Zoey turns 2!
It’s hard to believe that it’s been just over a year that Zoey joined our family. She just turned 2, yet it feels like we should be celebrating her first birthday.
Zoey was 10 months old when we adopted her. She was shy, insecure, and afraid of just about everything. She wouldn’t walk through the door to go outside and do her business. At first we had to carry her out!
She wouldn’t eat out of her food bowl in the stand, she was so scared of it. So we fed her by hand and slowly acclimated her to the bowl first, then the bowl in the stand.
She cowered in her crate or in the space between the crate and wall unsure of her new surroundings and people in her life.
With patience, lots and lots of patience, she learned to trust us, get comfortable in her new home and eventually go for walks around the neighborhood. We took things slow and celebrated every progress, no matter how big or small.
Car rides that once made her sick, became something she enjoyed, just as long as they aren’t too long! We’re still working on getting her over carsickness. She made some dog friends and joined them on adventures to new parks. Being around them, opened her world even more. Something that was new to her and therefore scary, was not a big deal to another dog, so she learned it was ok to go check it out too.
It’s amazing how much dogs learn from each other. I do what I can to mentor her, but I now understand why rescue groups seek out mentor dogs to work with pups who have been rescued. So many of these dogs have issues, not necessarily because of anything they did, but because of what they weren’t exposed to.
I’ve fostered and adopted rescue dogs. Zoey is my first golden retriever that I rescued. There are advantages to bringing home a puppy. But it is also so rewarding to coax an insecure pup out of her shell. Zoey has come a long way, but we still have some work to do. And I’m confident we can help her continue to overcome all her fears.
Ironically, Zoey is afraid of my camera. I’ve been working with her to learn it’s fun to be photographed. After all, I never expect her to work for free - there are lots of treats, hugs and praise involved! I knew to document this milestone, I needed to make it as stress free as possible. So I simply took her to my backyard, took my time and worked with her until she was comfortable enough to allow me to photograph her. Isn’t she just the prettiest girl?
She’s a cuddle bug, a lap dog and is quickly becoming my shadow. We love her to pieces and are so glad she found her way to us. Happy 2nd birthday Zoey!