Angel arrived at Holbrook more than 18 months ago. She had a tough start in life, living in a bleak shelter, and was very nervous. In particular, she was terrified of having anything around her neck. The first thing we usually do is put a collar and tag on a dog, just in case they manage to escape. With Angel this simple thing was impossible. She’d be frantic if we tried.
Over time she’s relaxed, accepted and eventually welcomed interaction with the volunteers. She’s a happy dog and quickly got the idea that raising her paw would result in a treat (Angel is very fond of treats 😁). I’d sometimes be stroking another dog when I’d feel a tap on my leg. It would be Angel with her paw out again. Nevertheless, a collar and lead were still a step too far.
Our behaviourist, Lorraine Cook, began working with Angel, slowly building her confidence and desensitising her to a collar.
This week Lorraine achieved her goal. In her words ‘We got to the stage where she would sit and let me put it round her neck, hold for a few second then remove, today was the day and after a little warm up she allowed me to clip the collar on🙌🏻.’
This is a huge step for Angel and will hopefully mean that one day soon she’ll find a home of her own. So a big thank you to Lorraine and all the volunteers who have worked with Angel. A fabulous result.