Some hounds come into our care and are quite quickly off to their new homes, others need a LOT of rehabilitation before they can safely be homed; Wren is one such dog. Wren arrived in February of this year with three other dogs after being rescued from horrendous conditions.
She was completely shut down, but we had a feeling that underneath the scared exterior was a sweet and gentle girl, so rehabilitation was paramount to ensuring Wren could be the dog that she was destined to be. She needed help not only physically (vet care/physio), but also mentally to enable her to trust people, and realise the world wasn’t such a scary place.
Initially Wren was worried about people, especially when they were in her ‘space’. Dressing her for walks was a slow and quiet affair, but even when we had managed that, she would plant when leaving her kennel, then out on walks. She understood other greyhounds, but was very uncomfortable around other breeds.
We took everything at her own pace and slowly but surely she started to come out of her shell. Months of visiting her in her kennels giving her space until she became more comfortable with us. Months of going that little bit further on her walk as she gained confidence. Months of carefully introducing her to other dogs so she didn’t feel threatened by them.
When we reached the point that Wren hardly ever planted in new environments and was very excited when staff went in her kennel, showing her overwhelming affection with the ‘paw of more’, it became clear she was ready for a new home.
Her lovely new mum and dad who understood she may need a bit of help adjusting to home life. They have been patient and understanding with her and she’s thriving! The future is bright for Wren and she’s loving her new life in Gloucestershire.
We have since received this truly wonderful update from her mum and dad!
She has settled in remarkably well and has very quickly adapted to home life.
Every day she shows more of her funny personality. For the first time she was playing with some toys and we had a chase around the bed with a lot of slapping of paws and bum in the air!! We have also had the lying on our back with her legs in the air.
She also appears more relaxed with other dogs as long as they don’t put their noses near her bottom! Walking is still a work in progress – some days she walks happily, others she just stops.
She has a small but growing army of fans in our town, and receives lots of love when we take her out. She tolerates this admirably
She is currently curled up next to me on the couch (rather than the expensive anti-anxiety bed bought especially for her!!!!) and it feels she has been here forever. We love our funny bird Wren. She is a complete treasure.
A Successful Sighthound Carol Concert!