Odie-my dog

[coconuts]

I know I have shared part of this story before but it's just so raw right now. My inlaws went out of town and left their dogs with us for the next week and the one dog reminds me so much of my childhood pet, Odie.

Odie was brought home by my sister. We hid him in her room for weeks before my dad figured out what was happening and by then even he admitted we couldn't give him back. So Odie became ours. We named him Odie (from Garfield) because my dad loved those comics. His name was sprinkles or something like that and my dad said it was stupid. Odie was so fun. He was black and small. My parents said a mix between a dachshund and a chihuahua. He had a small chihuahua face, a long body and his legs were more chihuahua than dachshund. He was funny and cute and maybe it's odd for me to laugh at but he had seizures and the trigger was the sound of a lawnmower. Its like the only time he had seizures. We would have to take him upstairs far away from the noise while the lawn was being mowed. If the neighbors started one up when we didn't realize he would topple over and have a seizure. Just his little thing.

Every night we had a set routine that had to be followed perfectly. Brush teeth, pajamas, then walk into my parents room and say "goodnight mother I love you" while I gave her a hug and a kiss. I had to say it perfectly with complete respect and love. If I sounded mocking or at all angry or anything I got a smack and was told how ungrateful I was and I had to try again. Well Odie sensed the hostility and began growling at me when I bent over to hug her. He and our other dog (her guide dog) would growl and she would laugh and say good dog and pet them. Every night it was this way. Sometimes them snapping at me and her laughing and saying good dogs.
One day when I bent over to hug her Odie jumped up and bit me. He snapped a chunk right out of my side. Not bite marks but a literal chunk and she laughed so hard. I stood there a hole bit out of my jammies and blood running down my body and she laughed cause the hole was funny and the dog knew what a bad person I was and told me to go clean myself up. I still have the scar.

Did the nightly ritual change? No. Her and my dad held the dogs back now while he snipped and snapped and growled and I still had to say "goodnight mother, I love you" in the perfect way while my parents laughed and the dogs growled. At least 2 more times the dogs would get away. The bigger dog just scared me but never bit. Probably because she was highly trained not to bite as a guide dog. But Odie, he took out a couple more chunks. One on my ankle and one on the top of my foot. There may have been more but I remember those for sure. I think I was 9 or 10 when this happened.
Why would they do that? And this wasn't just my mom. My dad laughed too. He didn't help me clean up. He just laughed. He was there. He didn't care about the hug ritual. But he did think the growling and biting was funny.

[Paper]

Oh coconuts, that’s cruel on many levels. I’m sorry they did that to you. I’ve been thinking about this since I read it earlier and I feel so bad for the little you that had to perform this ritual every night with the dogs threatening violence, and the attacks on you, and them having that behavior reinforced (in my opinion that’s training ),and these adults who not only failed at their job to protect you and cherish you but laughed… I don’t know why they laugh. Some of my abusers laughed when they abused me too. I had a terrible helpless feeling. I’m sorry the dog you’re taking care of reminds you of Odie and you’re having these memories brought up now.

[Oceantide]

coconuts, that's so awful, so cruel. What sadistic people, taking pleasure from your pain. And the bedtime ritual is grotesque. Horrific. I'm so sorry.

[Redisfinallyfree]

Oh Coconuts,

I’m so sorry you had to endure that. That’s really awful. What terrible people they were. Shame on them. I hope you’re free from them now. You didn’t deserve their sadistic cruelty. I hope that the dog that reminds you so much of Odie is a much nicer dog for you. I hope this one gives you kisses instead of scars.

Redisfinallyfree

[Rosahope]

Coconuts what cruel! Sending you love.


Edited changed trigger warning

[there]

Coconuts,
So sorry you went through that as a child. No excuse for such cruelty to a child.

I hope you start to feel better again after this trigger.

Hugs