Way back when it was cold and dreary here in Maine, Long Island Shetland Sheepdog Rescue asked us if we could take one of their fosters. Since they were a huge help with placing my foster dog #2 (Maverick) and we like to help out whenever we can, Lauren came up to us.
She had originally been owned by a hoarder and rescued by LISSR and then adopted, along with her shy brother, Ralph, to a sweet lady.
The only problem with adopting two shy dogs at once is that it is very difficult to devote the time needed to both dogs in order to bring them out of their shyness. A lot of desensitization and counter conditioning using food treats is necessary and is a daunting task with two. Reluctantly, she gave Lauren back to LISSR.
At first, Lauren spent most of her time under my bed. She was afraid of everything! Even going outside was too much for her at first. We practiced quite a bit with just walking out the door. She will now go to the bathroom outside, which sometimes seems like a miracle!
Next week, Lauren goes to her forever home. There, she will be doted upon by a retired couple and wake up every morning to a beautiful lake view. I know that she will be very happy there. In some ways, I will miss her very much. But, I know that she will be going to a home even better than mine and, since the next foster dog is soon to appear, I bet I won't miss her for long.
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