Sometimes, we take in an animal with the best intentions, full of love – and yet, things turn out differently than we had hoped. This is exactly what happened in a conversation I had some time ago.
A female dog was taken in as a foster, and her new humans quickly fell in love with her. They wanted to provide her with a stable home, help her settle in, and give her a happy life. But the two resident dogs were anything but enthusiastic about the new addition.
One of the dogs got into serious conflicts with her – so intense that the humans had to be very careful to prevent any injuries. The other dog withdrew more and more, becoming quiet and distant. And the newcomer? She was stressed, unable to find her place, and couldn’t truly enjoy her new life.
During our conversation, an important realization came to light: The new dog needed her humans more than anything else. Affection, attention, being pampered – that was her world. Other dogs? They weren’t that important to her. In fact, she often saw them as competition. She felt the need to defend her space and make herself seem bigger than she actually was.
And the other dogs? They had been perfectly happy with their previous setup. One of them, in particular, deeply missed the time and attention of her human. Jealousy arose. She felt like she couldn’t do anything right anymore – and longed for more attention again.
It was a stressful situation for everyone involved – including the humans. They questioned whether keeping the new dog was truly the right choice. But even the thought of rehoming her was painful. They didn’t want to abandon her.
However, when I spoke with the dog and asked about her desires, something became very clear: She longed to be a “princess” – the center of attention for just one person who would solely care for her. She was endlessly grateful to her humans for giving her a chance, but she also sensed that this wasn’t the right home for her. And in the end, no one was truly happy.
After our conversation, the family took a deep breath and began searching for a new home – with openness, honesty, and the willingness to do what was best for everyone. And it didn’t take long before they found the perfect solution: An elderly, single woman who had been dreaming of a dog just like her. The move happened quickly, and soon after, the first happy updates arrived: contentment, peace, and a sense of belonging – for everyone involved.
A happy ending because everyone dared to listen to their feelings and true needs.
It happens time and again in conversations that we discover a situation simply isn’t working. People often feel responsible, as if they have to make it work somehow. They fear they have failed and don’t want to put the animal through another move. But often, the animals themselves sense that they haven’t yet found their forever home. They love their humans – but something still doesn’t feel quite right.
And when people allow themselves to acknowledge this and open their hearts to finding a solution, the right family often appears. And in the end, everyone is happy.
Sometimes, we are just a stop on an animal’s journey. They are grateful that we saw them and took them in – but we are not their final destination. And that’s okay. Because the greatest gift we can give them is to help them find their true home.
Lots of love for you and your animals,
Tanja
PS: A little update from my last blogpost: The three cats have made incredible progress. They can now lie together in the living room again, completely relaxed – something that hadn’t been possible for a long time. It’s wonderful to see how understanding and energetic work can transform relationships!