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.