Grumpy Dog Had No Friends Until She Met A Squirrel In The Park

Martha was the dog nobody wanted, the one brought out to make other dogs look good at Boxer Rescue Los Angeles. And in 2015, after more than a year at the rescue, it seemed like she’d never find a home.

Then, Erin Chalhub walked through the door.

“I made the appointment to meet another dog and I did not feel a connection with the dog,” Chalhub told The Dodo. “I asked to meet another dog. The woman who helped me told me afterward that they brought out the longest resident, the dog that was not nice to anyone, in the hope that the unfriendly dog would convince me to take home the first dog I met. The unfriendly dog was Martha.”

“To everyone’s amazement, she climbed in my lap,” Chalhub added. “I said, ‘This is my dog.’ And she came home with me.”

At her new home, Martha quickly became social with every person she met. However, she still had issues with other dogs and animals. She went to a special day care for aggressive dogs, spent time in her yard by herself, and only went to parks where dogs had to be on-leash. Though she had her mom, Martha didn’t have any animal companionship.

Then, in 2019, Martha was at the park when she stopped in front of one particular tree to watch some squirrels playing.

“Martha started watching squirrels, never chasing them — just watching,” Chalhub said. “Somehow, she realized that if she held perfectly still, the squirrels would not run away. She began sitting like a statue at the base of one specific tree.”

“The squirrels started coming down to see her and then coming down and kissing her paws and hanging out with her,” she added. “She just remained perfectly still and let them run around her. I started sitting down with her, and we spent hours at that one tree.”

For five years, Martha and Chalhub have visited the squirrel tree every Saturday and Sunday.

Whenever they go to the tree, the squirrels run down to see their dog friend.

“If another dog comes up to the tree, they run back up immediately. They recognize something about her because they know she is not a threat. Martha only cares about the squirrels at this tree. She will see squirrels in our backyard or in other parts of the park, and she has no interest. There is a relationship that I cannot explain.”

And Martha’s sweet relationship with her squirrels has expanded her social circle — helping her make her first dog friend.

In 2020, a German shepherd named Cali began watching Martha as she interacted with the squirrels. Cali’s parent hoped Martha’s calm example would help Cali learn to stop chasing squirrels. She started sitting 30 feet away from Martha, moving closer and closer over time.

Now, Cali and Martha walk and play off-leash together — something that would have seemed impossible before. While the dogs’ friendship blossomed under the Martha’s favorite tree, Cali never did learn to stop chasing the squirrels. Luckily, Martha’s always there to keep a close eye on her tiny friends.