Minnie is our third SCAR dog. She is a Dachshund/Chihuahua mix. Minnie is approximately 1 year of age. Minnie came to us with barking issues as well as fears. Minnie was an owner turn-in that had too many dogs and had to give some up and fortunately, she was one of them.

Minnie’s real issues became apparent when she didn’t want to leave her crate and when she was outside of the crate her tail was tucked and she was hiding on a bed in a corner. We didn’t allow the hiding to occur and began to work with Minnie on hanging out with the family. She took very well to our cats and seemed to be more nervous around the dogs. She was quick to growl and snap anytime they came near. Minnie’s first few meals came in the form of hand-feeding to help build her confidence and learn to trust humans more. She became a little food aggressive toward the other animals so we began our work on that being sure that each time she ate she had another dog near her.

After a couple of weeks Minnie began raising her tail and following the humans around the house. She was hanging out with the dogs more but not really bothering them until they began playing and this is when her barking issue started to show. Part of her wants to play but I don’t believe she knows how so she runs in and barks instead. She’s bitten my Rottie pup a couple of times but her bites are so minimal the pup doesn’t even realize it. She tried the same behavior with our Beagle/Dachshund but he didn’t tolerate it resulting in a small disagreement which quickly ceased. She has tried playing with the larger, older Rottie but TBAA doesn’t want anything to do with her. Minnie has really begun to show some great personality. She struts around with that tail high and enjoys being with the family.

Being that Minnie is so small we started allowing her to spend some time in our laps which she was not comfortable with. I realized that Minnie didn’t know how to be loved by a human. She would shake uncontrollably anytime she was in your arms and was only comfortable in her own bed. So we started some love therapy to where we would hold her a little more each day. She is now enjoying the laps more and even comes looking to get petted now and doesn’t run away when you bend over to touch her.

Minnie has started to bark and whine in her crate as well as push her crate across the floor but we’re working on it by ignoring the behavior. She is getting better at barking during playtime and when something is outside. Minnie is still working on her housebreaking as she likes to potty on the dog beds and will occasionally potty in the crate. We’ve put her int a much smaller crate and this has subsided. Minnie will need continued training for houesbreaking, crate training and leash training. As of now she goes out without a lead and comes when called. Minnie will be back into her foster home the week of March 21st and is ready for adoption.

For more information on adopting Minnie please contact Melissa Cooke at Melissa.Cooke@comcast.net.

Alex is a 1 year old female Golden Retriever that was rescued from a backyard breeder. She spent her life in a small concrete pen and is having difficulties adjusting to a new and better world.

Alex is very small for a Golden and has none of the fun loving personality she should have. She walks well on a leash but is timid the entire time. When she rides in the car she hunkers down in the floorboard and hides her head under the seat. When she’s in the house she finds a safe zone and stays in it.

The first thing we’re doing with Alex is not allowing her to go and hide. She is attached to our trainer by a leash and will have to be out and around the other dogs and people. She gets praised for showing small amounts of confidence such as walking with her head higher than normal(low) or relaxing. She will begin working for her food and will learn to not bolt out doors. These simple exercises will help to instill some confidence and set some expectations. Alex will not receive any sympathy during the SCAR program. There’s no baby talk, no coddling and no reassuring. We’re matter of fact, confident leaders that are going to help her learn that she can handle the world independently!

Keep checking back for updates on Alex. She’ll be returning to her foster home in 1-2 weeks.

08/02/10

Unfortunately, Alex did not do well in this environment and the time it would have taken her to get comfortable wouldn’t have given us any time to work with her. We sent her back to her foster home with a game plan on how they can help her overcome the issues she’s facing. Please keep Alex in your prayers and we’ll try to update soon!

Meet Peanut Roxie Rose a Pit Bull/Jack Russell Terrier mix. Rose is approximately 1.5 years in age and seems to have had a litter of pups in the past. Rose came to us very fearful. She was afraid of the crate, the leash, standing people, cats, going through doors, being petted, and loud noises. It took us twenty minutes to get her into the house the first time, forty-five minutes before she would move from the first spot she found and two hours before she felt comfortable enough to lie down. Rose was not housebroken and would easily pee inside her crate and in the house.

The first day she was with us she would stick to me like velcro as long as I was in the living room. She did not feel comfortable leaving that area. She was only allowed in her crate at night or when we were away so we didn’t allow her to avoid the “scary” things. We spent the first day telling her “good girl” for anything positive like eye contact, head up, walking around the room or being around the cat and other dogs. We would not pet her when her head was down and if she tried to put her head down while petting we’d pet her under the chin and make her hold her head up. By day two, we were able to give her a bath.

After four months of the program, Rose is a happy, go lucky, dog. She’s so grateful to be alive and she shows it every morning. Click Here for a great video showing just how happy she is and how well-mannered she is at the door!

Rose has found her forever home!