What a difference a day makes! Chelsea is already feeling much more comfortable here, with the help of a few friends like Salty Dog. She slept through the night in her crate, is running outside when the others do, and has made friends. And she has already learned to run up the stairs! She was playing with my dogs, and took off following them when they ran up the stairs- she looked a little unnerved when she got to the top, like "did I really just do that?"! Going down will take a little more time.... I've started her leash training, and she has made great progress. The hard wood floors are scary to her though- she will scamper wildly across, trying to get to a rug or carpet, but I am feeding her and giving her treats only when she's on the floor and I'm confident that she will be a quick learner. The fact that she's food motivated, loves other dogs, and is curious are strengths in training. This girl will be a wonderful pet for a lucky family.

After a long journey Chelsea arrived today in her foster home! What I know about her background is that she is a healthy girl who spent the first 5 years of her life as a prisoner in a cage in a horrible puppy mill before we saved her, and what I've seen so far of her is that she shows many of the characteristics I've seen in puppy mill survivors. She is very timid,and not at all used to living in a home. Some of the basics- walking on a leash, using stairs and playing with toys are new to her, and, although she seems curious, she's also clearly nervous. The two things that seem to scare her most are my hardwood floors and baths- I think it's going to be a 2 person job to bathe her. When I tried she jumped out of the tub!

But she's also further progressed than other puppy mill survivors I've worked with, in that she is VERY food motivated and already taking treats from my hand, she is just great with my dogs and is following them everywhere, trying to fit in and play, and she is receptive to affection. She has not shown ANY sort of aggression at all, and seems to desperately want to please. 

I am confident that Chelsea will progress very nicely! My first order of business is leash training her, and teaching her that hardwood floors are not so scary. I've found though that other dogs are often best at rehabilitating dogs like Chelsea, and the fact that she is so interested and friendly with mine tells me that Chelsea will do just fine.

Meet Chelsea- she is on her way to New England and will arrive in her foster home tomorrow to start a new life! She has spent the last 5 years as a breeding dog, in a wire cage- never touched, never loved....we rescued her about 6 weeks ago, and have begun her rehabilitation from a sad, fearful girl to a beloved pet. I'm told she is just gorgeous and very, very sweet, but still quite timid and tentative. She will be in foster care with me until we find the perfect home for her.

For more information about how to adopt Chelsea, please visit her profile-http://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/23962250