Adopted
Faith is a darling red 4-month-old puppy brought to the San Antonio
Animal Care Facility as a stray. We don’t know what her short life was like
before she wound up there, but she was pretty stressed and shaken up. Our
volunteer went to meet her and reported, “She trembled like a leaf as I petted
her and touched her all over, but she would not move. She let me push her this
way and that so I could see her better. She just seemed resigned to her fate...
As I cupped her chin and tipped her head up to look into her face, those little
eyes looked so lost, she needs our help. It was all I could do not to knock the
kennel attendant down, grab that puppy and run like mad!! I would like to call
her Faith. I tried to tell her with words and touch—have faith, we'll be back
for you soon and your life will be so good once you’re a GRR dog!”
Faith has been in her foster home for nearly two weeks now, and she has made
such progress! Her foster dad collected her from the shelter and took her
straight to vet, and then she went home. Here’s his report:
At first, Faith was a scared little girl who huddled in the back of her kennel
and didn’t want to come out. However, once I coaxed her out and picked her up,
she really seemed to like being cuddled. The first time I held her, she pressed
her little body up close and rested her chin on my shoulder and just relaxed.
And now, only 2 weeks later, she is mostly over her shyness around people,
though she’s still a bit hesitant about approaching strangers, especially men.
She does great around my whole family—me, my wife, and our children, dogs and
cats. She loves to be part of our pack and wants to play and play! She has
proven to be a quick learner and she’s having a great time taking in all of the
new things in her new life.
Faith is doing very well with her housetraining; she waits by the door or whines
in her crate when she needs to go outside. The few accidents she’s had have come
when I missed her signal and didn’t see her by the door. She’s also doing great
in learning what’s a chew toys and what isn’t! She absolutely loves Airdog
squeaky toys of any size or shape. She likes to gather her toys on my office
floor, then sit there and play while I work. If one of the other dogs snatches
one of her toys, she’ll chase him down, reclaim it, and bring it back to restore
to her stash!
Faith sleeps in her crate at night alongside the rest of my dogs and goes right
in on command. She’s also crated when we’re away from the house for short
periods. She eats her meals with a good appetite, right alongside the other
dogs—no problems there! Lately, we have had a lot of rain, so when my dogs come
back indoors from their potty breaks, they have to wait at the back door to get
their paws cleaned. It is funny to see little Faith lined up behind the big dogs
waiting to get her little paws wiped dry! She’s really quick to pick up on
routines.
In terms of training, the main thing we’re working on is getting Faith to be
comfortable on lead. Right now, she’ll only walk on leash with her doggie pals
alongside; if I approach her with a leash in hand, she shies away. For now, I’m
just clipping a light lead on her collar and letting her drag it around the
house; and every now and then, I pick it up and encourage her to walk a few
steps with me. She is improving already, and I’m sure the issue will be resolved
in the next few weeks.
Faith needs a family who can spend lots of time providing her with the love and
guidance any puppy needs. Kids and another dog or two would be ideal! She has
had a rough start, but she has a great personality and really wants to learn.
She’s become so much more confident already!