The Story Of My Rescue Dog Lola

This is a story about the extraordinary impact getting a rescue dog has had on my life. The beautiful amazing Lola.

I was brought up in a family who refused to get a me dog. The mantra was that it would be a 9-day wonder and I wouldn’t look after it properly. I had no say in this decision, but it didn’t stop me being desperate for a dog.

When I had my own son Sam, he was just as desperate for a dog as I ever was, but at the time, working shifts and being a single parent, it just wasn’t feasible. Plus, some of that conditioning from my parents had sunk in. Would I really take care of a dog properly and forever? I wasn’t sure.

So, years later, I was now working part time, in a much better position and on a yoga meditation weekend with my friend Jenny. If you have ever been on one of these, (I highly recommend it) throughout the weekend, with the nature, yoga and meditation, you get deeper and deeper into calm serenity till your almost permanently in a semi-meditative state.

In this state, you get a lovely clear clarity on what path you need to take next in life. The very last meditation before we left, I was in a really deep state and there it was, plain as day, I must get a dog.

The rationale in this state was that it would mean would have to go walking in nature every day, which had been part of the plan for many years but rarely materialised. I could fulfil my lifetime ambition of getting a dog and do my bit for the local kennels by getting a rescue now that I had the time, energy and resources to look after a dog properly.

Sam of course was delighted at the announcement we were getting a dog and we started looking online at local rescue kennels. Soon after a picture of Lola popped up and the sight of her lovely face just resonated with something inside me. We went to the kennels soon after, and in a move which with hindsight actually seems a bit bizarre, we didn’t even stop to look at any of the other dogs. We just went looking for Lola, worried she wasn’t there as we were searching all the cages and couldn’t find her. In the very last cage at the back, there she was waiting for us.

Now Lola, aged 6 at this point was far from perfect. She had to wear a muzzle as she had never been socialised with other dogs, she was also very small, which we didn’t know at the time as she was mixed breed so unsure what size she was meant to be, but she filled out so much in the first year we had her, it makes me wonder if her previous owners had exercised her at all.

She was scared of everything including the hoover, hairdryer, cars, sweeping brushes, and at first, we couldn’t even give her any treats as her digestive system couldn’t tolerate them. She was so clingy, she followed me all around the house. Every time I moved; she came with me. She would have to be in contact with me constantly, lying and snuggling in literally all the time. When she would cuddle into me, her insecurity and vulnerability were palpable. This only served to make me absolutely committed to giving her a happy, safe secure life.

The day after we got her, rather naively we took her to some nearby woods. What an experience! The only way I can describe it is that it was like having a wild animal on a lead. She was thrashing around all over the place, I could hardly control her. I think all the smells and the sounds of the wildlife were just too much for her and she had a bit of a meltdown. So, we lasted 5 mins that first day and then it was road walks only. Even this was a challenge as she would go berserk every time, we saw another dog.

Thankfully we were recommended Godsend No1, Laura the dog psychologist, who was so experienced and confident, she had Lola off lead and with other dogs straight away, correcting her when she was being behaving inappropriately. Just as importantly, she began training me and Sam on how to deal with Lola and teach her correct behaviour.

Laura introduced us to Godsend No2, Paul the dog behaviourist who took Lola out every week on pack walks to get her fully socialised and so she could start to trust other dogs. Paul very generously would let Sam and I join him on pack walks, because at this point, we needed probably needed more training than Lola. So, in time and with a lot of help, the muzzle came off as Lola became a lovely calm wonderful dog who is now a pleasure to go walking with.

Back to when we first brought her home, of course it was all very exciting at first but in the back of my mind, I did have some doubts if I would really be able to cope with this huge commitment.

One day though, just a few days after we had got her, I was in the kitchen when Lola walked in. I turned around and all I could see was this vulnerable, gentle soul that was so pure and beautiful, she literally made me go weak at the knees. I knew I had just fallen completely in love and it has stayed that way ever since.

Having Lola’s presence in our house has improved everything. The responsibility of looking after her has made me a better person. She’s tapped into some kind of maternal feelings specialised for vulnerable dogs which has made me more tolerant and relaxed of everything. I’m happy to wake up and happy to come home knowing her lovely smiley face is there to greet me.

Getting to witness Sam become increasingly besotted with her has also been a joy to watch. Seeing him take responsibility to take care of her, love her and cherish her has made me so proud. While Sam and I have always got along well, we noticed very early on that Lola is terrified of raised voices to the point she shakes and cowers.

So, without as much as a conversation about it, that was the end of any raised voices in our house and the resulting improvement in harmony is blissful. Lola also has this incredible skill of tuning in if you are upset or anxious over something. She sits with you and you know she is intentionally trying to heal you… and she does. It’s a beautiful thing.

It’s now 2 and a half years since we got Lola and she is a cherished and wonderful part of our family. The early days of getting her to sleep in her own bed are long gone and she now chooses each night if she is going to sleep in my bed or Sam’s. She no longer gets up in the night and can eat most things as she is so settled and relaxed. She still loves a fuss and a cuddle, but she has a lot of ‘Lola time’ now, where she just does her own thing without having to be attached to me.

There is no doubt in my mind dogs are angels. They are sent to us to make us better people and to heal us. I can honestly say getting a rescue dog is in the top 2 things I have ever done in my life. The experience has been way more rewarding, and I love her more than I ever thought possible. Getting any dog is a big commitment, but if you have the resources and the time to do it properly it will enhance your life in ways you never knew it would.