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RESCUE DOBES are unlike any other dogs you will ever know or be owned by. They are unique. They come in all shapes and sizes; all ages, colors and temperaments. Some are very dominant; some are overly submissive. Some are silly, some are sad. Some are puppies delivered to us in the trunk of a car; some are oldsters with little time left to them. Some are healthy; some are not. Some are abused physically. Some have been well cared for physically, but are mentally and spiritually starved and dying. Some are the victims of death, divorce, relocation and anti-dog legislation (yes, the "Pit Bull Ordinance" affects us, too!). They are turned over to us because they were the right dog for the wrong person, the wrong dog for the right person or the wrong breed for all the wrong reasons. They are the victims of a "Me" society that demands immediate gratification without giving a thought to the concept of commitment--if it doesn't work out, or requires more effort than expected, they get tossed out with yesterday's newspaper. They are the victims of a lack of commitment, a lack of effort, a lack of understanding, a lack of caring. All are neglected--each in it's own "special" way, and when they finally reach our doors, we have to care enough to give the "extra" effort required to recognize and understand their need and then start to meet those needs.
Yet, despite being abandoned, abused or neglected, most come to us with a sense of trust that causes us to marvel both at their resilience and their ability to trust again no matter how severely that trust might just have been betrayed by a former owner. They allow us to treat their wounds and injuries--even when that treatment is painful to them. They somehow seem to understand that we are trying to help. They sense that their pain is ours also. They see our tears and lick them away. We see their bravery. They let us poke, prod, medicate and care for them--the whole time looking at us with those beautiful deep brown eyes overflowing with trust. The broken bodies often mend quickly; the broken spirits take longer--and sometimes never truly do mend.
Some come into our homes and lives and act like they've been with us forever. They never seem to look back--only forward. Others come into our homes and deeply grieve the loss of their former family. Some retreat deeply into themselves as a response to their emotional pain. They only respond when we require or demand it. Their wounds are so deep, their scars so great that they are never able to fully recover. Only slowly do they trust again, but with a trust that is always ready to be pulled back at the slightest hint of betrayal.
When you look into the eyes of a Rescue Dobe, you see an intangible "something" that is different--you see something "special". So often, they have seen the very worst that life has to offer, yet they sense the love we feel for them. We watch as they face all of life's adversities with a dignity that we can never quite manage to emulate. They help us make lemonade from the lemons life has dealt them. While we are the ones who try to comfort them, it is always they who seem to console us instead. They show us a joy and zest for life that puts us to shame. We work, care for our children and spouses, go to meetings, and give them whatever is left over. They shame us by always giving us their very best in return.
They give us other things, too. Because of their uniqueness, each Rescue Dobe has so much to offer. It is they who teach us.
What do we learn?
- UNDERSTANDING--because without it we could never be able to assess and solve their problems.
- PATIENCE-- because we see their pain and feel their hurt and ever so lovingly ease them through it and back into a good family life.
- TOLERANCE-- because without it, we would never be able to deal with the uncaring people who have given RESCUE the task it has.
- LOVE--because when we see how well the dog adjusts to its new home and how happy its new owners are, we feel good inside, But most of all...
- ADMIRATION--for their will, their sheer determination to survive the bad that they have been dealt and their willingness to want to learn to trust again.
They seem to be so pleased, so proud to be a Rescue Dobe, as though that is the very best kind of Dobe to ever be. They are so right! Rescue Dobes are a breed apart from other Dobermans. They are special. They have special needs. Whether they are eight weeks or eight years old, they each need someone ready to give that extra effort required to help them fulfill their potential.
What do these special Dobes need?
- TIME--
They need time to adjust to their new home and family. For many, a new home is at least the third adjustment period they have had to go through in a short period of time. They have to adjust to being lost or abandoned. Then they must adjust to their new "foster home". Finally they have to adjust to a new permanent home. This can be a very stressful time for some of them. Given time and understanding, most adapt quickly.
- LOVE--
Love is probably the most important factor in helping a Rescue Dobe through the necessary adjustment period. They sense when they are loved and respond to that love. They know when they are "home". Time and time again we watch them choose their new person. We will know before the prospective adopter will that this is the dog for them because the dog has told us!
- TRAINING--
Rescue Dobes aren't "bad" dogs. In fact, most of them really want to be "good" dogs. The trouble is that many of them have never been shown what the guidelines are for being a good dog. They want to learn but no one ever took the time to teach them.
- COMMITMENT--
Any pet, but especially a Rescue Dobe, should be a lifelong commitment. They are living, breathing, feeling creatures. They feel joy and happiness. They also feel grief at being abandoned and unloved. It hurts them to be "dumped" just like it would hurt you or me. A Rescue Dobe has experienced this at least once in its life. Now it needs a friend that will make a lifelong commitment to it. It will stick with you through thick and thin through good times and bad. A Rescue Dobe needs YOU to do the same.
They CAN learn and WILL learn with someone who will take the time to teach them. In the foster home, they start to learn house manners and sometimes a foster parent will have taken the dog through obedience classes. A foundation is being laid for the new owner. It's important for the new owner to follow through with the groundwork that has been laid by continuing the training. There is a real sense of pride that comes from taking a dog that someone else threw away and turning it into a pet that is the envy of the neighborhood!
What are Rescue Dobes?
- They are also the oldsters who are especially precious to us. Few stop and give them a thought or consider adopting them. Yet, they grace our lives by their presence. We watch as they face the injustices of life with their special pride and dignity. They have given the best of their life to one they have loved who has now turned them out. They have so much love left to give and so little time left in which to give it. They break our hearts--not by anything they do, but because no one wants them. No one wants to look at them. No one wants the six-year old or eight or ten year old's. NO one wants them for the year or two or three they have left in which to love and be loved. NO one wants to stop and appreciate their gentleness. NO one cares that their eyes still twinkle with that Doberman sense of humor. These are our Precious Ones--the ones that no one wants any longer. The muzzle might be graying, the step might be a little slower, the eyes might be a little dimmer, and the ears a little deafer, but the heart--the heart still beats strongly with love and devotion.
