Sophies Adventure Walk: Hey there, Becky! Thank you so much for sponsoring an Adventure Walk for a pup from Richmond Animal Care and Control! I popped in this morning to find a buddy that really needed some time away from the kennel, and Sophie caught my eye. She was *literally* bouncing off the walls of her pen! Your generous donation sprung this gal for an afternoon of pampering, love, adventure, and fun. Sophie is a young pitbull/labrador mix that seemed like she had a ton of energy. I could barely contain her and her wiggly happy body to get a harness on her! Such a spirited little girl. We headed out of the shelter and ran into an employee returning from a potty walk. She was excited to meet the other pup and was totally polite, as we passed other pups on our Adventure today she exhibited the same good manners, yay! She hopped up into my truck and knew exactly what to do with the big soft dog bed in back...we were barely out of the parking lot before she was stretched out across it, relaxing as I chauffeured her to Belle Isle. We parked on the southern side and did a tour of the whole island: we went rock hopping, beach exploring, hiking on trails, and trotting around the big flat rocks. Sophie was a little nervous, wasnt so sure she really wanted to be out at the park and away from the safety of her kennel. Anytime she started to seem scared I would call her to me, give her lots of love and kind words. It helped reassure her that our walk was all about her and she would perk back up, ready for more. She was very different from the pup Id met at RACC, the one that was jumping up and bouncing off the kennel door. Sophie is timid, shy, but sweet. She was a total love to anyone we passed on the trail, happy and wiggly and ready to say hello. She was also a dream to walk...only pulling on the lead when she didnt want to move closer to something that was making her nervous...like an ominous telephone pole or spooky trash can;) She kept exactly at my side the entire time, but was careful of her (and mine) personal space. On the south side of the island, she mistook a patch of lush water plants for solid ground and took an accidental, full on dip. Sophie emerged looking like swamp thing! I rushed in to pull Anacharis and algae off her face and let her know the surprise bath was actually a good thing, she was pretty stinky ;) We headed back to my truck for a good towelling off. She relaxed so much in the cab of the truck that we spent some extra time just sitting. I gave her tons of love, she was so receptive and isnt afraid of any handling...you can wiggle her toes, touch her mouth and face, rub her belly...shes so easygoing! We finally headed back to the shelter, Sophie wrapped up in a warm towel, getting fed treats at every stop like a true princess atop her memory foam doggie bed...I think you can actually see the smirk on her face in her photos. It must have been her favorite part of the trip! I dont have any doubt that Sophie could be a fun buddy for outdoor activity, but I think itll take a little confidence building and love. She is beyond attentive to her handler and follows your cues, even if she doesnt really want to. She is smart and careful, but loyal. She needs someone to show her that swimming is awesome, and trails are fun for running, jumping and playing. In the meantime, shell be happy to snuggle up next to you on the couch and watch whatever marathon of shows youre going to digest on Netflix ;) Thank you again, Becky, for getting this girl out for a break. Our time together was an absolute treat, seeing her relax and let her guard down was the best part of our trip. Sophie is available with Richmond Animal Care and Control. If youre interested in sponsoring an Adventure Walk for a rescued dog, please visit canineadventure.net/store/sponsored-walk
Posted on: Sat, 18 Oct 2014 13:00:01 +0000
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