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g “found as a stray.” (I put “found as a stray” in quotations because she was extremely timid and handshy, running from any movement toward her. Anytime dogs that exhibit these traits are “found,” we always wonder if the people who say they “found a stray” are actually the original owners.) At the shelter, Olive was untouchable and unapproachable, unless we cornered her. Obviously she was not going to do well in confinement there, so a foster home was found immediately. Olive is a senior Boston terrier, smallish, adorable, and not yet spayed. We don’t know what she went through before coming to us, but we guess that she was most likely a mother several times over.
Her original foster home was wonderful! They had one small dog, and two calm, quiet adults, who hoped that they could help her come out of her shell and learn to trust them. She was given space to be alone while observing activity, and we were hopeful a week or two would be all she needed to become comfortable. Foster mom tried everything we suggested and recommended—treats, time, training ideas— however, the small resident dog had never had mentor duties before, and was not thrilled with the job prospect handed to her. She really wanted nothing to do with Olive. And Olive wanted nothing to do with the two humans. She has major trust issues with males especially, and even after six weeks, did not make friends with the man in the household. Nothing is more disheartening to a foster family than not being able to connect emotionally to the dog you are caring for.
So—we decided to try another foster home, one completely different, with active children, two other dogs who are skilled at incorporating foster dogs into the household, and a male member of the household who was used to accommodating dogs with issues. It was touch and go the first week or two, but soon Olive learned to enjoy having the children’s actions nearby, even though she didn’t participate, and she followed the other two dogs in and out of the doggie door to the fenced yard.
For dogs like this, every accomplishment is a major step toward adoption, and the first time she allowed her foster mom to approach her was huge! Even better was seeing how she grew personally in her confidence when two foster puppies were brought into the household for her to mentor. Mothering was her thing! She became a different dog entirely, playful, outgoing, and nurturing. It was an amazing happy accomplishment for everyone!
Olive has since come into heat, and once her heat cycle has been completed, we will have her spayed. We are thrilled that she has made so much progress in her journey toward independence and hopefully adoption to a forever home. Here is what we are hoping for Olive, where we feel that she will prosper:
*another sweet dog in the household
*female humans only
*fenced yard
*patience and love❤️
Olive does have a heart murmur, which slightly complicates her vet care, but we will see her through it!
Now let’s see if we can find a home for her where she can continue growing and be loved. Start with an application from our website, friendsofcampbellcounty. Thank you for following her story.
PLEASE NOTE: This pet has been posted by Friends of Campbell County Animal Control, Rustburg, VA. For questions about the pet, please email us at FOACinfogmail. All adoptions begin with an application, found under the "Animals" tab on our website, friendsofcampbellcounty. *Unaltered babies under the age of six months can be adopted only to residents of Campbell County, the City of Lynchburg, and counties touching Campbell County. *Unaltered adult pets six months or older will need to be sterilized before they can be adopted outside our local area of Campbell County, the City of Lynchburg, or counties touching Campbell. *We do not promote dog adoptions to homes where an invisible fence is the fencing of choice. *We do not permit cats or kittens to be declawed following adoption.