For those of you who haven't met me, my name is Remington. I want to start out by clearing up what kind of mix breed I am because I know it irritates my mom when everyone asks about it. My biological mom was a Yorkie and my dad was a Maltese. My great aunt Gertie was a mongoose though so I've got a little something special mixed into my gene pool. I don't know why that matters so much to people, but now you know.
I was rescued 8.5 months ago and this is my story...
It starts with a sweet volunteer named Anne who swooped in and picked me up from a terrible shelter in Okeechobee. I have no idea why I ended up there but I was happy to escape. When she dropped me off at what would end up being my new home, I was terrified. I hid in the corner of the bathroom shivering because I didn't know what was going on. This new human, my mom, sat on the floor of the bathroom next to me for hours, even though I wouldn't respond to her sweet words and gentle pets. She was heartbroken (she had just put her elderly cat down earlier that day) but I could tell she was making room in her heart for me despite her sadness. That's how I knew that I could trust her. That first night, when bedtime rolled around, I jumped into her bed and snuggled up to her and she let me even though I smelled like pee and had swamp breath. We loved each other already.
The next day mom had to work so she set up this big crate with everything I would need to be comfortable. I went in without a fight but I was so upset to be caged up again that shortly after she left I trashed everything inside it. I didn't know how else to express to her that just as I was learning to trust her, she needed to learn to trust me, too. When she came home on her lunch break to walk me, she saw the mess I made. She took one look at my guilty face with pee pee pad cotton stuck to my fur and laughed. She took me outside and I was a good boy and peed and pooped for her like I knew she wanted me to. When she brought me back inside she gave me a stern lecture about how she was going to trust me by leaving me loose in the house and she asked me nicely not to destroy anything. I made sure to do everything right. I sat patiently on her chair and waited for her to get home. When she came home and saw everything was intact she was so excited and I was excited, too. From that point on, making her happy was my mission.
My mom worked long hours at the hospital so during those days her friend Travis would come over and let me out at lunchtime. He's a very tall human but he was always gentle with me and so I learned to trust him, too. Mom's best friend Ryan would come by to let me out sometimes, also. I could tell he loved animals so I warmed up to him right away. He was great to cuddle and to play with when he came over to hang out with Mom.
Those first few weeks were hard for me, though. I was so afraid of everything. Being outside was overwhelming. All the noises and smells. The cars going by, the wind blowing the leaves around, the people. I would run as far as my leash would let me from anyone who walked by us. I didn't want to walk by any children at all. Humans were scary. Even my mom scared me if she got up too fast or reached down from a standing position to try to pet me. It took me a long time to get use to all that.
My mom never gave up on me and slowly but surely I learned to enjoy being outside. She would take me to sit outside in the sun with her. She made sure to pick a quiet place away from people so I could get use to the nature noises and smells. When I started to get better about walking by strangers mom took me to the beach. At first I was afraid and I sat in my mom's lap the whole time. By the second trip I was running ahead of her on our beach walks enjoying the salty air on my face and the sand I kicked up when I ran. I would even get up pretty close to strangers laying on towels just to say hello. I didn't mind getting my feet wet either although the crashing waves never stopped being scary.
Mom and I went on a bunch of fun adventures over the last few months. We visited Vikki and Dani and their twin boys. I made sure to be very tolerant and gentle with them because I knew they were babies. They made a lot of noise though and I was always ready to get home to my quiet house. Mom also took me on a plane ride to NJ. She gave me some funny medicine that made me sleepy but I think it helped keep me calm in the airports. It was really fun meeting my extended dog family and making new dog friends. We went to GA to visit Clay, Jen, and baby Austin not too long ago. I had fun with their dogs and I was gentle with baby Austin, too. I may not like walking by noisy children but babies are ok by me. I wouldn't mind going on more trips like that soon.
Mom and I went on a bunch of fun adventures over the last few months. We visited Vikki and Dani and their twin boys. I made sure to be very tolerant and gentle with them because I knew they were babies. They made a lot of noise though and I was always ready to get home to my quiet house. Mom also took me on a plane ride to NJ. She gave me some funny medicine that made me sleepy but I think it helped keep me calm in the airports. It was really fun meeting my extended dog family and making new dog friends. We went to GA to visit Clay, Jen, and baby Austin not too long ago. I had fun with their dogs and I was gentle with baby Austin, too. I may not like walking by noisy children but babies are ok by me. I wouldn't mind going on more trips like that soon.
Two weeks ago Mom and I moved. I didn't really understand what was happening. We had gone on long road trips before but I always knew that I would go home eventually. This time all of our stuff ended up in a new place and it didn't make any sense to me. This place didn't smell like home and I didn't want to stay.
Now that we are settled in, I have realized there are a lot of perks to being here. Our new house has an awesome backyard for sunning. The windows are low enough that I can see everything that goes on outside without having to actually be outside. I also learned that I love cats! There are 3 neighborhood cats that come by to visit me. Belle (because she has a bell on her collar) and Nubs (because he's missing half his tail) like to sneak in the house and steal my food but I don't mind sharing. Belle and I have started playing a bit and I am always excited to see her when I'm out on my walks. She's my new best friend! The 3rd cat is much more timid but is starting to come up and sniff me. I just stand still and let him check me out. I know what it's like to be afraid so I don't push him.
Now that we are settled in, I have realized there are a lot of perks to being here. Our new house has an awesome backyard for sunning. The windows are low enough that I can see everything that goes on outside without having to actually be outside. I also learned that I love cats! There are 3 neighborhood cats that come by to visit me. Belle (because she has a bell on her collar) and Nubs (because he's missing half his tail) like to sneak in the house and steal my food but I don't mind sharing. Belle and I have started playing a bit and I am always excited to see her when I'm out on my walks. She's my new best friend! The 3rd cat is much more timid but is starting to come up and sniff me. I just stand still and let him check me out. I know what it's like to be afraid so I don't push him.
In these last 8 months I have made a lot of progress becoming a real dog. I chew on sticks in the yard, I love walking through puddles (especially muddy ones), and I run around all crazy when I'm wet. I love laying in the sunshine and walking in the rain. I get super excited when my mom packs up for an adventure. I am always game for a hike in the woods. I am still weary of strangers, especially kids, but I am learning to warm up faster. I don't enjoy walking near busy streets and bicycles whizzing by scare me. Mom put me in my backpack carrier and went for a bike ride the other day and that was scary. I have a feeling she's going to keep doing it though so I will learn to love it, too. She is always pushing me to be braver than I feel. I love her for that.
In conclusion, I never bark or bite or pee/poop in the house because I'm a good boy, and good boys don't do that kind of stuff. I know my mom is nervous about the new adventure she's starting next week but with me by her side, she can do anything! I am her emotional support animal just like she's my emotional support human. Together we can take on the world, or at the very least PA school and Gainesville adventures!
In conclusion, I never bark or bite or pee/poop in the house because I'm a good boy, and good boys don't do that kind of stuff. I know my mom is nervous about the new adventure she's starting next week but with me by her side, she can do anything! I am her emotional support animal just like she's my emotional support human. Together we can take on the world, or at the very least PA school and Gainesville adventures!
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