Lydia O Lydia, Have You Seen Lydia...Lydia the Tattoed Lady

The day after Easter, 2016, (March 28th) we went to a dog rescue group and adopted a very cute, but obviously abused dog.  I had researched the rescue group online and chosen Emmy from their adoptable animals two weeks prior to our encounter.  Her name was Emmy at the time, and people had been looking to adopt her that day, but every person who picked up this cute, 4lb, full-grown, min-pin/chihuahua, ended up handing her back to the care-worker and there she sat, in her cage, looking panicked.

When it was our turn to meet with Emmy, the care-worker told us about all of her quirks: food-aggressive, dog-aggressive, toy-aggressive, kid-aggressive, male-aggressive.  Yikes!  This dog would have been put down if she had been in a local Animal Control and Care facility.  But, knowing what I do about child-rearing, abuse victims, and long-term therapy for abused animals, I decided to go through with her adoption.

The first day, within 5 hours of her adoption, she had already bitten both of my girls and my husband.  The first week passed, and I was bitten as well, even though she did seem to consider me her 'person'.  By the end of week two, there had been numerous bitings, including a dog-brawl between our Chihuahua Pebbles and our new family member Lydia*--previously Emmy.  I pleaded my case for her to remain with the family and for patience and love to be extended through a year, knowing that by that time her trust in us as kind, animal lovers would have replaced her constant fear of everything and everyone.

It is now July 10th, and we have had her for three months.  The trust is growing.  The training is sticking, and the love is blossoming.

If you ever have the ability to adopt a severely abused dog, please prepare yourself for the commitment.  You are adopting.  You are adopting an ANIMAL.  You are adopting an animal that cannot speak English!  And so you will need to be consistent, loving, patient, and focus on the animal's cues so that you can prevent biting and fights, while encouraging peace and safety for all.  Give it a year, and you will find that you have a completely different animal living in your home than the one you brought home...she will still have inner fears, but your time, trust, and loyalty to her well-being will bring happiness to an animal that was wrongly treated.

*Footnote*
Lydia got her name because she has 'banjo eyes' like the Lydia from Breaking Bad, and she has a tattoo on her belly from before we got her--so this is like Lydia the Tattooed lady: CLICK HERE for the video reference to Lydia the Tattooed Lady.