Rena arrived in rescue exactly two weeks ago today and is a work in progress. We know that she had never lived in a home prior to now and many normal daily noises and gestures still scare her. Going outside for walks is a great adventure and her nose immediately hits the ground, but moving branches, leaves picked up by the wind, the shutting of doors, the noise of children at play, and passing cars can be very scary things. When scared, which is quite often, she makes a wild dash back to the house.

In the time she’s been in her foster home she has made great strides and has shown to be very flexible and adaptable but still has a lot to learn and, above all, to trust the humans in her life. For now also, she has to recapture her lost puppyhood, which means wild chases, running up and down stairs, attacking shoes, and just enjoying life in a quiet environment. Like a toddler, she plays wildly (that Swiffer thing gets it every day…) and then settles down in her bed and goes to sleep.

We strongly suspect that she will do best in a family without young children that will have patience and understanding and accept her on her terms. She likes being where her humans are and follows but any sudden movement will scare her away, just as will walking up to her – so getting down on your fours is a must... at least for now. Chances are that she will remain a shy dog that does not like a lot of commotion and noise around her.

Because of how scary the world can be, bringing Rena to an adoption event with lots of people, commotion, noises and other dogs would be more harmful than beneficial to her. Introduction will have to be made on her turf. However, please be prepared and understand that she will not come up and will be scared. Rena needs time to build trust in her humans. Thank you for understanding!
posted 02/02/20 and updated 02/15/20

Success Story:   Fifi La Zoom is belatedly discovering the joys of puppyhood and grabbing them by the throat. She still remains very skittish in new situations but, in her comfort zone, she turns into a high-performing circus dog. When not practicing for upcoming shows, she gets up close and personal with rugs, books, shoes, house plants… in other words anything that’s in her way. She’s also a reliable personal shredder.