Day 6: The butterfly emerges from the chrysalis

As many of my fellow fosters of shy dogs will attest, the greatest part of the process is watching them come out of their shells (or cocoons  to continue the analogy).  For various reasons, we have many shy, scared dogs come through the rescue.  In Princess (and Lady)'s case, that is mostly likely caused by having come from a hoarding environment where there was insufficient socialization with people.  So when you first bring the dog home, she hides in a corner (or a book case) and doesn't want you to touch her or even look at her.

But over time, most shy dogs will learn and adapt.  They learn that humans are not all bad; we provide food and water.  They learn about petting and chasing toys, treats and kind words.  They learn that leashes don't have to be scary -- they can lead to fun walks.  I wish that these were things that she had learned earlier in life, but Princess seems to be getting the idea.

When I'm on the couch, Princess is happy to jump onto my lap and lick my face (and especially my nose).  She likes to snuggle at bedtime.  She follows me absolutely everywhere I go -- even more than my own dogs do.

And when I get home from work, she gets so excited she can't stand still.  She runs around me in circles and happily lets me put the leash on her so we can go for a walk.  It's quite a contrast from the girl who was afraid to even see a leash in my hand on the first day.

Just think, a week ago, she didn't even know I existed, and now she's thrilled to greet me.  Saturday, we will be off to the adoption event to try to find her a new home.  And when she finds one, she will need some time to adjust to the new people, new house, new schedule.  But within a week, she will be just as thrilled to see them.  She will follow them everywhere, lick their noses, and gaze at them adoringly.  

That's why I foster shy dogs. Because just spending a little time teaching them about love will give them a foundation to join a forever home and live happily ever after.