Change takes time

Change, especially when it involves settling into a new culture, takes time and patience. I’ve always known this “in my head” but Patch, my border collie, has taught me what this means in practice.

Patch with our makeshift agility jump

Patch came to me in February from a rescue centre. He is nine years old and was previously owned by an elderly gentleman who had had to go into sheltered accommodation.  Patch is a lively, affectionate dog but as I got to know him, it became clear that he had not seen much of life and had also been “top dog”. His main form of exercise seems to have been chasing a ball in the garden. After he arrived, he was very quick to bring anything he could find for me to throw. As he chases everything (including birds!) and so can’t be trusted off the lead with all the livestock we have around here, it is an ideal way of giving him a good run. He also loves agility and we go classes as often as possible and then practice at home.

He was terrified of tractors and all the other large agricultural vehicles that pass our house from time to time. The dustbin lorry,  courier vans and the post man were all fine, however. More seriously, he was also terrified of rain, perhaps because it blows harder against the windows here than it might in a town house.

Sometimes he would be fine left by himself but, more often than not, I came home to find that he had been scratching frantically at the kitchen door or scraping the carpets. I was quite upset about this – not so much for the damage to the door or carpets but to Patch’s paws and also his spirit.

I know I am not as instinctive with dogs as I am with horses and so I consulted a canine behaviourist and she made some very helpful suggestions, including getting him used to being put in a crate. Shutting him up, even in a comfortably sized crate, seemed unkind and yet I could see the logic in that wild dogs tend to live in caves. Despite my feelings about it, the crate has been a great success and he is happy to be left there. Coming home now, I am greeted by a relaxed, happy dog rather than a stressed one, often with bleeding paws.

He has gradually come to terms with not being top dog too. Barking was obviously a great strategy for getting attention in his previous home but here I don’t care how much he barks as there is no-one to disturb, so the “attention” barking has almost ceased as it no longer gets a response.

Patch has also reminded me of the need to be consistent with him at all times so that he knows what is expected of him and what he can expect of me.

Today marked another milestone. The engineer came to service my central heating boiler. I left Patch in the office whilst I went to answer the door and make sure the engineer had all that he needed. Patch barked for a bit and then all was quiet and I came back to find him snoozing happily. He is clearly starting to feel safe here and accept the comings and goings of daily life.

Thinking back, for him coming here must have felt like being transported to a completely new world. At times, despite loving him to bits, I wondered if this was the right home for him or whether the move to the country was too much for him.   It’s been a good reminder that change takes time and also (like the crate) it’s what works for Patch that has been important, rather than my feelings about it.

As I write this, Patch is lying by my feet but I know that as soon as I stir, so will he and, with ears pricked and tail wagging, he’ll be ready for the next adventure. Not only has he taught me a lot about adapting to change but also about loyalty. trust and joie de vivre!