When Jax first came to live with us in August, taking him for a walk was a telling experience. I had to drag him outside. Sometimes he scrambled back toward the house. Finally outdoors, his whole body tensed up and he walked straight ahead with his head down and his eyes focused on the sidewalk under his nose. Squirrels, rabbits, birds, other dogs went unnoticed. He was like a demoralized prisoner on a death march. He had given up, there was no joy in him.
After about a month, I rejoiced one day when he stopped to sniff at a tuft of grass, and shortly after that his ears perked up when he saw a rabbit.
Today, Jax loves walks. He bounds gaily toward the front door, and quivers with excitement until he is given permission to pass through to the yard.
Some days he walks brightly and politely next to me on a loose leash. I have to remind him occasionally to stay with me. At curbs he sits and waits until he has permission to cross the street. (On leash - I wouldn't trust him not to run into the street off leash. We'll attempt that training soon.)
Other days, like this morning, he is so excited about the great big wonderful world of smells and sounds, he cannot contain himself. He bounds and leaps on the end of the leash. He is interested in everything. When corrected, he will come back to my side, but in the next instant he sees something he just has to investigate and off he flies.
He is learning and he is healing. We still have some major behavior issues to cope with, but his future looks better, and we are hopeful that he will someday be the loving, trustworthy, smart and joyful dog he was born to be.
