The Littlest Lunatic, cute as a button and cross as a wet cat, arrived in our house with two other Airedale rescuegirls as a consequence of an overabundance of dogs in the United States. Northwest Airedale Rescue was swamped and wondered if AireCanada could help. We did. We placed two of the girls in new homes and added the third, LL, to our family as a temporary foster until we could find her a good home.
LL crept into our house and peered around, fear rolling off her in almost visible waves. Thankfully, she spied Little Miss Angie A and became Miss A’s biggest fan almost instantly. She decided that Pifflesqueak the Toy Poodle was probably a strange cat wearing funny clothes. LL likes cats.
In all too short a time, we learned a great deal about the Littlest Lunatic. She was terrified of life in general and most other dogs in particular. She would rob us blind and then pick our pockets. She was a supreme resource guarder who played a splendid game of keep-away once she had claimed a treasure for her own. She got into everything. What she couldn’t chew into confetti, she hid or buried in the bed. She meddled; she hated being groomed; she fought us constantly when we requested basic civility and she occasionally flashed a set of lovely sharp white teeth at us when things got really tense. She pulled on leash like a steam locomotive and followed her nose to a degree way beyond that of most Airedales of our acquaintance.
Then we discovered she was blind. Almost blind. Perhaps a little vision in one eye. Maybe. Suddenly, much became clear to us if not to LL.
We gentled and trained and traded up for treasures. We played telephone pole when she attempted to yank us off our feet and put bear bells on poor Angie so LL would always have a point of reference. We promised not to move the furniture. We massaged and handled her (always starting at the farthest end from the teeth). We introduced her to new sights and sounds so she would not fear them – and we laughed at her a lot.
Gradually, the fear abated and LL became…just…plain…naughty!
