Meet Toby, Freckles and Hailey
Say hello to our beautiful hound puppies, Toby, Freckles, and Hailey. While no longer puppies, we still think of them as they came to us at about 6 months old. These dogs had a very rough start in life. After a shelter trapped them, they spent months living in a horse stall. Their only human contact happened when they were fed. As a result of their isolation, they learned to be afraid of strangers and anything new around them.
These beautiful dogs are still panicked about changes in their environment and the people around them. In their foster home they feel safe and are happy and engaging with the family. They love playing with other dogs and toys and, of course, love food. However, big changes can cause them to revert to their early memories.
Handsome TOBY is a coonhound who is the most outgoing of the three. He will interact with strangers in his safe space—his foster home—quite easily. He is friendly, playful, lively, and happy to get attention. Outside, he will warm up to new people with a little time and some treats.
FRECKLES is a blue tick hound who, like Toby, is comfortable and happy in her safe space—her foster home. She may be a little more cautious than Toby, but she interacts with people, including strangers, quite well. However, in a new environment, Freckles is terrified.
HAILEY is the most fearful in her foster environment. Of course, she loves other dogs but is still wary in her interactions with people. Sadly we’ve learned that Hailey has a serious genetic heart condition that will ultimately take her life. She is getting heart medicine and other supplements to keep her as healthy as possible for as long as she is with us. Now she is happy and content in her foster home, playing with her pals, with no outward symptoms. She is a young dog that didn’t get a good start in her life, so we are giving her comfort and safety and plenty of fun. We will treasure her for the rest of her life.
We consider these pups as special needs dogs given the total isolation in their formative months. They were essentially feral dogs when they came to us. The good news is that they are recovering since their world has expanded. Toby and Freckles are ready for a new family; however, it would need to be a wise and very patient adult only family. Both dogs need people to ignore them and give them time and space to find the courage to approach their new family. They will need a crate to hide in until they are ready to explore their new world on their terms. Another confident, dog-friendly dog is the best thing to help them be more confident and to teach them their new home is a safe place. They will also need a very secure backyard, as they are not as yet ready for leash walking. These dogs have much to learn, but they are smart and responsive and will grow if allowed to do so in their own time.
It must seem as though they are a great deal of effort, but actually the less attention the better in the beginning. With time, patience, and understanding, they will blossom into wonderful family dogs. Their total isolation and very limited environment in the early months of their lives affected their spirit and confidence. Now they just need a loving family to help them find that confidence and to give them the lives they were always meant to have.
If you are interested in knowing more about these beautiful dogs, please email us at lizzyslodgerescue@gmail.com. Their foster home is in the Frederick area, so come meet them and shower them with treats. Help them learn that people are not so bad, after all.
