The Reluctant Warrior

(NEW! See a slide show of Duncan's best photos at the bottom of this page.)

It was a windy autumn day when we brought our new Sheltie puppy home. We expected him to be like all our other puppies - curious and full of enthusiasm and joy. So when I sat this puppy down in our yard I expected him to run about with glee. Instead, a gust of wind toppled him over onto his side. He scrambled to his tiny paws and ran over to me. He sat down and shook at my feet, afraid to move away.

This was the beginning of a brand new experience for me. I had never before had a timid puppy and had no clue as to what to do for him. But our 10 year old Sheltie, Cory, knew. And he would be the one to show us how to care for our new puppy.

Cory was curious at first about the puppy, but he by no means was overjoyed at his presence. He stood back at a respectful distance for a short time before slowly approaching to sniff the shaking, small creature. With a huff Cory walked off to find more interesting things in the yard, and puppy slowly followed for a bit until a gust of wind blew, and he flattened himself to the ground to prevent being blown over once again.

The house was better for our timid puppy, and in time he grew accustomed to the yard. The name we chose for him was “Duncan.” In Gaelic, Duncan means “brown haired warrior.” We had hopes that our little one would grow into the name. It was a couple of weeks before we thought we could give him another chance with the outside world and take him for a walk. We put on his tiny harness and leash and carried him out the door because he hadn’t yet learned to use the steps. We used a harness because we expected him to behave like our other puppies and pull on the leash to run ahead. But we couldn’t even get him to walk down the driveway. We brought Cory out to show Duncan that walks were fun, but Duncan wanted none of it. He plunked his little fanny down on the ground and planted his front legs like a mule. Cory huffed in frustration at the delay. I fretted over Duncan’s fear. In the end my husband walked off with Cory while I carried Duncan back in the house.

It was slow going for our little warrior. He turned often to Cory when he was unsure, to see how Cory handled the situation. Our words of reassurance meant nothing to him. Cory put up with Duncan’s sporadic ambushes, and while very tolerant he was not in the least affectionate. Our Cory, who had previously been the “wild” one, had turned into the elder statesman. He became like an elegant, older gentleman who would take little, if any, insolence from the little one. He gave Duncan respect, but also expected the young one to know his place.

That was the key. Cory knew Duncan’s place in our household and treated him accordingly. I was treating him like a frightened child instead of a dog. As soon as I realized that, I began expecting more from Duncan. I also expected more from myself. I  knew had to become a strong, confident leader.

It worked! Duncan is now is enjoying early morning walks with Cory and I. He still has difficulty with loud noises, but he presses himself against Cory and keeps on walking. We are literally taking the days “one step at a time,” and there are always new things to experience and learn about. The world may be frightening at times, but it can also be great fun. And when those frightening times happen, Duncan  now finds his courage through the strength of his brother Cory, and the guidance of his “leader.”

Like all of my dogs, Duncan has taught me some very important life lessons. His first lesson for me was that I should never expect too little from anyone - including myself. He also taught me that we also can achieve more than we could ever believe, if we only have someone who believes in us.

Is there someone in your life who is facing a difficult challenge? Then now is the time to step up and let them know that you believe in them. And that when strong winds blow, you’ll be by their side if they need someone to lean on.