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Rachael Rodgers
@trailsandbears

201,189 followers

This is Paddy. He’s eight months old and #adoptable Paddy caught a ride to the hamlet yesterday with his foster fam for some fresh bio photos and for practice meeting new people. He stood behind his foster fam at our meeting spot. He tried to play while I loitered, but gave strong hints that fun would happen if I left. I did leave, but to Paddy’s displeasure, he found himself riding away with me in the back of my car. Paddy came with two significant tidbits of info: he doesn’t like being taken away by strangers and “LOVES” water. The plan: compensate for the former with the latter. We went for a small drive to a short hike to a tall waterfall at the mountain where the water falls in Banff. Young Paddy seemed interested in having some fun when we got to the mountain (where the water falls) but evidence suggested he was wearing his anxiety cloak (invisible, the popular garment is effective at conserving worry and preventing fun). We stood by the car a few minutes watching strange vehicles, listening to strange sounds, and probably smelling strange smells. Then we spent more time together in a field by the trailhead. After some serious consideration, Paddy left the cloak and we started the short hike to the tall falls. The trail is steep but we arrived at the falls in no time (a phrase which here means “not very much time”). Paddy jumped into the shallow pool beneath a tier of falling water. Many dogs turn into scaredy-cats with all the splashing and bubbles and turbulence of water falls, but not Paddy. Paddy LOVES water. He asked (demanded) me to toss things into the pool for him to leap after. Paddy was no longer tied to a stranger, just some old hiking friend. On the descent, Paddy waited for me to navigate the steep, loose trail. We drove back to Exshaw where he helped water the tomatoes before his foster fam arrived to collect him. He didn’t notice Anna watching from her disapproving window. Do you know someone who would love a smart young guy with a skepticism of strangers and a LOVE of all things water? Paddy is available now from @pawsandclaws_animal_rescue in Red Deer, Alberta.