True Love Takes Time

My husband and I welcomed a new member of our family just two weeks ago. He is a 2-year-old 70 pound Great Pyrenees who now responds to his new name, Brisbane. We are overjoyed that he has joined our family and is now the ‘big’ younger brother to his Cream Golden Retriever, Abbey.

We both have a passion for pups and grew up with dogs in our homes. As adults, we have had the opportunity to share life with some amazing pups. While we have different parenting styles, we have something in common which is Love.

We give and receive Love with our pups in very special ways that for us model how to Love and be Loved by our human friends and family.

We follow the sage advice that states pups will need 3 days, 3 weeks, and 3 months to acclimate to a new home. We have seen this unfold with each of the dogs we have lived with in the past.

When we met Brisbane, we met a timid pup who lacked confidence. We were both able to see past that and see that his heart was open and he was ready to Love and be Loved, He was cautious with us and still, he came over to check us out.

Within 15 minutes, we knew he was coming home with us and it seemed he fingered it out because he came over closer to us as we talked with the foster parent and the adoption logistics.

When all was done and we were ready to put a collar on him and walk him to the car, he was hesitant for only a moment and then trotted off with us.

I sat in the back seat with him as my husband drove us home.

He met his sister when we got home and they were good from the first moment.

I would describe him in the first 3 days of being home with us as reluctant, withdrawn, timid, apprehensive, and confused. He kept to himself and ate very little when offered a meal, he did not take treats of any kind.

The first night I had to grab him by the collar and ease him into the bedroom. He found a spot and went to sleep. The next night we did the same thing only he came to the side of the bed and nudged my hand with his nose. When he had enough, he went to lay down.

The third night he followed me to the bedroom and repeated his nose bumps for some head pets. When I was ready for sleep, I said to him sleep and he went to his spot to sleep.

He now goes to the bedroom on his own eagerly and he still nudges my hand until I pet him before saying sleep.

He has the nighttime routine down and that seems to have given him the confidence he needed to eat more and be around us more.

We have only been away from him and his sister one time since he came home and when we talked through the door, he was dancing and prancing and wagging his tail. He was happy we came back!!!

We hit the 3 days and saw some changes in him. We are coming up on the 3 weeks and we have seen some significant changes in him. We look forward to celebrating him being with us for 3 months and a lifetime.

My experience with pups and their assimilation demonstrates Love in so many ways. We rarely take the time to think of romantic love needing its timeline of 3 days, 3 weeks, and 3 months. I reflect on how things might have been different for me in my relationships where I did not apply this wisdom.

Might it take 3 dates to feel comfortable with another person? What facades and walls might come down in the initial meetings?

How could get to know someone over 3 weeks impact my feelings for them? Could it give me a balanced view not overshadowed by the endorphins?

What habits or idiosyncrasies might show up in the first 3 months that I know I can or cannot live with long term? How many layers come off of a person in the initial 3 months of getting to know someone?

Love is a precious gift that we give to another person and when we are lucky enough to have found the right one, receive Love in return. Love is a set of actions that we experience 365 days a year with our special one!!!

Three things come to mind when I think of how Loving starts…