learnt was that every dog is not the same. Just as we have our likes and dislikes, so do these animals. And each breed has some distinct characteristics. Unlike the friendly black lab, a German Shepherd is stand-offish and will take his time to give you his trust and heart. And he will NOT wag his tail unless he really likes you.
Finally I found the house that was just right for Ramses and it was a crazy September – closing office, moving stuff from there, then moving from the apartment to the house.
And in the midst of all that chaos Ramses came home. Gigi had been telling me he was getting stressed out. It was as if he knew OPP was no longer his home. I had gone to see him on a Saturday, not sure if I could bring him home since all my stuff was still unpacked. For the first time in weeks, I saw him look incredibly sad as I was leaving. I think it was that look that did it. I went and got him home two days later.
He quickly got into the backseat of the car, as if he belonged there and sat peacefully, until we came home. He walked straight in and examined every nook and cranny, and then the back yard. We pulled all the stops for this fellow. His collar, leash and harness were shipped from Italy – the finest leather. He has a specially designed bed for older dogs to help his joints.
The bed is so beautiful and large that we both can fit in it. The moment I placed it for him he immediately went and sat on it as if he knew it was his bed. He has a silk comforter – I don’t. My friend Anita couldn’t get over that. But I think what most people find amazing is that I cook fresh food for him daily which I don’t do even for myself. I do not feed him dog food. I’ve researched enough to realize that most dog food is bad for dogs; more on that in another article.
When he arrived Ramses seemed to have severe allergy. His chest was bare of any hair. He had scratched himself bald. His eyes had crust and were watering, and his ears were filled with gunk. Gigi had often said to me that the love with which OPP keeps its dogs, can still not replace individual care, and love from a single owner in a home. It is a volunteer run organization and at any given time there are at least 20 dogs in the facility. Others are found foster parents. She told me she could see Ramses was under heavy stress. German shepherds often develop allergies when they are stressed out. His coat was rough and dry. I was envying the silky coat of my friend’s black lab, and shaking my head at the bald patches on his tail as well.
When he came in he was around 66 pounds. Today he is over a 100 pounds. His coat is thick and silky, his eyes shine like two golden diamonds. I used natural remedies to clear his ears of infection. He gets fresh raw bones to chew on and his teeth are in much better shape. But more than his physical transformation, it’s been amazing to see his inner transformation. From from this quiet, patient animal that internalized all his stress, and sorrows, and seldom barked, Ramses is a confident, majestic creature, who is like a baby with me and family members but guards me with a ferocity that is deeply moving and sweetly comical. Every stranger, animal, straying leaf is foreseen as a threat to me. And when he is in protective mode, he will not listen even to me. He has to get those intruders to back off!
He has finally come into what I call his German Shepherdness. If you read a description of a German Shepherd that is from genetically sound stock, you will often see the following words: “noble, loyal, super intelligent, friendly but reserved; confident but not over aggressive and an animal that will look out for his family with fierce protectiveness. He will love all members he recognizes as family but will answer totally to only one.” That turned out to be me!
Initially Ramses would not let me out of his sight. For a dog as large as he is, he walks with the stealth of a panther, very quiet and sleek and I have stepped on his big paws so many times! It was as if he was afraid I would disappear. When he runs, unlike many black labs who are clumsy and goofy and bounce around – Ramses is poetry in motion… long flowing strides and gazelle-like grace. Today he is secure enough to be left on his own in the house when I’m gone. He does not get anxious, does not destroy anything. He is not kept in a cage and has the run of the entire house. If we go out to run errands, he sits patiently in the car. He will keep looking quietly from the window and waiting – his eyes following me unblinkingly, and only relax when I’m back.
His good looks have gotten a lot of people in trouble. They see this majestic, serene looking, divinely handsome creature going for a walk with me and get excited. They want to come and pet him. But the moment they take a step forward, a warning growl emanates from Ramses telling them to not approach me without permission.
Just recently, we were out for a walk and this young man couldn’t take his eyes off Ramses. As we approached, he took one step from the opposite side of the road where he had parked his pickup truck and gushed “That is one handsome boy.” That one step forward caused Ramses to go on high alert, and he growled and lunged at the guy pushing me behind him. I have never seen anyone run so fast and hide behind their truck as did this young man. The guy then sheepishly peered out from behind and I said to him “You can’t just walk up to a German Shepherd like you would another dog.” A sheepish grin followed and then a meek “I will never do it again.” Then he paused and as if he couldn’t help himself, said in an awestruck voice “But he is still the most handsome German Shepherd I’ve ever seen.” It happens a lot. And yes the German Shepherd will befriend you… but only on his terms and when he thinks the time is right.
They say German Shepherds are psychic as far as their owners are concerned and he reads my mind and my body language amazingly well. When you adopt a dog that is not an owner turn in, it’s like groping in the dark. You do not know what the dog knows and what he doesn’t.
