What My Dog Knows.
“Let’s go!” I said.
Rex kicked it up a notch and lunged forward. He likes to race me across the pedestrian bridge that spans over the Milwaukee River. He’s way faster than me but I usually cheat and cut the slack in his retractable leash so he can’t get too far ahead. This time though, there was no one around so I let him get a few extra yards in front of me.
At the end of the bridge he barreled around the corner and headed for the staircase that leads back to the street level, but suddenly he stopped dead in his tracks. I assumed he’d found a dead bird or something, scolded him, and quickly tried to retract his leash while I caught up. When I finally rounded the corner too, I saw what he saw: an old man laying on the park bench. He looked horrible. He was covered in an old ripped blanket. His clothes beneath it were ratty, his face was covered in dirt, and his hands were oddly wrapped in plastic bags. I’ve seen plenty of homeless people before but not many like this. He was hard to look at and it was uncomfortable to be so close.
I pulled on Rex’s leash to hurry him towards the staircase and away from the man but it was impossible to avoid him. I kept my head down and eyes on the staircase ahead, but Rex tugged on his leash hard. I looked back to find that he had jumped up onto the bench with the man!
Time slowed down in my mind as the homeless guy reached out to grab him — I just wanted to yell “DON’T TOUCH MY DOG YOU CREEP!”
But it was too late.
He stuck his hand out. Rex smelled it and in a split second leaped into his lap. The homeless man wrapped his arms around him while Rex squirmed around in his arms like he loves to do.
The man’s face lit up and a huge semi-toothless smile burst from his tired face. He tipped his head back and laughed like a little kid. I saw his whole world get brighter while Rex rolled and wiggled around in his arms. Like a sleep deprived Sims™ character napping on the couch, I imagined a gem above this guy’s head turning from red to green in a just a few seconds.
After a few more wiggles and sniffs in the man’s arms, Rex jumped down and made off for the staircase like nothing had happened. I took one last look back at the homeless guy and we made eye contact for the first time. I smiled, he smirked back and said, “Thank you.”
Rex and I carried on.
As we got to the bottom of the stairs, I replayed the moment over in my head… it was weird.
When I first picked Rex up from his foster home a few months ago he was just this shy, timid little pooch. He cowered beneath the coffee table and growled at nearly every stranger he saw, no matter how harmless they looked.
He barked a lot and really hated when I’d leave him home alone. Rex is my first dog and, frankly, I had no idea what I was getting myself into with him. He’s a lot of work and it takes a major commitment. I definitely underestimated all of that before adopting him.
But I also underestimated how amazing it would be to watch this neglected little dog come back to life. Today he’s a brave, confident, and happy little goofball. He loves to run around, dig, chase birds, snuggle, roll and wiggle like every other pup.
They say dogs take on the personality of their owners over time, and I hope that’s true because Rex has turned out to be a really cool guy.
We still come across the same homeless man from time to time on our walks. His face is still dirty and worn. I don’t know his name and we’ve never even exchanged more than a few words, but Rex still runs over to him and snuggles up each time. The man’s face lights up, he laughs, and says “Thank you.”
I like to think Rex is just trying to pay it forward and bring a little joy to someone else who needs it now … but I also think he’s convinced the guy has treats in some of his shopping bags.
Either way, he leaped right into the arms of a total stranger. That loss of control is a little terrifying to me but Rex knows to be confident in situations like that. To make eye contact with the things that make him uncomfortable. To remember that perspectives can only change when we cross hard lines … because who knows? There might be treats in those shopping bags after all?
