3 Months Later

I know I just wrote about Moxie, but it was brought to my attention that today is our 3 month anniversary of having brought her home. 3 months doesn’t seem that long at all, yet as anyone who adopts a pet or has a baby can attest, 3 months is also a loooong time. We’ve spent that time getting used to having a dog in the house, figuring out her personality and quirks, and trying to bend her to our will as much as possible. So far that is going mediocre at best. Moxie is a stubborn dog, and fits right in at our house with that sort of personality. But she is also adorable, gentle, funny, and sweet (most of the time). I know some people don’t understand the joy that having a pet can bring, but for us, having Moxie in our lives has really brought increased happiness to our home.

As we gear up for the Army Man being gone here and there over the next few months, I find myself even more grateful for her presence. There is such a feeling of added security and companionship by having a dog in the house. When Laura goes to bed at night, it doesn’t feel quite so lonely. Scary noises aren’t quite so scary if Moxie is there to protect me (although the Army Man and I still can’t decide how much actual protecting she would do). These days, Laura will actually go play in the backyard with Moxie for a bit, essentially giving us a third party in the home to break of the monotony of just Laura and me all day long. And although Moxie causes me grief on a daily basis (like how she is now so obsessed with the animals behind the house that she has to be forced to go to the bathroom), I can’t imagine not having her in our lives. Sure, I can remember what life was before we had her, but I don’t mourn that past.

And to prove what some love, exercise, and good food can do for a dog, I present Moxie from December, and Moxie from a few days ago. The Army Man and I are a little unclear on why we thought she was so cute in the beginning, but we figured we saw what we needed to see to convince us to adopt her.

The current picture of Moxie (which was taken by Laura, by the way) really doesn't do justice to just how different she looks. Her fur has grown with a vengeance and now she has a mane of sorts. Her tail is so fluffy compared to that pathetic little thing she used to have. She has gained at least 8 pounds, which on a dog her size, is pretty significant. She just looks and acts so much happier. It's hard having a rescued dog, because I think aspects of her past will haunt her for the rest of her life. Dropping her off for a bath has become a heart-wrenching ordeal. Each time she resists so strongly that I am convinced she must think I am abandoning her. When I arrive to pick her up, she is so hysterical that she can barely control herself, and has knocked me over more than once. I cringe to imagine what it will be like when we have to board her this summer.

Sometimes Moxie almost seems to have flashbacks to her past, because if she is not listening and we become more stern with her, she turns into this pathetic, scared creature who runs and hides, flops on her back in supplication, or worse case scenario, pees inside. It's much worse if it is the Army Man who is the one trying to get her to do something. She acts terrified of him which is just ridiculous-he would never hurt her. But somewhere in her past, those sort of situations obviously resulted in physical abuse for her, and she can't forget about it. I can only hope that the longer she lives with us, the more she comes to understand that she will always be safe at our house.

So here's to many more years of happiness with Moxie, and I'd better refer back to this post frequently to remind me that I do in fact love her, because so help me, it's 9:19 in the morning and she has already dug a hole in the backyard.