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UPDATE
12/12/21 NEW FOSTER UPDATE: She is such an amazing dog. She keeps getting settled in and gets more comfortable every day, and I can’t even describe what a good girl she is. She loves going on walks to parks, she wants to meet every person and dog she meets, and she is so sweet and gentle with everyone. I have been taking her places to socialize, she has been to my vet where everyone fell in love with her, she met local baristas and gently accepted the offering of a pup cup along with many pets. She likes belly rubs and attention but accepts when you don’t have time for it. If you do have time, and pet her, she will tell you when it’s not enough by placing her paw on your arm and asking for more.
We keep working on basic commands, she is getting “sit” down, although isn’t a fan of sitting. She is somewhat afraid of high-level energy and any raised tones, and her main issue with crate is most likely related to separation anxiety. Those are the things we will continue working on, but she can also be trusted outside of the crate. Sometimes she decides to have a quiet hour, where she goes to her crate or on the couch with a view of back yard. We encourage her alone play time or alone naps. She has not had any accidents in the house, she does have some very specific bathroom habits, and having a fenced in back yard would be very good for her.
She is spooked by any sudden gestures, so our attempts at playing fetch have not been successful, but she does like playing with toys so we are taking baby steps with rolling the ball slowly and having her chase it.
Other than some small personality quirks which all of us have, Gracie is an absolutely, amazing dog. If she stays with us for a few weeks longer, I’m pretty sure I will have to fight my husband in a death match if there is an adoption interest.
12/7/21 FOSTER UPDATE: Gracie is a very sweet dog. She looks to people for guidance, she is excellent on a leash, she is happy to please, and is very affectionate. We are still learning about her since it’s just been a few days and it’s fascinating to see her personality emerge. Today she had her first zoomies, yesterday she showed interest in toys.
Presumably from her past, she is not comfortable being introduced to new places and things. Consequently, she is on alert in new places and not as relaxed. We continue to work on building her confidence. She still is not a fan of being in the crate and struggles to feel comfortable when left alone. Surprisingly, she sleeps all night in her crate, so in time, we hope she will look to her crate as her safe haven. She has a few quicks like her preference to eat in solitude and take her treats into another room. She is fascinated by outside critters, loves people and other dogs, but needs a reminder not to jump on strangers. Outside of requiring her share of affection, her favorite thing is car rides. She really is a sweetheart and is very calm.
Like so many dogs in rescue, she is carrying some emotional baggage. It will just take some time developing her confidence and trust in her handler, and patience from her adopters. She would need someone to set boundaries and expectations, along with consistency. Providing her adopter invests time in helping her, she will be a perfect dog.
11/30/21 VOLUNTEER UPDATE: Gracie May is an angel! She is a dainty little girl with a calm demeanor. She walked great on a leash and loved to get attention. She busted out her turbo tail wag at the sight of other dogs. She is such a sweet girl!
