Glory Days

Happy Gotcha Day sweet Glory! It was this time last year that George and I decided it was time to search for a pup. We headed to the local Humane Society in Brunswick in search of a dog who was calm, didn’t jump and who would fit in with our family. I had never been to the humane society before and was instantly overwhelmed by the chaos that is 40 dogs lined up in cages ready to be played with. George and I paced up and down the aisle picking a few here and there to take outside and get to know. We had a size in mind and George was keen on the older dogs. But never failed, every time we’d take them outside they’d start jumping all over us. We were a little disheartened after thirty minutes of this meet and greet. They were all super cute and all needing good homes, but none seemed to fit our family. We headed back out to the front where I began to ask the volunteers a few questions about how often they receive animals. I turned around to get George’s attention and find him looking doe eyed at a white dog with black spots. Immediately I turn to look at the employee who tells me that’s “Glory” the Pet of the Week, and please go in the pen and play with her. As soon as he entered, Glory was by his side. We took her outside to see her reaction. She playfully ran after us, didn’t jump and seemed very happy to see us. George and I both knew this was the dog for us, especially the star student Pet of the Week!

After taking care of the adoption paperwork, Glory was ours. We loaded her up and drove immediately to Petsmart, because part of us didn’t believe we’d actually be coming home with a dog that day. Petsmart turned Glory into a scared shaking mess. The employees there felt sorry for us and had a chat with the new parents. I was in tears thinking we were in way over our heads, but already loved her too much to take her back. George drove his girls home and we’ve never been the same since.

Well, except for Glory. A year ago she was scared of almost everything. She’d never been in a house before so things like the sink, the sound of dishes, the doors shutting, heels clicking on the hardwoods, really anything that made noise scared her to death. George and I spent those first hours with her on the kitchen floor, where she just shook like a leaf. It took us awhile, but she finally started coming around. She loved the outdoors and began to run and play in the back yard, but still had a terrible time in the house.

Today is a different story. For those of you who knew Glory back then will be amazed to see her progress. She wags her tail almost as much as her sister “The Terror” aka Laney. She’s no longer afraid of little everyday noises, she knows a few commands, and she instigates play with Laney…she acts like a genuine puppy! I can’t tell you how happy it makes me to see her this way. Although she’s still afraid to take walks without Laney, can’t stand it when we put anything on our heads, and still hates the sound of the sink, we have seen so much progress in one short year. Glory, we look forward to many more years with you. Pretty soon you’ll be taking walks without that pesky sister, we’re sure of it.

For any of you in the market for pups, please consider the humane society or shelters. Although Glory had some special needs, just knowing that we’ve been able to give her a loving home is all the reward we need.

A special thanks to Jennifer B. for the "Gotcha Day" lingo!