But each day is a revelation that tells me I am so very lucky that this divine canine chose me. I could see that there was no abuse by his previous owners. He couldn’t have been so confident and calm otherwise. The first day we went for a walk, he took me directly to the sidewalk. He will not let me walk in the middle of the road. So I know he has been trained to walk only on the sidewalks. But an interesting incident happened on day 2. Not knowing the area very well and not realizing that subdivision was huge I got lost after walking almost 90 minutes. It was hot, I had no water, and I was beginning to tire. I just looked at Ramses and said –Take me Home. It was a total shot in the dark, since he had just arrived 2 days ago. But Ramses took me home. Initially I thought it was a fluke so the next day I went in the opposite direction, this time armed with a GPS system, and again asked him to take me home-he did it again.
I see other dogs on the street walking and ambling along happily with their masters, only interested in sniffing around enjoying the new and interesting sounds and smells. But Ramses is on high alert at all times-nothing misses his ears or his eyes. He has an invisible 4 feet circle penciled around me. He will not allow anyone to approach me within that radius. He can sense movement 4 houses down, and it’s cute to see him sleep with ears fully perked up.
One touching incident that happened was about 2 weeks after his arriving at our house. I had made this really nice lamb dish for him with juicy bones and had ordered pizza for myself. He was eating closer to the back door but when the door bell rang, he left his food and came charging to the front door, pushed me behind him protectively and growled warningly at the pizza delivery man. It was only after I had shut the door and locked it did he go back to eating his food. He always stands between me and anyone else who approaches us at all times.
When we go out for walks he will not stray more than a couple of feet from me-if I walk ahead, he will leave everything that he may have been exploring with great pleasure and run quickly until he is next to me or ahead of me so he can be a buffer between me and the big bad world.
Ramses loves to play football more than he likes tennis balls being thrown at him. He will do all kinds of acrobatics, fly in the air, stand on his hind legs like a kangaroo to catch it in mid air or use his paws to dribble it or stop it, and then proceeds to deflate the ball with great joy digging his big teeth into it.
But he can also be very goofy and dense. He thinks his bed makes him invisible. If he is eating something that he likes or when he doesn’t want his ears cleaned or his teeth brushed, it’s comical to see my usually smart dog run and sit on his bed thinking he becomes invisible when he rushes there and no one can see him. If a family member wants him to go upstairs with him and he doesn’t want to-he runs and hides behind me peering comically from the side or will look at me pleadingly as if to say “Noooo, I want to stay with you… Don’t let them take me.” Of course he is too big and strong for anyone to forcibly pick him up and carry him away. But while he is ferocious with strangers, it’s cute how he becomes like a baby with family.
Ramses doesn’t like vegetables at all. Initially I tried giving him meat and potatoes only to find a mountain of potatoes piled up behind a tree. He didn’t want to eat them but I guess he didn’t want to hurt my feelings, so he went and hid them when I wasn’t looking!
I have to tell him something just a couple of times and he gets it right away. Teaching him new tricks has been very easy.
Ramses saw his first major snowfall this past week. Initially he was clueless and stared very suspiciously at this blanket of snow in the backyard. Then I threw his football outside. As he ran into the snow it was as if he had found snow heaven. He ran around , sprayed the powdery snow all over with his legs, covered his face in it joyfully. Another lesson learnt – it takes so little to make us happy.
The next evening we went outside. I threw a ball not realizing the top was iced over. The ball slid to the street. As he went after it all I said to him was “Ramses walk slowly.” And there he was walking like a ballerina on the snow to fetch the ball. He didn’t slip or fall but when he made it back safely, he gave me that look as if to say “What on earth were you thinking?” and proceeded to show me that it may be a better idea to play indoors.
Every morning when I wake up he comes to my side of the bed and wants to be petted. Then he will come with a football in his mouth wanting to play. I will groan and say “Ramses wait, I need my cup of tea.” He will sit down patiently while I finish having that cup and then determinedly bring the ball back in his mouth and look at me with those kohl lined almond eyes that are so hard to resist as if to say “Okay… now?” And off we go to the backyard for a game of fetch.
Ramses loves backrubs and massages. He will purr and wash his face with his big paws like a cat when I give him a belly rub, his mouth stretched in a big smile; and boy can he snore once the massage is over. Its like a huge rumble that turns into a steady drumroll – except that its coming out of his big nose!
It’s been three months since he has been with us, but it seems as if he has been ours forever. I can’t thank his previous owners for letting him go so we could share some of their good fortune in having this amazing being in our home. I wish I could meet them and know more about him as a baby, and what all he knows. But then maybe not – each day is a beautiful one full of surprises, revelations and reaffirmations. Everyone in the family loves him. The words that come tumbling out of everyone’s mouth when they meet him for the first time is always “What a handsome fellow – he looks more like a lion,” and then once they know him: “What a class act. What a noble, gorgeous animal.” I know this for sure – he is pretty incomparable.
When I see him dance with joy, at the thought of playing ball, or going for a ride in the car, I learn yet another lesson – how to find joy in the simplest of acts.
But I think the most precious lesson he has taught me is living in the present moment always, forgiving and loving unconditionally. He has also taught me that loyalty is a precious gift, but that I must give it wisely and only to those who truly deserve it. And doggone it-every one should have a dog in their lives. How else would you experience true love!
To know more about OPP (Our Pal’s Place) go to www.ourpalsplace.org
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in these columns are solely those of the writers and do not necessarily represent those of the editor/publisher.
You must be logged in to post a comment.