07/01/2025
THIS is a beautiful milestone. β€οΈ
We work hard to make sure every dawg's visit is their best possible staycation. Sometimes this means endless hours of playing with other happy dogs. Sometimes this means peaceful porch sits in the evening or lazy walks down our nature trails.
For dogs like Aspen, this means being given the time and space to become comfortable on her own terms. She is a shy girl and if we were to push ourselves into her space before she's ready, we risk making her feel unsafe. Instead, we give her room to learn we can be trusted not to force her into discomfort and find what makes her happy, here.
In this photo, I had just sat down on one of our play platforms in the same yard as her. She loves exploring the yards with me as a tandem es**rt but she doesn't want anyone but Mom inside her bubble.
I invited her up onto the platform beside and slightly higher than me. This would be a powerful position for a dog and does put me at risk, if she were the kind of dog to take advantage of that but she's just a scared sweetheart who would always choose to move away rather than engage in conflict. One of my best approaches with a dog like this is to show I am trustworthy by offering my trust first.
She considered it all for a moment then jumped up with a happy wag of her tail and came in close to check me out. A couple of chest tickles (again, more confidence building than head rubs) and that was enough for her. She popped off to explore some more!
Good girl Aspen!π₯°ππ