Sampson’s past is one shrouded in mystery. He was rescued by my wife as a 6 month old malnourished, mange infested scared pup. He had a giant scar on his neck, a gaping wound on the back of neck, and the shelter had no information about his injuries. A bait dog, a fence, being thrown out of a car – all theories thrown out there. Only one thing was for sure. He was handsome.
Fast forward two years when I came into his life. My wife and I started dating and Sampson hated me. For 6 months I would walk in the house and be growled at. He wouldn’t let me pet him, even with Mom around. As someone who grew up with dogs this offended me greatly. Why won’t you let me love you dog? One day I walked in and he ran full speed at me and I thought this is it. This is the day he murders me. Sampson jumped on me to give me kisses and has trusted me ever since.
He still has trust issues with new people. He does not do well around other dogs. My friends joke that he is a ‘broken dog’. But he’s mine (sorry Sara). He’s the funniest, laziest, most loving dog I’ve ever known. I’ve had to pay my dues with him to earn his love and his trust and it’s been extremely fulfilling. If I’m upset or stressed out all I need to do is give Sampson some pets and butt scratches and life is good again, and that’s priceless.