Stella: Going Home

Stella goes home today. When she arrived two weeks ago, she was highly reactive towards people, she was nervous and afraid of almost everything [especially, human touch], she had no confidence, and she trusted no one. Two weeks later, this girl has not only gained confidence and learned to trust, but her reactivity towards people has changed dramatically: she has learned to use her nose first and make a different choice.

Walking Stella was difficult, at best. She pulled so hard on the leash that we couldn’t manage more than about ten minutes at a time. Two weeks later, we are enjoying a fairly decent, hour-long walk. Where she used to be on high alert, scanning for danger from every direction, she now relaxes on the walk and sniffs at everything. She still pulls, but not as hard as she did. She’s learned to “come back” when I stop moving, and she’s doing her best to walk nicely and more calmly.

All in all, Stella has made great progress over these past two weeks, and I know she’s going to continue to improve in the weeks, months, and years ahead.

At this time, I want to thank Gui and Jenn for trusting me with their girl. Stella has taught me so much, and I’m grateful to her people for trusting me with the opportunity to work with her.

Stay calm and lead on, everyone. Have a great day and a wonderful Thanksgiving.