Something I didn’t really expect to encounter while in Uganda, but that makes sense, is that people there don’t know how to love a pet. If you do not routinely have the basics to survive, you probably would not go out and get a puppy or a kitten, right? So, typically, the dogs they would see around are homeless and don’t interact with people on a regular basis– certainly not ones that love them.
So, when one of the shelters got a one-year-old German Shepherd for protection, they were afraid of it! They took classes on how to properly care for the dog, but when I got there, they had the poor dog in a dark, windowless cage for most of the day every day. When they took her out for walks, they used a very short leash, and held her at the base of the neck, so that she had no room to walk freely.
Needless to say, I had to fix that! I had one or more of the guys accompany me when I took the dog on walks, so they could see me interact with her, and I got them a longer leash and a stake to use in their yard, so the dog could be out and about with some freedom–roughly 12 feet. While on walks, she could have about 2-5 feet of leeway. The streets were a bit narrow, and other people fear dogs too. But I jogged with her, walked with her, put my face in her face, so she could lick me, and made sure that those in the shelter who were afraid at least took the first step of holding their hand out below her snout–so she could smell them and lick their hand. That at least broke the ice. They also got a smaller puppy that was only a few months old. The guys weren’t afraid of this one, and it helped them fear the larger dog less when they saw how excited she was to lick and love on the puppy. So, I got to show them how to love and care for a pet dog. Treat them with love and as part of the family to avoid creating the kind of animal you’re afraid of!
