Scaredy Dog finds his Tough Undies!

Almost two years ago, me and my wife Kat saw a handsome looking hound on the GAP website and decided to investigate further. Sonja at the kennels informed us that Billy (Sambo Warrior) was a recently retired 5yr old who was exceptionally timid. It turned out he was being fostered by Jacquie and Tony just out of Hamilton, so we arranged a time to head out and meet him - and that term is used loosely as we couldn't get within a foot of him.

As this was my first dog as an adult (having grown up around them) I was ready to say no and look for a more relaxed dog but Kat urged me to rethink, telling me WE were the right people to adopt him and we could give him a nurturing home. Of course, she won, and we picked up a newly named Fritz on a stormy night and brought him home where he paced, and paced€¦. and paced. He would cower in the corner at the end of the hallway when strangers came over and quiver, and it took him 4-5 months before he would let our most frequent visitors touch him.

His confidence was low which meant walks were fraught with concern (I discovered this most vividly when he ran to the end of our drive only to be spooked by a girls netball team out on a training run toward him, so off he went running away from them€¦ and off I went€¦ chasing him for about a 1km through city streets!) and I wondered what I had got myself into.

We fully expected his progress with strangers to be minimal to none as most socialisation is achieved young, and indeed for the first 12 months of his time with us that was the case. However, quite tragically Kat was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease late March 2012 and 'retired' from work last July as she was no longer capable. Her time at home has been loaded with visits from friends and professionals from the health sector and gradually Fritz has lightened up a bit.  Despite having two comfortable beds downstairs he generally chooses to sleep on the floor at the foot of Kat's wheelchair through the day and will tentatively greet visitors with his chilly wet proboscis. It has of course helped that those visiting have been in one's or two's not groups, and fairly chilled out and not scary boisterous types.

Incredibly though, last Friday we decided to have a bit of a party for Kat's birthday and though Fritz was sleeping upstairs initially, he ventured downstairs into the maelstrom of people, noise and excitement and carefully sniffed and greeted the guests, eventually deciding to lie down on his bed in the corner!

He isn't ever going to be the world's most gregarious dog, but this spook has shown that with some encouragement, praise and might I say carefully engineered situations where ONLY positive outcomes could occur he has improved to a point where he can enjoy life rather than be frightened by it. I am amazed and humbled by his courage.

Thanks to GAP and my wife Kat for giving him a go.

Rowan