08/27/2026
🐾 GUEST SPOTLIGHT: RIP 🐾
Five weeks ago, Rip couldn't even look at another dog without reacting. Barking. Lunging. Ready to fight. Even his own sister wasn't exempt. 😬
When Rip first arrived at Webb Wagg Hotel with his sister Mahogany, the difference between the two couldn't have been greater. Mahogany is sweet, social, and ready to play with everyone she meets. 🐶❤️
Rip? Reactive. So reactive, in fact, that we couldn't safely allow him to interact with—or even see—our other guests.
It would have been easy to decide Rip simply wasn't a good fit for WWH but we didn't. Rip and Mahogany stayed with us on and off for about a month while their humans traveled for work, which gave us something incredibly valuable: time.
Time to learn Rip. Time to earn his trust. Time to show him he was safe here.
We didn't force him into situations he wasn't ready for. We gave him space, worked within his comfort level, and let him adjust to WWH at his own pace.
And slowly, we started meeting the dog underneath all that reactivity. Turns out, Rip is a BIG TIME cuddler. 😂 He's affectionate, goofy, and an absolute sweetheart once he knows you're his friend. And now? Rip can peacefully coexist with our other guests and Just LOOK. AT. THAT. SMILE. 😭🐾
Dogs can be reactive for many reasons, including fear, anxiety, frustration, overstimulation, and uncertainty. In fact, one study found that 72.5% exhibited at least one highly problematic anxiety-related behavior.
That's why at Webb Wagg Hotel we don't automatically write off a dog because of their breed, their reputation, or even the behavior they show us on Day One. We get to know the dog in front of us, respect their boundaries, adjust our approach, and give them a chance to trust us. For Rip, the time spent resulted in trust, an unbreakable bond, cuddles, peaceful pack time, a few new friends, and one BIG happy smile. 🥹💙💚
We're proud of you, Rip. You've come a long way. 💙💚🐾