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Heidi had been in the shelter for weeks, and just as it seemed she had a home, she quickly lost it when they were unable to remove her from the kennel. We went to the shelter to assess her situation. Beautiful, sweet-natured, but very timid, she was impossible to bring out of the kennel on a leash. Anything around her neck caused panic. And even when we tried to carry her out, she became dead weight. We even tried a harness and leash, but Heidi just “hit the deck.”
Our initial plan was to work with Heidi at the shelter. But once we managed to get her out of the kennel, we could not get her back in. So we loaded her in the car and took her into foster care. This sixty pound white shepherd had to be carried into the house like a small child—except Heidi is not so small.
Once inside and off-leash, she became a different dog. It was only while on a leash that she was terrified. The first night she managed to remove both collar and harness.
We have had to take it slowly with Heidi, but it has paid off. She now can wear a collar or harness without worry. She trusts people now, and is eager to please. Thanks to Cheryl Soler’s work with her, she can now be walked on a leash.
Heidi loves to run and play with other dogs, but also wants her time in the house to lay her head on someone’s lap. She is simply a very sweet big baby who needs a soft-spoken companion to take her home for good.
Update: Heidi has found the perfect family who actually had a shepherd named Heidi before. They have been extremely patient with her. She is no longer shy at all, but is struggling with some separation anxiety with her new people.
