24/03/16 Febe has been with us for a few weeks, and is still a very nervous girl. Her progress is slow, she still needs to learn that she can trust us humans, and realise no harm is ever going to come to her again. However, she is managing to make some progress.
For example, Febe used to hide in her bed in the bedroom part of her kennel, peering over the sides of her bed, watching the goings on from there. Lately though, she has gained enough confidence to be able to sit in the beds in the front part of her kennel and sometimes even goes right up to the front gate! I did catch her rolling around on some new clean dry bedding I'd just put in, looking very happy with herself - she does love a comfy bed! When you walk past her kennel though, she jumps and runs towards the back.
Febe holds herself rigid and looks desperately worried when you stroke her. She does let you though. She still does not like being picked up however, and throws herself about. We handle Febe a number of times a day to try and get her more comfortable with people.
Febe was known to be slightly food aggressive, but this is completely understandable as she came to us starved. This behaviour seems to have disappeared.
Febe used to be petrified of going outside into the play yard and used to be really difficult to get back in. These days she really enjoys going outside and comes in easily! You can sometimes catch her wagging her tail! She runs around mainly by herself in the bottom part of the yard where it's less busy and she has a good sniff about. She does sometimes join in with the others and follow them. She doesn't acknowledge toys yet as she is just so generally worried about life.
Febe would benefit hugely from going into foster. Her progress would be much quicker. She would need to be homed with another more confident role model who will help her feel safe, be her best friend and someone who will be kind enough to show her how to live in a home and teach her how to become house trained. Febe gets on great with all dogs - male and female, large and small.
Febe really needs to find someone with plenty of time, patience and understanding, who will help gain and improve her confidence, someone who can provide her with a safe, warm, comfy, calm home environment, someone who will raise her confidence enough to be able to teach her how to walk on a lead, and finally show her what life is supposed to be like, and all the joys and good things! Febe really deserves to finally relax and have some fun and be forever loved.
