10/09/2025
Week 1 with Nyx: She was so confused why I was at her house, tail between the legs, quiet howling because she was quite distressed, had a few sniffs of me and kept her distance. After 20 minutes she allowed me to play ball with her.
Week 2: Still very uncomfortable about my presence in the home, kept away from me, let out a few little growls, which I gave her the time and space for her to do things and build a friendship with me purely on her own terms. A little bit more ball play but still not 100 percent where I wanted us to be.
Week 3 (Today): She did a little nervous wee wee upon arrival, but welcomed me with little kisses and a smile! I pulled out her halti and lead and she was very indecisive about whether she wanted to go or not. She didn't want me to be close enough to put her halti on, approached the gate and then walked back away from it. Decided she'd allow me to be close enough to clip on the lead, but didn't want to jump into my car. So we did it all her way because for me, it's not just about walking a dog, it's about creating safe, enjoyable experiences. Wherever she wanted to sniff and how she wanted to roll with our time today was how she got it.
We dug in the sandpit together, she had lots of grass rolls, made a new Lab friend and gave me heaps of kisses during our walk. I'm so proud of us, Nyx.
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