05/19/2026
Poppy’s story is one of our favorite reminders that progress doesn’t always start with throwing a dog straight into a group. Sometimes it starts with simply helping them feel safe again. 🐾
After Poppy was attacked, her confidence around other dogs understandably took a hit. Her owners wanted to work on rebuilding her social skills before fear turned into something bigger, but they also wanted to take things slowly and respectfully for her comfort level. Poppy went to a trainer and made tons of progress, over time. This entire situation has been a slow process on making sure that Poppy was ready for that next step. With the trainers advise, we welcomed Poppy because that’s exactly the kind of approach we believe in at Camp K9.
Instead of forcing interactions, we came up with a baby step plan tailored specifically for Poppy. For her first few daycare visits, she didn’t meet dogs at all. She simply came to observe. She watched other dogs play, listened to the environment, explored at her own pace, and learned that being around dogs could still feel safe and positive.
No pressure. No overwhelming introductions. Just confidence building.
This is now Poppy’s THIRD time out with the group and she absolutely LOVES it. Watching her run, play, and genuinely enjoy herself again has been incredibly rewarding for all of us.
One thing that makes Camp K9 different is that we don’t believe every dog should be handled the exact same way. Some dogs thrive immediately. Others need patience, structure, slower introductions, or confidence building first. We pay attention to the individual dog in front of us instead of forcing a “one size fits all” daycare experience.
Poppy didn’t need to be pushed. She needed to be understood. ❤️
