I was going through some photos today and came across this picture taken on the last family walk at the farm before Tony left. Top speed and crazy faces was the name of the game! It’s hard to believe that Tony has been in his new home for three weeks now! I spoke with Alex today and she said he’s fitting in super well… a seamless transition! He’s been shopping, a spectator at Indy’s agility class, and he’s started an obedience class with a room full of Shelties! Though he’s practicing skills he already knows, he and Alex are importantly bonding and becoming partners amongst the distractions.
“The secret to change
is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old,
but on building the new.”
~ Socrates
For Tony, everything about his life is different so he must get used to a new normal with all parts of life — I’m sure he has some missingness of his life with us, but he has lots in his life that is new and distracting to focus on. His resiliency and adaptability is remarkable.
Li’l Shazam is adapting too but it is taking time. He’s maturing without his partner in crime and our training is excelling. But for Shazam life is so much the same but yet it is not as a big piece is missing — he’s still surrounded by the remembering of “what was” where Tony is not. The routine here is the same but different. The house is the same but different. The family members are largely the same but the dynamic is now different. I feel that Shazam is adjusting but he is experiencing more grief and frustration. It’s getting better but his struggle in the first week or two was palpable.
This process is so interesting and causes me to contemplate. As puppies typically leave the pack at 9-10 weeks old, each one should experience that shift simultaneously as the apron strings are cut swiftly and abruptly. However for the Reel Red Superheroes, though the boys who have stayed with me the longest have benefited in acquiring life skills, confidence, maturity, foundations and routine… they have become more attached. I think they are all well suited to adapting to new people and situations… but I joke about them having their favorite back-up singers. Simon figured out life without Garfunkel — The music they made before their break up is still celebrated and enjoyed; The music made afterwards was still great…but different.