04/09/2026
Another amazing transformation! This is six-year-old Cece. Her owner adopted her from a breeder where she spent her entire life in a cage for breeding. Her original owners saw no value in her other than a a dollar sign. 😡Everything they did to her was just to make money. They even cut her teeth so they didn’t have to supervise breeding in case she tried to bite the males. If her teeth were cut, she couldn’t hurt the males. Very very sad! she was never socialized or interacted with. The little interaction she did have was completely inhumane. Somebody clearly beat this dog.
Her new owner had her for just about seven months before bringing her to me. After roughly 7 months, she still could not get her to stop running away from her, or any people. Even if they did get her in the house, she would hide behind chairs and was still sooo afraid she wouldn’t even come up to be a pet. If Brigette, her owner wanted to pet her she would have to use the 30 foot leash , which had to stay on her, to reel her into her. That was the only way they could catch her. If she was lucky enough to corner her, she would pancake herself to the floor and just shut down, filled with fear.
For the first couple weeks I had her she literally walked with her belly about 2 inches from the ground because she was so scared and petrified of everything. Her owner, who is absolutely amazing tried it all. She was beyond petrified of people. She was almost like a feral dog, but I have to say she almost had more fear than a feral dog because she had real abuse she lived through. Where feral dogs are afraid of the unknown. Cece was not afraid of unknown. She was afraid of what she lived through her ENTIRE LIFE! She was definitely scared of everything. Doors opening and closing was terrifying to her, filling up a water bowl was terrifying to her, all people were terrifying to her, you couldn’t raise your arms because she would take off as far away as she could get and completely flatten herself to the ground and tremble.
When her owner brought her to me for rehabilitation, she couldn’t even bend over to pet her goodbye because she had Cece’s blanket on her shoulder and Cece was scared to death of the blanket and still scared to death of her new loving owner. Cece was trying with all of her might to get away from the Bridget and the big scary blanket which she had slept on for the last seven months.
 I BELIEVE THIS IS THE WORST CASE I’VE EVER SEEN AS FAR AS A DOG BEING COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN AND TRAUMATIZED. SHE WAS IN FLIGHT MODE ALL OF THE TIME!
“WHAT WAS SO BEAUTIFUL IS THAT SHE NEVER WENT INTO FIGHT MODE. MOST DOGS WHO GO THROUGH SUCH ABUSE BECOME AGGRESSIVE. THE FACT THAT SHE NEVER TURNED ON, PEOPLE IS REALLY MIRACULOUS.“
HONESTLY, I CAN’T THINK OF A SINGLE THING SHE WASN’T AFRAID OF. POURING DOG FOOD INTO HER BOWL SEEMED TO SET HER OFF INTO A STATE OF COMPLETE FEAR.
Trying to get her out of her crate to start her re-imprinting was the next step however, it was a nightmare because she was terrified to leave the only thing that brought her any comfort…her crate. 😭Slowly, but surely I gained this beautiful girls trust.
It’s tricky to train a dog like this because I have to be assertive and make them come out of the crate so I can work with them, but i cannot traumatize them either. It’s a very delicate process. Every time a new command was introduced she would be scared however, I needed to be the pack leader  and help her to obey while learning to have fun and build trust.
Well, she has been reprinted and rehabilitated! Here she is now for the first time out with her mom after five weeks of training with me. She is now walking up to People and soaking up affection. She does not run away terrified any longer. In fact, she goes up to people and asks for cuddles! She now has very good obedience. She heals, has a sit and stay, down and stay, a great recall, and most of all SHE IS TRUSTING PEOPLE AND NOW HAPPY!
Once again, the proof is in the pudding you CAN teach an old dog new tricks. REMEMBER dogs live in the present, they do not live in the past. So don’t give up on your babies because they need you.
I HAVE TO GIVE PRAISE TO BRIGETTE FOR BEING SUCH A FAITHFUL FUR MOMMA! SHE PAID A FORTUNE FOR THIS DOG. SHE COULD’VE SAID “NO IT’S WAY TOO MUCH MONEY. SHE’S SIX YEARS OLD AND SHE’S A MESS.” HOWEVER, BRIGETTE DID NOT DO THAT. SHE SAW HOW HURT SHE WAS AND HOW HEALTHY SHE COULD BE. SHE NOT ONLY PAID A FORTUNE FOR AN ABUSED DOG, SHE SHE CONTINUED TO INVEST IN CECE TO REHABILITATE HER!!
BRIGETTE ARE AMAZING!
