Like Jade

We have this dog named Jade, she is a beautiful German Shepherd who looks exactly like what you think of with this breed; sleek, fast and very intelligent. But that’s where similarities end because Jade is a broken dog. We adopted her from a rescue organization almost three years ago, and I think she’s starting to trust us! Honestly we can’t be sure because just when we feel like she has turned a corner to becoming a normal dog, she reverts back to a scared, suspicious ball of fur that cannot be consoled or controlled. We had to adopt a second dog to teach this one how to ‘be a dog’, and sometimes we will isolate them to see if she has become more independent. So far, the answer is no, when her friend is away from her, Jade simply hides.

I would not consider myself a dog person; cats make total sense to me and speak my language. But Jade has won my heart in a way I couldn’t have predicted, I think it’s because I see echoes of my own craziness in her. Some examples:

Like Jade, I can be won over temporarily. Then change on a dime and only be in this game for myself.

Like Jade, sometimes I can appear to have it all together, but the truth is very different than appearances.

Like Jade, when I don’t have my example of how to live, I can go into hiding.

It’s interesting that I can get so frustrated with this rescue dog, but justify my own quirks, even though I wasn’t raised in a life of abuse and neglect. Maybe I need to show a little more grace to Jade, and hold myself to a higher standard.