From One of the Pack to Pampered Princess

Sally made her way to HHDR from Texas in June 2015. For the first 9 months of her life, she lived with her mother and 8 brothers and sisters. But the puppies developed a pack mentality and had to be surrendered to Emily’s Legacy Rescue. After a few weeks with an amazing foster family, Sally made the trip to Central New York to start over. She was adopted in July 2015 and would be her new Mom and Dad’s only “child.”

It soon became apparent that Sally had behavioral issues. Although she was always as sweet as could be with her parents, she was unfriendly to other humans and had outbursts when she encountered dogs on walks. Sally’s dedicated parents sought consultation from an animal behaviorist, who determined that Sally was not aggressive, but simply had appointed herself as official “guard dog” for her Mom and Dad. They worked with a dog trainer, and over time, her behavior improved.

Basic and intermediate obedience classes, which Sally aced, were extremely helpful for teaching Mom, Dad, and Sally how to work together. Sally also started attending daycare for much-needed socialization with other dogs. Today, Sally is doing amazing! She just celebrated her 4th birthday and is one spoiled princess! She has her own personal couch along with several custom-made winter coats. She has an active life, always getting a morning walk with Dad, an evening walk with Mom, and several rounds of play and fetch every day in her large, fenced yard.

Sally still attends daycare once a week and has a blast playing with all her friends. Sally’s favorite thing to do is to give her dad kisses! She also loves chasing her tennis ball and playing with her many toys. Sally is a major cuddle bug and is usually found on either Mom or Dad’s lap. She is very sweet and shows affection through puppy kisses, gentle finger nibbles, and invitations to pet her belly. She has a wonderful life. About 6 months after adopting Sally, her parents started volunteering at HHDR and continue to this day. We appreciate your support in helping dogs like Sally find a “new leash on life!