Shawshank’s Redemption

Name:  Melody (aka Missy, aka Shawshank)
Answers to:  Absolutely no one
Breed:  80% Chocolate Lab/15% Tasmanian Devil/5% T-Rex
Age:  9 (though she’d like to know who’s asking)

I’ve been meaning to introduce you to Melody for quite some time now, but every time I sit down to write, the emotions get big and bubbly and I just go on and on! So, no more stalling—it’s time to just get on with it.

Melody joined our family in September 2025 after her former dad became too ill to care for her. We weren’t looking for another dog—we already had Carver, our velcro 4-year-old Golden Retriever. But when her family reached out, we agreed to “just meet her.” It was clear right away that Melody had lived a colorful life before her previous home. The scars on her face, a crumpled ear, and scar tissue on her front paw point to a heavy past. But make no mistake: those experiences didn’t break her—they built a resilient, tough dame. The only thing that rattles her is thunder, which she stoically handles by tucking herself into her crate. Carver and Melody couldn’t be more opposite, but they shared one major thing: both were used to being “only children.” Could two total opposites thrive under one roof? We were about to find out.

Do I look worried?  I’m not worried.

It was interesting from the start.

There was a lot of this at meal time:

So a baby gate was purchased and private dining ruled the day.

There was a lot of this when daddy walked through the door:

Which led to a little more of this:

At bedtime, Melody slept in the kennel for the first week before she decided an upgrade to daddy’s recliner was in order.

FROM THIS…

TO THIS…

Melody may be fearless, but she isn’t completely without a weakness—and her kryptonite happens to be my husband. Melody, who clearly missed her former dad, took one single look at Robert and thought, “Yup, he’ll do.”

We are almost a year in and Melody has settled in beautifully.  She lost more than 20 lbs, is off medication, caught her first woodchuck, and eats meals in the same room as Carver without a kerfuffle.   

Here is a photo of Melody free birding it on a car ride!

I still don’t go in for snoot boops, but she is generous with kisses when it’s on her terms!

But why the nickname “Shawshank”? Because this girl can bust out of a yard like nobody’s business. She has dug under the fence. She has scaled over it. She’s climbed woodpiles, scrambled over rock walls, and made freedom her personal mission.

And when she escapes? Don’t bother chasing her. She runs like the wind, practically shouting “Catch me, suckas!” over her shoulder. (Can a dog flip you the bird? Pretty sure Melody just did.)

Luckily, we cracked the secret to catching our little escape artist: just ease up beside her in the car, roll down the window, and ask, “Hey girl, need a lift?” She’ll leap right into your lap, ready for a treat and her next big adventure. Oh yeah—she’s definitely a girl with a past!

So…could two total opposites thrive under one roof?

As it turns out, opposites don’t just attract – they balance each other out. Carver still gets to be his clingy, Golden self, while Melody reigns over the house as the tough, gentle matriarch she was born to be. They may have started as rival “only children,” but today, they are a team. And taking a chance on “just meeting her” remains the best decision we ever made.  She didn’t just join our home – she completed it.

Look kids!  Daddy’s home!