Joy

Joy (photo by TLS)

I met Joy for the first time when I visited my veterinarian's office for a no longer remembered reason.  She was in a cage with a black and white Papillion, and when I asked about her, they told me she had been rescued from a puppy mill.  Joy had been used for breeding, and after she had delivered several stillborn puppies, the breeder decided she was no longer a good investment and wanted to put her down.  Joy was rescued by one of the staff who worked in dog rescue.  At the time, Joy was only 3 years old.

Several days later, my sister Tina went to the clinic to pick up a product and fell in love with her.  She promptly adopted Joy, in spite of her many problems:  Joy was not housebroken, she hated men, she was terrified of thunderstorms and she had what I can only describe as withdrawal syndrome.  Joy would periodically crawl into a closet and hide for hours, not wanting to be disturbed.

The first time I took Prince over to my sister's house after she had gotten Joy, we thought it would be best to keep them apart, due to Joy's various issues.  Joy, however, had different plans.  When she heard Prince out in HER backyard, she began barking so loudly at the bedroom window that he jumped up on it to see her. My sister subsequently brought her outside (with a great deal of trepidation) and introduced her to Prince, to whose leash I was still holding.  To my surprise, Prince's reaction was that of a complete gentleman.

First, he gently sniffed her.  Then, when she growled a little, he backed away until she calmed down, and then returned to greet her again, his tail gently waving.  As she calmed down, he grew more friendly, yet never pushy...retaining a discrete and slightly aloof manner until she jumped up on HIM to lick his face.

Prince and Joy are friends now, and I have to admit, he is not nearly as polite as he used to be.  The other day he even put one of his giant paws on her back!  Fortunately, Joy didn't seem to mind in the least, and simply ran away from him.  She's come a long way from the frightened little dog who my sister brought home.  She still doesn't like thunderstorms, and once in a while she still hides in the closet, but she actually likes men now!  I think Prince is still her favorite male, though.