My dog was adopted three times before my girlfriend showed up with him one day, and all three of his former owners died. They were really old people, though, so he was passed around from one person to another, but that still traumatized the poor thing, as they died right next to him. They found his last owner after two days the man had passed away, with the dog being locked inside the house the whole time... So anyhow, he's been getting these panic episodes whenever we'd go to sleep but he is a lot better now. I personally believe the dog is cursed, but I have no say in the matter.
Thanks to each and every one of you for the kind comments - I appreciate each of them! Thank you!
Monitor: that's a special dog you have there. Good for you for taking him in. Cursed? I don't think so. I think it's a very special duty and service he's provided - being the companion in his former peoples' last days and moments. They didn't die alone. He was there for them.
So it's just unfortunate that he's been traumatized by the repeated departures and of course he has trust issues - as have some of ours when first come home.
We rescued one of the cutest and nicest mannered dogs on 4 legs; a senior Dachshund from Texas (hence he's one of the smaller bombs on the mission tally!) - and who could possibly betray his loyalty and abandon him and turf him out as a stray ?!?! - a little companion dog who was losing his sight and going a bit deaf and couldn't possibly fend for himself as it isn't in his nature. And he was picked up as a stray. We got him up from the shelter in Texas and he quaked with terror when he came off the transport - and he wore a frown on his forehead for at least 6 weeks and never wagged - wondering what the heck and where he was and who are we now and where are his familiar people and familiar smells?
But with lashings of TLC and comforts, he slowly began to realize that this was the end of the line and he settled in perfectly … as I would sometimes tell him (hoping he'd understand the feelings if not the words): "I'm sorry for what's happened and it isn't fair. You've done nothing wrong. You're such a good boy. And I know this isn't what you expected for yourself and not where you thought you'd end up - but it's where you need to be. And you are so loved and welcome here and we are so glad you've come to stay."
And he really bonded to me - like no dog ever before has. I swear he was closer to me than my trusty old dog of 15 years!
But it turned out that he was epileptic - probably the reason he was punted as his seizures scared the kids or some such thing - and he was a palliative case with a brain tumour. We lost him after just 18 months with us but he made a big splash on our home for such a little dog - and, on his last day, we called in our vet and he went out of the world on the futon (where I'd slept with him for months to monitor him and manage his seizures in the night if he had them) and on his favourite sheepskin rug and beside the two people who loved him best. We should all be so lucky to go out as peacefully.
So my hope for you Monitor, is that you can one day do the same for your boy - do for him as he has done for others. He's done his service for his other people and he deserves nothing but time and a good loving retirement with you and your girlfriend - his people - and what we do for them on that last appointment and saying goodbye is a beautiful, brutal thing - but it's the last act of love we can give them for all the unconditional love they give us.