Dove

My story

Dove is a 16 month old, 35ish lb, Chocolate Lab who was "used" as a breeder dog, and is so needing a very special family. When they were "finished" with her, she was placed with a young woman who was told by the breeder that she was a little timid, but would come around in a few days.  As we know with unsocialized breeder dogs, that’s not the way it works! Dove is going to need another stable/confident dog in the home, an above ground fenced yard and an experienced adult household with folks who are willing to put the time and patience into working with her. She is most comfortable around other dogs and another stable dog in the home, can help with her adjustments and confidence building. Our kennel staff say:  "A young lady surrendered Dove to GRRAND almost six months ago. She had been deceived by an Amish breeder, claiming Dove was 'shy', and assuring the young lady she was getting an exceptional deal and that Dove would quickly come around.  It turned out Dove had almost completely shut down, so overwhelmed with fear of people that all she wanted to do was escape. It's heartbreaking how slow progress has been, but the good news is, there is progress. She has such fear in her eyes. She will poop and pee if a stranger approaches her in her kennel. She runs in the play yard with several other friendly dogs, but rarely interacts with any of them. She will not come up to a volunteer, even for a treat. We were told by a trainer that many other rescues would have euthanized a dog that was 'so broken'. But that's not GRRAND. On the improvement side, we now have her on a long leash following the trainers around the play yard. People she's very familiar with can sit in her run, pet her, and leave treats at her feet.. She understands when it's time to come in from the play yard, and will run to her kennel on command. She now has a roommate (Ivy), and we're seeing them snuggle next to each other. Dove has never shown any aggression to animals or people.  We are still a long way from being able to send Dove home and progress is slow, but it's there, and one day in the not too distant future we look forward to seeing that twinkle in her eye that all dogs get when they realize they are safe and loved. Please keep Dove in your thoughts and follow her progress."  She is going to need TIME... LOTS OF TIME! And PATIENCE... LOTS OF PATIENCE. Dogs like Dove who have never known love and affection from people, have to work through everything on their own time... not ours. We are still learning about Dove, but if you have had any experience with dogs like Dove, and you think you are the one to help her, please fill out an app at GRRAND.org ##2222361##

If you have any questions or would like to adopt Dove, please reach out to the adoption group directly. PetSmart Charities does not facilitate the adoption process. Thank you.