Cerise Rose arrives in our life

Cerise Rose has landed into her new life, and opened a new chapter in ours. She brings a sweetness that’s unmistakably sprinkled with flecks of Susie-Belle magic, as we have no doubt this is how it’s all meant to be; and that Susie-Belle’s with us, even though she’s not seen. Cerise is adorable, and while certainly timid with a marked fear of humans, we can see how she wants to embrace her life, and we’ll help her to do this just as soon as she’s able. Yesterday soon after arriving, she relaxed without hesitation with Renae and Twinkle, took up her place on the various beds and happily snored within a few hours of being in the house. She was however, alert as soon as Michel or I moved, and it’s clear that her human-induced, and focused fear rushes to the surface and her demeanour changes in a flash if we approach. But unlike touch-averse, skittish, panicky, flying out-of-arm’s-reach Twinkle, Cerise stays still, cowers, gives in and shuts down. The fear and damage caused in the puppy farm is similar, its manifestation is just different in different dogs. All heartbreaking.

She won’t take any food from us directly, turns her head away, drops her shoulders and we don’t continue to press her in any way. When we place it in front of her on the floor, she gobbles it up, without further thought. To see a dog fear the human hand in this way is sad, but nothing we’re unused to, thankfully we know this will pass as we gain her trust. In time, her tummy will be a helpful route through the thicket of fear she’s currently trapped by. I doubt it will be long before she will be perfecting her groking.

We went for an early walk today, before many were up and out, to begin getting Cerise used to our, now her, locality, and routines. It was good to start the bonding between us all, in a new environment and, Twinkle and Renae obligingly helped their new sister totter along without too many causes for concern. We’ve always found getting Twinkle and Susie-Belle outdoors, allowing them to use their senses, to behave as dogs, has been the most fruitful path to a peaceful existence. Although Cerise is unused to waking on a lead, the past few weeks spent with her foster mum and time hanging out at DBARC, has got her well on the way to this being mastered.

She followed her sisters and I’m sure within a few days she’ll be happily keeping up with them on our daily perambles. Although, the weather right now is not conducive to walking in some of our most favourite haunts, the mud these will entail is something I’ll avoid for a bit. I’m sure if Cerise is true to schnauzer-form, coming home thoroughly draggled and needing a good bath is not going to be the most welcome of events, so it’ll be one we’ll put off for a little while yet.

So, there’s ample work ahead for us and Cerise; she needs to learn to put aside what is clearly a terror of humans, and she will soon enough, we’ve no doubt at all. We need to offer the quiet, steady life of routines with a few small adventures, when she’s ready, that we know will help her come on. Third time around, and the journey ahead feels as exciting as it did with Susie-Belle, the difference is, I know a bit more now of what to expect. And, to expect little of Cerise, but to trust that she will do what she can, when she can, and we feel privileged to be able to offer her that chance.

Without the help of the team at DBARC once again, and Donna and Janet in particular, we wouldn’t have Cerise today. If you’d like to help them to continue the compassionate, brilliant work they do, Susie-Belle’s memorial fund is open until mid January and can be found on this link:

Susie-Belle’s Memorial Fundraising Link

or, visit her Memorial Wish List