Welcoming Larry

What the hell have we got ourselves into?

It was week three. The first carpet cleaner had packed up and the second one was spewing brown water all over the floor. The children were now accustomed to the roar of these machines through the night, but my husband and I were spending all of our savings at Costa to get us through the day.

And there was Larry. The gentlest boy who was trying to make sense of his new life and was barely dipping his toe into the world of trusting humans.

Adventures with Larry began last summer; it was hot in August – long days that stretched towards midnight, crops waist-high and an injured Larry crying in the corner of a field; little did he know, an active team were on the case. With amazing people from Dog Lost UK, Pawprints Dog Rescue and my sister and I doing our best, we spent the evening keeping ‘eyes on’ and trying to tempt him closer with mackerel (the smell of that oil really stays with you…many days…). The next day brought him even closer and we discovered it was water he was really desperate for as he snatched a bottle trying to shake out any last drops.

We could see he was injured and his cries were heart-rending but we didn’t know how serious his injuries were. We were so grateful to see him lying down less and only infrequently whining after having access to water and food. He kept coming closer, but he couldn’t quite make the leap to trust anybody.

It took two more days and some seriously amazing volunteers who time and time again spend their evenings, weekends and workdays crawling through nettles, crouching in hedges and, as we did, barbequing cheap sausages in the dying light. After four days and lots of volunteers spending hours in fields, Larry finally made the leap to trust a human and was rewarded with a safe bed, a protected environment and all the food, water, vet attention and care he needed.

A word about the rescuers: that isn’t it for them- they check up on dogs they find, advocate for them, buy them cuddly pandas and talk about them; the dogs will never know to be grateful but they have wonderful people that care about them – sometimes for the first time in their lives.

And the Pawprints team, well, I can’t tell you all the good they do – it is a lot. For dogs on their last legs, with not long left and nowhere to turn, for tricky dogs that can be harder to love: they take them on, care for them and find them places. And Larry was cared for (we could see that the first time we visit; his relationship with staff was evident and his lack of trust was cracking with them. With us, he was only tolerant. He would say the briefest of hellos on his own terms and then he would be gone, skipping to a safer, freer corner of the field.

We took it very slowly: from weekly meetings with one or two, we moved to all the family – sitting in pairs, spaced out, treats at the ready. The contact stepped up to the odd stomach rub but he still saw himself as mostly a lone wolf. It was several weeks later he came to our house for the first time.

Rescue dogs need their own space and time to decompress. Larry is not our first rescue dog; we know it can take months, even years to reach their full confidence. It takes a long time to trust people and feel fully secure in their new surroundings. Each dog is different and works at their own pace.

Larry’s bed was placed in an area that meant he had a safe space. There were people moving around adjacent spaces and he could hear us all but no one would disturb him when he retreated to his bed in the conservatory. It was his. Contact was on his terms and it was slow at first. You could see he wanted touch and contact, but not quite yet…

I have to say – I am proud of my kids. The rescue kennels could see in our visits how closely the children listened to Larry’s movements. They gave him space when he wanted it but were there waiting with affection when he felt braver. They really are an empathetic bunch. At home, they didn’t grow impatient with Larry’s nervousness but let him grow confident at his own pace. He was gentle but excitable, although he may have mistaken our youngest for a fellow furry friend given her penchant for crawling around and her similar size. They are still often found curled up together, each throwing an ‘arm’ over the other in a sunny spot on one of the beds.

And here we are several months down the line. The dark days of carpet stains are behind us (for now) and Larry rarely chooses a corner to escape to unless visitors are especially loud. He still has some way to go in terms of confidence but he seeks out contact and affection much of the time. He rarely takes himself away from the family unless it is a peaceful snooze he is after. He is getting more confident with other dogs and is less desperate to assert his place in hierarchies. We are gradually working on being off the longline, which those with rescue sighthounds know is a big deal. Secure fields are instrumental in practising. But we all know good dogs can’t make good decisions all of the time!

We are not new to owning rescue dogs but you never truly know who is coming to live with you until they settle. Larry is still nervy but he is the most affectionate, gentle boy. He is no longer scared of the kitchen, floorboards or stairs but bodies of water bother him still. We may be lead training for life but the joy when you see him running at 40mph, leaping stiles, and coming back when you call is just the biggest heart-rush. I think, looking into his big brown eyes, he can see our future together is going to be a happy one. And there may be a lot of roast lamb in it.