Daisy
Melissa and Daisy
When I first met my dog Daisy, she was cowering at the back of her kennel at the humane society, where I volunteer walking dogs. I immediately realized that this dog was not our typical surrender. In fact, as I was to discover, Daisy was a breeding dog from a puppy mill who had ended up with an organization that trains dogs for the hearing impaired and disabled. They had been fostering her while she cared for her latest litter. Many thought Daisy could never be adopted because she was so fearful and lacking socialization - who would want a dog like that? Well, it turns out, me! Daisy has changed my life in many ways, but perhaps most of all by teaching me patience. I had to go slow and take my time with Daisy. I had to earn her trust first and then show her that her trust hadn't been misplaced. Daisy also taught me how to think outside the box. I had to train her how to go outside, walk on wood floors, manage stairs, walk on a leash, ride in a car, etc. And, all of these required figuring out ways to break them up into baby steps. I had to figure out what worked and what didn't work and use what worked best. It took a lot of love, patience and ingenuity, but my Daisy has taught me more than any dog ever could because she needed me to figure it out for her first. She was well worth it!