Coolio

 Coolio is one of our rescue dogs who has some unique issues.  In February of 2022 I began volunteering at the local animal shelter and soon after Coolio arrived as a stray.  No one ever came to claim him so he was put up for adoption.  I walked him every time I was there and loved how sweet he was but it was clear he was a very fearful dog.  Anything new or different would completely freak him out. 

His fears were almost crippling at times.  Once I took him to a park and got him some ice cream only to have him sit with his back to a tree too afraid and vigilant to eat his ice cream or enjoy a day out of the shelter.  In fact he seemed relieved every time I took him back to his kennel   The shelter truly was his “shelter” from a terrifying world. 

At the time I was working as a dog trainer at PetSmart so on my days off I would pick him up and take him to my training  ring to try to work with him a bit   It wasn’t happening.  The first day there he backed up to the wall and shut down too stressed to even take treats.  We left immediately.  The second time we went to PetSmart he flat out refused to get out of my truck.   

For several months I worked on basic training with him at the shelter where he was more comfortable   The fact that he could learn in the distracting environment of the shelter showed me he was a very smart dog and highly trainable.  In fact he learned very quickly and was eager to please.  In August I adopted him and brought him home, still a fearful but well trained dog. 

Fast forward a few months and Coolio progressed to the point where he was going to work with me as my “demo dog”   He was able to progress to the place where PerSmart was a comfortable place for him and he even enjoyed showing off and doing tricks for people.  He found his voice   In all the months I had worked with him I had never heard him bark and wasn’t sure if he could.  

Now he is a healthy happy dog who is so much more confident and loves romping with his brothers.  He still not 100%   He still distrusts my husband and doesn’t like strangers at all but he’s a loyal, loving dog who may rival my beloved Gunner.