Dazzle

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Entered: 03/23/2019

Status: Adopted

Age: 6

Color: Golden Retriever

Weight: 57 lbs.

Gender: Altered Female

Location: Girard, PA

Health: UTD, HW-, extraction of 22 teeth completed, treatment for UTI and ear infections completed

Temperament: Good everyone she has met, would be best with older children who would understand how to interact with a very shy dog, good with other dogs, good with cats

Dazzle's Story . . .

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Update 03/17/2020: "Now for the best news... At long last Dazzle will potty on a leash!"

Investing a bit of time and TLC has paid off for Dazzle. While she still has her “moments,” she has learned that being part of a family is a wonderful thing!

Doorways are no longer portals to be feared and Dazzle happily goes into her crate…well, maybe tossing in a treat helped? She still is crated when her foster mom is at work, but she has been allowed out unsupervised for a few hours and has been a good girl. Much more relaxed in the house, Dazzle no longer scrambles to get out of the way; in fact, her foster mom now must step over her or nudge her to move…what progress!

Dazzle loves mealtime and does a little tap dance while her food is being prepared. She eagerly dives into her bowl and eats even with her foster mom standing next to her. She only backs away if a hand reaches for the bowl or a sudden movement is made near her.

Now for the best news… At long last Dazzle will potty on a leash! Walks on the beach, at the park and in the woods, trips to the vet and pet store have finally made Dazzle realize that when ya gotta go, ya gotta go! Additionally, these trips have taught Dazzle that getting in the car is a FUN thing and she will now jump up into the crate in the car. Well, okay, treats helped to reinforce that!

Dazzle has been working on her recall and that is a work in progress. She doesn’t run away much at all but will come partway and sit or crouch for her foster mom to take hold of her. She allows guidance via her collar, only putting on the brakes if she feels rushed.

Dazzle has gained confidence when meeting strangers and now enjoys petting and affection from people. She gladly accepts treats from people, too! Given time, Dazzle will bond with her family and make a great companion. Her ideal home would include another calm dog as she has watched and learned from the resident crew in her foster home. Taking their cues has helped her overcome her fears.

This sweet girl has come a long way from the timid, shy girl she once was. She is proof that every dog comes along at its own pace. With time, love, and patience even a very shy dog like Dazzle can learn that the world doesn’t have to be so scary.

Update 08/05/2019: "Yes, Dazzle went for ice cream and a walk on the beach! No, she didn't even get her toes wet...dealing with sand was more than enough for that trip!"

Since coming into foster care, Dazzle is learning what it's like to live in a household and be part of a family. She is still very shy and unsure of things, but has made small, baby-step progress in becoming more comfortable.

Dazzle is a bit nervous walking through doorways…from room to room, or from the porch outside through the front door to the inside. She will hesitate, spin, jump back, looking for the “courage” to finally dart past her foster mom. There has been the tiniest bit of improvement here, in that she doesn’t hesitate and spin as much, and will come in quicker with some encouragement. The same goes for her crate. For Dazzle, her crate is her safe space; it’s getting past a human holding the crate door open that makes her anxious.

Dazzle needs to be crated when her foster mom is at work because when left her out, some carpeting was ripped up and some things were taken off shelves and destroyed. When her foster mom is home, the crate is put away and she is allowed out. She is perfectly behaved and pretty much lies in the same spot most of the time…go figure! She will submissively urinate, not very frequently, but it does happen.

Another one of Dazzle’s quirks is that she is shy about eating when people are close. If she is eating and her foster mom makes a move in her direction, she will leave her bowl. She will even walk away from her food if one of the cats tries to eat with her.

Her foster mom thought the 4th of July (fireworks!) would be a disaster, but surprisingly it wasn’t.

Outside in the yard there is more to the story. Dazzle will not potty on a leash. This was discovered after her foster mom realized that Dazzle eats poop. After coming home from work, her foster mom let everyone out and took her on the leash to monitor her while cleaning up the yard. They walked around for nearly an hour and she did not potty. Finally, she was let off leash and she went off and did her thing. A loose retractable leash didn’t help either; Dazzle knew she was “attached” to her foster mom. If she ever got loose, or someone dropped the leash, it would probably be difficult to catch her. Working on a reliable recall with high value rewards would greatly benefit Dazzle and her forever family. She also gets worried if someone reaches for her collar. She stays away, running just ahead and out of reach. This is another area she has made some improvement. With patience and some really good treats, her foster mom doesn’t have to “chase” her as much; she will stop, crouch down, and allow the leash to be snapped on her. The leash is essential (she walks nicely on a leash) because she, like most shy dogs, worry about being handled by a collar.

When people come up to the fence, adults or children, Dazzle is very happy to meet them so long as there is a barrier between them and her. Dazzle doesn't know how wonderful being petted could be right now, so time and space is what she prefers. With time and patience, she could learn to love the physical affection.

When Dazzle went for rides in the car, she would not jump in the car/crate; her foster mom had to lift her in. She doesn’t make a sound, just drools. She has not thrown up, even after eating ice cream, so it appears that it’s just nerves. Yes, Dazzle went for ice cream and a walk on the beach! No, she didn’t even get her toes wet…dealing with sand was more than enough for that trip! Maybe next time just the toes….!

Dazzle is a sweet, timid girl in need of a patient family that can show her that her world does not have to be so scary.

Original: “Since she lived in a kennel all of her life, Dazzle is very shy.”

When Dazzle arrived in MAESSRland, she left behind a life in a breeding kennel in Virginia. Now she has bright prospects for a new life with a loving family of her own.

Dazzle's visit to the vet revealed that she had major dental disease and she ended up having 22 extractions. Her mouth is feeling much better now! She also had infections in both ears and a severe urinary tract infection. The ears and UTI were treated and cleared. Dazzle was a sweetheart through all of the vet visits. The staff all loved her.

Since she lived in a kennel all of her life, Dazzle is very shy. Everything is new to her—living inside a house, hearing and seeing new sounds. She is making progress on not being so scared, but her forever family will need to be willing to work with her. She is such a nice girl and is definitely worth the extra effort.

Dazzle appears to be housetrained. She can be crated, but is not really crazy about going in the crate. Dazzle will get carsick at times. When in the car, she just lies down and waits for the ride to be over. Poor baby!

Watch for updates on Dazzle as she adjusts to her new life as an inside girl and family member.