Last Saturday, the Canine PhD class took a walk around Freedom Trail. There were people out and about, doing all sorts of things. Evan met up with a young, exuberant, pit mix. He doesn't always know how to introduce himself to other dogs, though he clearly wants to meet them, and they were content to sniff each other and say hello. He really loves other dogs, and he gets so excited to see them. He runs right up to them. So, we need to work on letting him meet other dogs, without him pulling on the leash or acting overzealous. That can be scary for some pets.
This class ended another 6 week course and so next week we start with a whole new set of dogs and people. I am very excited to meet everyone, and I know Evan will love it too. We are going to keep Evan going to training so that he can continue to gain confidence and to give him a break from the shelter life as much as possible.
Someone came to the shelter not so long ago and spent some time with Evan. Evan is so soft, so sweet, and so smart. They just kept asking "what's wrong with him that he would be at a shelter for so long?" They thought he was wonderful but they were worried that I wasn't telling them something. We are always very honest with adopters because we want our placements to succeed for life. Evan is going to need an owner who will continue working with him and will be patient with him as he adjusts to a new home. He is healthy and vibrant, but he is scared. There is a whole group of people who love him and will be available to help. Evan gets so attached to the people who take the time to know him. Someone will be very lucky to have him.
Sometimes dogs and cats are at the shelter longer than we would hope and there are a variety of reasons for it. Pit bulls, black dogs, older cats and dogs are not looked at as often as their younger and smaller counterparts. Sometimes it is something else. People always tell me, when they come in, that they want their new dog to "pick them." That can be a great way of adopting a new pet, but a lot of pets do not know how to "pick their person." It does not mean that they will not bond completely with the wonderful person that will end up taking them home. It just means that the stress of the shelter makes them more shy instead of outgoing. These dogs may hide in the back of their kennels when people walk in, they may tremble a little. They may also be so excited to go on a walk that they focus on smelling everything around them, instead of focusing their attention on the person that might be interested in adopting them.
If you come out to the shelter and see Evan in the back of his kennel, don't walk by him, ask someone on staff if you can take him out for a walk. Even if you cannot adopt him, it is important that he gets to meet new people and have positive experiences with guests of the shelter. He may be shy, but he is absolutely kind hearted. He has just never had a family to call his own and does not know how to ask for one.
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