We all know how some dogs are just fixed on doing something naughty. Introducing Angus, a very sweet boy who lived the life of a vagabond before securing his own place in a home! No dog — especially one who’s never known the comforts of a warm living room or ever experienced the joy of a chew toy — will adjust well.
Home, Sweet Home
The O’Hara family knew when they took in Angus, a collie cross, that there would be an adjustment period. And gave him the full tour of family pet amenities: cushy beds, great treats, and lots of belly rubs. However, Angus also started to engage in some of the regular dog habits that his new ‘parents’ weren’t too keen on.
One of his favorite pastimes? Smashing, smashing whatever he could get his paws on.
“He does not really know how to play or retrieve, but loves destroying stuffed animals or anything squeaky. He was a terrible chewer and had separation anxiety when we got him so he destroyed a number of things for the first 6 months until he settled down with being left at home,’ Angus’s mum Debbie O’Hara told The Dodo.
We remember our own pup, Buddy. I still have my favorite sneakers, which he once turned into a pile of confetti! A dog that previously had a rough past may be lashing out by accessing new surroundings.
Despite Angus getting his destructive tendencies mostly under control eventually, the festive season always appeared to be a trigger for that playful little rascal inside of him.
Christmas Came Early
So Christmas Eve night before last he unpacked all our presents. Over a box of good old Purdy`s chocolates and 4-pack Kit Kats. He has a heart of iron [and] the chocolate did not make him sick at all. So some family received gifts with boxes gnawed open and we had to purchase another hoodie because he managed to shred one getting it out,’ she continued.
Well, we all have heard that chocolate is worst for dogs. The O’Hara family immediately proceeded with Angus to the vet, just to be sure. Luckily, he was perfectly okay — what a Christmas miracle! Needless to say, they learned from that experience and kept the chocolate a long, long way away from his little nose.
Debbie even began to conceal the presents, believing them protected from their little present rogue. But Angus had other plans.
This time I left out one bag of unwrapped presents that he could reach when we went to the shops. He devoured the toffee [and] peanut butter cups, and a couple boxes are torn open but that’s standard now. Q: I know he doesn’t give up at all — true?
I can totally relate. Another year, my friend’s dog, Charlie, sneaked into the kitchen and ate an entire gingerbread house none of us had been able to resist decorating. Dogs can never say no to holiday treats!
Angus O’Hara has a very real tendency to ruin Christmas One After The Other in disastrous comedic ways, but the O’Hara family don’t know how to be mad at him. He isn’t trying to be naughty—they know that—he is simply bursting with joy at being part of a family that loves him unconditionally.
We love him like a son, and you can tell he loves us right back, too,’ Debbie said.
I mean come on, that face, those tail wagging. Angus is saying his best life, and as far as his family is concerned, it stays that way.
Nearly 6.5 million companion animals are brought into U.S. shelters each year, the ASPCA states. And like Angus, many will have never experienced the joys of a loving home. This is just one of the many stories that demonstrates how amazing adoption can be, both for our furry friends and their humans.
So this holiday season, if you catch your pup ripping into a present or two early, feel free to follow in the O’Hara family’s footsteps. So roll with it, chuckle about it and know that sometimes the greatest gifts are not always under a tree but at the end of a leash and in your arms with a wagging tail – after all home is where the dog is.
