MAC

Mac, a year in the life.

It's been almost a year since Donna and I brought Mac into our lives, and we can't believe that he is the same troubled little fella we read about on the Internet.

What can we say about Mac? He is a dream and everyday he continues to surprise and amaze us. He's come so far from those early days when he was getting to know a new owner and a new home, and occasionally marking a special spot he could call his own. He would jump at every new noise, the furnace, the fridge, my snoring, my attempts at playing guitar, and the clink of his dog tag on the water dish. Mac only seemed relaxed if he was ten or more feet away from us.

Seven months later, when Mac moved into a new house and in with Donna and Rocket (a happy-go-lucky, yet somewhat bossy Standard Schnauzer) curiosity and a sense of adventure had replaced his earlier fears. Rocket took it upon himself to personally show Mac the ropes and make him feel at home. Has it worked? Recently the four of us all went camping and slept in a 6'x6' tent, entirely without incident.

Mac is perhaps, next to my brother, the loudest and messiest eater I have ever known. He is a great friend and playmate to Rocket, and even when Rocket taunts him to play rough and tough, Mac remains calm and avoids confrontation. In general, he is quiet and inquisitive, except when he's at the groomers where they've told us he is quite talkative (he must be very particular about his hairstyle).

Mac is always there with a paw that needs shaking, a goofy smile, a wet nose, or a well-placed lick on the lenses of my glasses. He loves his walks and meeting other dogs, he loves eating with gusto and dreaming happy dog dreams when he sleeps, he loves chortling gleefully when getting scratches, but most of all he loves us and we love him.

- Adrian, Donna and Rocket

 

From his Foster Home:

Mac was a fear biter. Prior to coming to me, he had already bitten three people. Finding him just the right home was essential. Mac needed structure and rules to live by, but he also needed security, consistency and tons of loving patience. I worked with Mac on a daily basis for the few months he was with me. We worked on his confidence as well as teaching him what was and wasn't appropriate behavior in a given situation. I have never seen a dog try so hard to learn. It was as if he knew his future depended on him learning to accept a new life.

He learned not to respond aggressively. He learned to be brave. He learned a new lesson almost every day he was with me and he touched my heart like no other dog I've ever worked with. It was very difficult to let him go when we finally found his perfect forever home. Now that I've seen him with his new Dad though, I know that decision was the right one. He has progressed even more than I had hoped. He's now free of the constraints of fear that bound him so tightly before. He is openly affectionate, naturally curious, always smiling and very, very happy in his new home.

- Karen, foster home