09/28/2026
First session with sweet Candy
Today I had the pleasure of meeting Candy for her very first training session.
We didn’t work on sit, down, stay, or any fun new “tricks” today, and that’s completely okay!
For Candy, our biggest goal right now is simply learning how to feel safe and comfortable around people.
Candy is 6 years old and was rescued from the Amish just a few months ago. She is a very insecure and fearful girl, and she is especially nervous around me and her dad.
So instead of asking her to do things she isn’t emotionally ready for, we focused on building trust and confidence. I worked with her family on ways they can help her feel safer, more secure, and more confident in her everyday life.
We also went over specific things they can do to help Candy become more comfortable around Dad and start creating positive associations with him.
When I first arrived today, Candy immediately ran and hid. She was terrified of me, and honestly, that was okay. I wasn’t there to force her to interact with me. I was there to help her learn that she could be around me without anything scary happening.
By the end of our hour and a half session, Candy was sleeping just two feet away from me.
Did she come over for pets? Nope.
Did she suddenly become comfortable with me? Not quite.
And that’s okay.
Because progress with a fearful dog doesn’t always look like what we expect.
Sometimes progress is staying in the same room.
Sometimes it’s choosing to come a little closer.
Sometimes it’s simply being able to relax when you normally would be scared.
Today, Candy went from running and hiding from me to peacefully falling asleep just two feet away.
That is progress.
Those little moments matter.
Candy doesn’t need to learn a bunch of tricks right now. She needs to learn that she is safe, that she can trust her people, and that she doesn’t have to be afraid of the world around her.
We are going to take this at her pace, build her confidence one small step at a time and celebrate every little victory along the way.
I’m so excited to watch this sweet girl come out of her shell!