I am not sure I can put into words this rescue story. Giles has come so very far and he is still on his journey but it is one truly worth sharing. We got a message that there was a dog at our local open intake county run facility that was completely feral and literally climbing the walls. We also heard that he would not make it out alive. Then came the picture from AC in his kennel. Standing in the corner, with fear in his eyes. All we saw was fear. The picture is the type that pulls at your heart, that makes you know you have to help. It did not matter if we had funds, or how we would do it, we just had to do it.
The next day, I went to visit this boy. He was literally trying to climb the walls to escape from everyone. I asked the employees to leave me alone with him to see if I could get him to trust me and get him out. The first 45 minutes, he would not respond to me at all. Check the next picture of him curled in the corner, trying to go through the wall, and notice uneaten hot dogs in front of him
Then he began to finally eat the hot dogs. Dogs seem to go into fight or flight mode, and Giles had been in the flight mode but had no where to go. When he was not eating the hot dogs, I knew he was still in flight mode and no way I would get through to him. Working with fearful dogs I have learned that you ignore them, do not make eye contact, and let them come to you. So sitting on the end of his kuranda bed, back to him, answering messages on my phone, sending emails, I sat. Once he started eating, he came closer and closer and finally took a piece out of my hand.
You can still see the fear in his eyes in this video, but he finally decided he wanted the hot dogs. I was so excited, only to hear the remark from the shelter was something to the effect, ” so he ate a hot dog”, and I was constantly reminded his stray hold would be up in 72 hours. I focused on Giles, on his life, not the side drama, and the fact that some people do not understand that all lives truly do matter. I visited daily to gain more and more trust. I went to Mickey D’s picking up chicken nuggets, sausage and egg biscuits, making his food choices more appealing to where he would come to me.
We progressed.. he started eating out of my hand and I slowly started touching him under his chin when he would get his food. We began to bond, but if anyone came by the kennel, he would regress back to the corner. The following two pictures show how his eyes and body changed when someone walked up on his kennel .
I spent five days working with him until we sprung him from the local shelter. We then had a wonderful sponsor to help with his training and hired an awesome trainer, Dana Van Sickle, who taught me and Giles the wonders of Cream Cheese. Giles will do anything for Cream Cheese and we have discovered many other dogs will too! Dana worked with him and then I worked with him. While he was not trusting of any stranger, with time spent, letting him decide to come to you, he made a couple new friends. I think again the key is to not treat frightened dogs as if they are normal, everyday dogs. The straight on, eye to eye contact, the come her boy, etc. does not work. Sitting down with back and/or sideways, no eye to eye, pretty much ignoring and letting him decide the food is high value enough to come to you. Another great thing I learned is to toss a treat back so he could go back and have his space for a few and then bring him back up to me.
We progressed as Dana got his collar and leash on him.
Giles became better and better with us. He met more friends. And then the day came when I came by the kennels and did not know Dana was outside with him. Once he saw me, here he came. The following video shows how much this boy can love!
Giles still has work. We are starting to take him outside his comfort zone in small increments. Walking trails when the trails aren’t super busy. Meeting new people slowly. This sweet sweet boy who was frightened to death at the shelter, now only wants to please and love. Just check out the last video we took.
While this story is already on the way to a happy ending. Giles escaped death at the shelter, he has escaped much of his fears, and he is a happy boy who loves us. Now on to finding his forever home. Once that is accomplished his story will be complete.
This should teach everyone that truly all lives do matter. He was scheduled to be killed as soon as his hold was up, but he survived and he will continue to thrive.
He is currently with me at my home and we are working on more and more of his socialization skills. He is a wonderful happy boy and I am hopeful he will continue to accept more and more people into his life.
