Mollys Story Part 3- back tracking a bit!

Hello Everyone! 

I wanted to back track just briefly as I realized I left some key point out. The day we picked Molly up from that church parking lot, that alone should have sparked Red Flags, Bells, Whistles.. into my mind but I think because I was still in that grieving stage I was not thinking clearly.

Now, before I continue with the saga, I must tell you some things that will help a little with understanding why I even started this blog and why I think this story deserves to be shared. It will eventually explain compassion, patience, and understanding to a whole other level! A level that most are too scared to go. There are too many pets given up and taken to shelters who are viewed as unadoptable and euthanized without being given a chance.



When we pulled into that church parking lot, there was a silver van..it was a Sat morning so the church was closed. As we pull in, the van door opens and out comes this woman and she goes around and opens the van and I see 2 children in there a boy and a girl...they were holding the leash. The kids were little probably 7 and 10 I am guessing. They looked scared, sad, emotional. I immediately felt like this was those childrens best friend that mommy is giving away. There was Molly..this cute little girl who looked petrified. She was scared to get out of the van. The woman got her out and began to hand me Mollys belonging which was a half trash bag full of dry food and a bag of assorted toys which were not dog toys at all, but childrens toys and some with battery compartments and her vet records. She tells me at the church that Molly had been in 3 other homes ( RED FLAG) and that they sent her back but it was because she was in heat and they didn't want to deal with it. 

I look at this dog and say to myself.....poor baby, in 3 homes already and now going with us. How scared she must be. ..I grab her leash and tell the woman I will keep in touch and we drag her into our car. She was not willing to go, she kept turning around looking at them. It was very sad. I petted her and coaxed her in and we drove away.......and that was it.

This is just the very beginning of Mollys new life. I had NO idea what was in store for us, never in a million years would I think that a 55 lb, 8 month old Golden Retriever was going to change our lives in many ways.


Over the next few days after getting Molly, the owner was emailing me almost daily asking how everything was. I was reluctant to respond, but I did, telling her she was fine. I figured that they must love her enough to care. The breeder called me a few days later and seemed a bit unhappy that they just gave her away. She was nice though and sent me all the AKC papers and helped me get it set up. I was glad to have her history at least and her parents information. She seemed genuinely concerned about Molly being tossed around and was not informed that there were even issues with her.


So...thats a brief history on her past. 


After getting Molly acclimated to her surroundings, we began crating her. She was scared of the crate in the beginning and would not reliably go inside. I emailed the previous owner and asked if they had crated and they said no, that they would just block her off in the kitchen area if they were not home and at night she slept in there and they put paper down for her to pee on. 

UGH....Paper? Who even still does that? THat was not happening here. My dogs learn to pee and poop in the yard. She did pretty well considering. I worked with her everyday and she caught on pretty quickly. She was a bit of a chewer and had chewed some things in the house so I was not about to NOT crate her until she was trustworthy.

As the weeks went on, the crate training got harder and worse. She was stressed about the crate. We moved her into the big one that was Bucks in the bedroom. It was plenty of space for her. She barked and bit on the wires and I should have stopped and reassessed the situation at that point, and realized that maybe she was just one of those dogs that just cannot be crated. The day that Elvie called me frantic on the phone, I thought about the fact that this situation probably could have been avoided. I started to beat my self up and get upset...Damn, she was giving me all the signs in the world and I didnt see them. What now? 

So...I picked up the phone and called my friend Robin who is a professional dog trainer. I figured that at this point, I needed professional help and I will admit I was in no way an expert at this. I just knew that a dog that has tendencies to jump and attempt to bite you in the face is not a laughing matter!

Well......thats all I am going to say for today! I just felt that I needed to add these things in cause they are important things to know!

Woof Woof! This is Molly the day we brought her home after playing in the yard.