23/07/2025
Okay Shiba lovers. We need to take a moment. Today is Happily-Ever-After-Day for one of SIRA’s foster dogs. So, this happens all the time? Why are we taking a moment for this one? Meet Carol, aka “Carol from HR.” Carol joined the pack at her foster home about 6 months ago. She is 6 years old and was released by a commercial breeder, probably once her most productive days as a breeding mama were behind her. Carol embodied one type of “mill mama” that we see often at SIRA. She arrived in her foster home fearful, skittish, and shutdown, preferring to hunker down and hide in a dark, quiet corner rather than seek comfort or reassurance from other dogs or (god forbid) people. It was clear from the start that “Carol from HR” brought a policy manual with her to implement at her foster home and preferred everything “by the book.” Chaos is not allowed. Carol is a gentle, laid-back soul who doesn’t like confrontation. She allowed other dogs to walk all over her, fleeing with her tail between her legs if they got too rough. She struggled with human contact, as many mill-dogs do, requiring that humans keep their hands to themselves, thank you very much. Human children were not allowed on premises unless they do not run, make no sounds above a specific low decibel level, and make no sudden movements. Carol adhered to potty policies from day 1, as “peeing and pooping outside of designated bathroom areas is strictly prohibited.” As Carol got accustomed to the routine in her foster home, she began to relax. At first, Carol would pace the perimeter of the fenced yard at her foster home rather than join the pack. For dogs like Carol, progress sometimes can be excruciatingly slow. But very slowly and gradually, it came! Carol began to integrate herself with the other dogs. When her foster dad wasn’t looking, she would play-bow or chase the other dogs around the yard. Her curiosity began to emerge. She showed interest in what everyone else was doing, but didn’t quite know how to participate. She learned to enjoy treats, like bully sticks or cheese, but would prefer that those be “left on her desk” rather than to be approached directly. After months of balking at leash training, she discovered that she liked a walk around the block. She even started to tolerate gentle head scratches or back rubs on her terms. Her progress came with regression – that “one-step forward, then two-steps back” that we often see with mill dogs who were deprived of socialization and new experiences. All it took was a loud noise or unexpected/sudden movement to send her skittering to the back of her crate to hide. For dogs like Carol, time, consistency, and patience are key. It can take months – sometimes even years – for them to un-learn enough of the instinctive fear to let their personalities shine. Each one has to learn for the first time what it is to be a dog. Carol is learning. She no longer clutches her “policy manual” in fear. She may still be skittish and shy, but today she’s ready to take that next big step forward in living her best life. While Carol should file her glowing performance review with pride in her achievement, as any good HR Representative knows, it’s a team effort. From Day #1, in addition to her Shiba “co-workers,” Carol has had an amazing mentor and coach in her corner: her foster dad, Jordan. He was there to celebrate her milestone achievements and to accept and understand on the roughest days when all she wanted to do was disappear. Like all good bosses, he could sense when she was ready to take on a new role and challenge. So now he’s giving her that long-awaited promotion – from foster dog “Carol from HR” to ADOPTED! We are all rooting for you, Carol. We know you’ll shine in your new home (after you’ve clearly spelled out the new employee conduct expectations.) You’ll always be a SIRA dog – it’s the one company you can’t quit or be fired from! Go girl, go! Be your very best self. We know you’ll blossom with your new dad. We know he’s read your onboarding materials and will help you find the Happily-Ever-After that you never knew was out there for you.
