Pup Profile: Petunia Rose
Pup Profile: Petunia Rose
Like a leather sofa or a well-worn pair of jeans, certain dogs take time to mold to you—to become a part of your life and your home. A bit stiff at first, but conforming to you in a way that makes life without them seem impossible, Petunia is this type of dog.
Several months into fostering Petunia, her mother Susan ends each evening with what has become a ritual in her household. Evening snuggle time is followed by a silly little slow-dance before sending Petunia off to sleep for the night.
“She truly is a special girl,” Susan says, “There is a lot to love about Petunia.”
Petunia’s Past
While petunia resides in the comfort of her foster’s home in New Hampshire right now, life was not always easy for this pup. Raised in a puppy mill, petunia was neglected from a young age, and never given the proper care or understanding that is so crucial to a dog’s development during her early years. To make matters more challenging for her, Petunia is also deaf, making the world around her hard to understand.
Imagine if you will, a childhood in which people expect certain behaviors of you, but cannot communicate what those behaviors are. This is Petunia’s reality, and it has left her with several challenges that any future pup-parent will need to be aware of and prepared to tackle with patience and understanding.
Petunia Rose does not know how to interact appropriately with people or other animals, and while she is capable of becoming accustomed to people over time, her future owner will likely have to accept that she isn’t going to be the dog you can take to cook outs or be the friendly dog that interacts with your guests when you have a party.
So often, this concerns pet owners because our dogs aren’t being who WE want them to be. But, is this really the right way of thinking?
As Helen St. Pierre, of No Monkey Business Dog Training, says, “Not all dogs want to play with other dogs past adulthood… There’s nothing wrong with them, it’s us humans that need a lesson… if your dog doesn’t like other dogs, I can help them work through some of that but can’t force them to enjoy playing with another dog the same way I can’t force you to like someone else if you just don’t. Enjoy your dog for who they are, rather than worrying about who they aren’t.”
Is Petunia Right for You?
Petunia may not be the life of the party, but she will be your best friend.
She is bouncy, adorable, and you can’t help but smile when her eyes meet yours. After an assessment with dog trainer, we discovered that Petunia is more skilled than she lets on. She will sit, stay, and has quite the ability to pick up on environmental cues given her disability.
The right household for Petunia would be one where she is the only pet, there are no kids, and she has a fenced in yard to play in. Ideally, her next owner is not a first-time dog owner, and has a lot of patience and love to give. Her owner does not need deaf dog experience but should commit to at least one training session with a CPDT-KA certified trainer after adoption (which PAWS New England will financially support).
Are you looking for a best friend, and a dog that desperately deserves a loving home?
Petunia will be a challenge for her new owner, this is certain. But out of life’s hardest challenges, we often find the most beautiful rewards – like a dog who loves to dance, even if she can’t hear the music.