During our North Texas Giving Day fundraising, we love to look back on the dogs we've had come through Doodle Dandy and their stories. Some of them are easy fosters that quickly find new forever homes, but the stories that stick with us usually aren't the easy ones. This is the story of Aria, now Maggie, as submitted by her adopter, Mark.
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Maggie's Story, as submitted by Mark Mason
My wife and I got a sheepadoodle, Bailey, for our boy when he was a bit over one. We wanted a puppy to grow with him. Two years later and it started to become clear that Bailey could use a canine friend in addition to our family. I began lobbying for a Great Pyrenees for months. We started following nearly every group in DFW that might have a rescue Pyr. Eventually the reality of that pure volume of hair around the house set in and we asked ourselves…Why not get Bailey a Doodle friend. That is where Doodle Dandy came in, and we started following them. So many beautiful and sweet looking dogs at foster homes but I was still set on “tricking” my wife into a Pyrenees.
Several months go by and we simply decided maybe it wasn’t the right time to add a new dog. That is where we settled for some time……till she texted me the sweet face of Aria (who would become Maggie)…..a Pyredoodle.
We filled out the application, but having read some comments online about DDR being very picky, we didn’t have a terrible amount of hope. A 4yr old boy in a house with two dogs already. It just didn’t seem like we’d be the choice but I was shocked when within only a couple of days we got a text from Robyn and then from Whitney (foster Mom) with photos of Maggie and some of her backstory.
The visit went well but Maggie was very shy and hesitant to really engage or approach. It really wasn’t what either of us had hoped for to be honest but there was just something about her and her story that made us want to help her. Whitney described the horrible condition and treatment that Maggie had endured along with her family and cautioned about the extreme need to be understanding and patient with her. I have done some rescue work in my past and have to say that I had never really experienced a “true” rescue case like Maggie. Whitney also highlighted all of the issues that Maggie had regarding the need for desensitization and how our household given the right amount of care and patience would be the ideal environment for her.
She hid in our closet for the first few days. When she and Bailey were outside they started to play on maybe Day 3 or 4 but when back inside…straight to the closet or somewhere to hide from us. We never did pressure her, we only made sure she had a comfortable place to curl up with some food and water. We also had many texts with DDR asking questions and simply giving happy updates as she progressed.
Maggie and Bailey were tight from the start. Our senior dog, Sandy, didn’t fare as well. Some fear barking and response to both Sandy and our boy really had us worried but again…no pressure on her. Our boy was good enough to understand Maggie was scared so would announce coming into the room so as not to startle her. The more he did this, the less she would growl or bark in fear. During this time the only way we could even touch her was to SLOWLY inch along the floor if she was laying down and BARELY touch her chin.
Persistence and patience transformed Maggie. It took about a month before she would let us touch her while she was standing up. Another few weeks till she would let us touch her while the other dogs were around. It was probably another month before she stopped barking at our boy all the time. The little things that I believe most pet owners take for granted have been very slow but very genuinely earned with Maggie’s trust.
She now takes treats from our boy and curls up in his room some nights. She rarely is in a room that is empty instead favoring to be with us. She has had multiple baths by strangers, and even recently had a full bath, groom, and nail grind. You walk through the door and she is there with Bailey wagging her tail for us. We can roll her on her back and scratch her belly. She walks on a leash. She doesn’t quite cuddle yet but I am sure that will come when she wants it to, and it will mean all the more for it. In true Pyr form she will lay on our back porch and survey the yard or patrol the fence for anything out of the ordinary to HER yard.
If you are reading this and already have a rescue, good on you. If you don’t already have one and are considering adopting from Doodle Dandy, know that you have a group of people who care for their fosters and want what is best for all involved. If you fall in love with one dog, and you aren’t picked, then think of Maggie and the odd quirky mix of things that Whitney and Robyn thought our family brought to the table for her. Know that when you are selected, you will have been selected for the best match for both your family and for the foster going home with you.
Maggie still has a ways to go, but it is amazing how far she has come in 6 months.
