Today Sam and Maisy paid a return visit to the rescue that they came from. A fundraising pooch pampering weekend was underway and I rather like clean dogs and rather dislike bathing them so it seemed this could work for everyone.
I have to admit I was very curious as to whether Sam and Maisy would show any recognition for the place. Sam I thought not – he spent less than a month there 4 years ago and he mostly forgets where his food bowl is or where he left his last bone. Maisy was there for about 6 months and a lot more recently so I did wonder how she would react. Maisy is not the simplest of dogs to get a read on and part of me wondered if she would have a negative reaction. Not because the rescue were anything less than diligent in their care of her but because there is something in her past that triggers reactions and we can never quite predict what. Whilst she would have been safe and well cared for here, I really don’t know where her head space would have been at the time.
From the off it was clear she recognised it – in that there was a determined pull to the field where her and Sam were muzzled and went off for a free roaming session. This is where I thought Sam might have had a glimpse of memory too – he was fully geared up to go and run as soon as we went in. And run he did!
The post run pampering session was lovely – Sam loved the scritches and towel drying and Maisy, as we thought she would (she’s like it with groomers too), started with a slightly tucked tail but relaxed into it once she realised we were also staying with Sam and everything was fine. We ventured inside for a drink and some cake and treats.
Both dogs were contently curious and happily settled down inside, Maisy claiming the sofa there and cuddling in just like she does at home. Sam regally selected a bed and settled down nicely for a snooze. We all had a lovely afternoon! It really was a lot more settled for the dogs than I could have hoped for – being aware that these two are skewed to the more extreme end of the “have issues” spectrum,
It plays back into one of the things I do always wonder though – what do you remember? What are the things that cause your triggers? Can we ever erase these memories – time with Sam says probably not but can we ease them?
Your experience in life tends to influence your reaction to life, positive or negative. Any baggage you carry will naturally spill over into responses to future situations – and rescue dogs and particularly rescued racing greyhounds have all sorts of baggage. None of it is their fault, none if it they can help. I’ve said it before and I will say it again and again – rescued greyhounds are institutionalised trauma victims that sometimes don’t have the mechanisms to cope with either the new experiences that life outside of racing throws at them or have experienced negative reinforcement to the point of damage.
I can’t erase their past – Sam and Maisy and many of their friends carry physical and mental scars. The muzzle and bite scars that mar Sam’s face, to Maisy’s desperate flinch and cower if you touch her when she’s not prepared. They will likely carry these all their lives. What I can do (other than desperately hope they don’t remember) is love them, reassure them and help them feel safe. I don’t know why they react to specific situations – Maisy panics when you try and shut her in a room for example – even if it’s a big room with her humans and Sam. She has to have a way out – maybe that’s trauma from traps, maybe something else? Certain noises cause a run reaction from Sam – weirdly cutlery clattering and the garage shutter door opening. I have no idea why and I’ll likely never find out. We try and turn these things into positive experiences – practising playing find it in the garden while we put the shutter door endlessly up and down, closing doors by degrees with chicken on hand and increasing the time. We slowly work through what we can and manage to find ways to deal with what we can’t.
All I can say looking at my happy dogs this evening showing no signs of upset about their trip out today is that if they do remember the rescue, they remember it positively and have had a lovely day out. Another memory reclaimed and a positive one – the more we can build these the more the question “do you remember” can be answered with a smile
