Tabby started in our home as a foster dog, for two years.  Peppertree Rescue, Tabby is a shy dog working very hard to be brave in the world and looking back at the early pictures, and e-mails, oh how she has grown.

Tabby was a fearful dog, and a life lesson for me.  When she arrived I tried to desensitize her to a lot, walks, cars, people, dogs – and I watched her just tense up and shut down each time.  So, we slowed down, we went at her pace and we focused on quality, not quantity.  I took the pressure off her, and me, and with the help of time, puzzle toys, snuffle mats and some good meds, Tabby has become a braver dog.  She still does not want to go on walks, but, she loves her car rides, and she went from being a nocturnal dog who ran at the sight or sound of people to going out in the sunlight and barking at the neighbors.

The biggest positive change in Tabby’s life came in the form of two kittens.  We had always joked that Tabby was a cat trapped in a dog’s body, but when we brought our foster kittens home we saw this in truth.  She would groom the kittens and snuggle the kitten and to this day Rory would rather snuggle with his Tabby then with us.  Because of their bond she wanted to be where they were, and would start exploring more parts of the house as they explored.  And then when we added Jasper, whose puppy enthusiasm for play and all things naughty were not to be ignored, Tabby started playing more, and that led to her engaging with us more, and now she is a dog who greets me at the door with the rest of our slightly dysfunctional pack of dogs and cats, instead of waiting upstairs with a tucked tail and worried wag.

Tabby still hides when people come over, and sudden movements will sometimes still send her running.  She still hates walks, and she will not pee for days when she is being dog sat, but Tabby is happy in her day to day, and getting more confident.  Cannot wait to see how she continues to grow.