Cavanaugh has been improving greatly. She is getting more confident around new people and at the recent Pet Adoption Expo in town she even voluntarily went up to men that were new to her. She does this frequently on our training exercises too. She has even relaxed a bit more around her foster Dad; enough to lie down next to him on the floor and allow him to pet her past her shoulders. Cavanaugh has developed a love for riding in the car.ÿ Her favorite part I think is the anticipation of the destination and putting her head out the window. We have found that Cavanaugh likes children. She will go to them looking for loving and will let them tug on her a bit before seeking asylum elsewhere. Our greatest accomplishment with her is seeing her relax enough on a walk that when on a trail, we can take her off lead and she doesn?t run away. She actually has started exploring instead of staying by my side but will return on command. Cavanaugh will be a great addition to a home willing to be patient with her as she adjusts to her surroundings and learns to trust her new family. Update:ÿÿ Cavanaugh is progressing nicely. In November she marched in a Holiday Parade and did very well. At home, she is very protective and barks at everyone that walks through the door. Cavanuagh watches everyone that comes in the house until she is sure of what their intentions are. She gets excited and anxious easily. Her behavior with men is improving with one exception ? her foster Dad. Cav is still not fully trusting of him. She will play with our son-in-law and his brothers in the yard but not Dad. Cav has gotten so Dad can walk her on a leash and even relaxes after a few minutes. Cavanaugh loves long walks and the more exercise she gets the more relaxed she is. Cavanaugh doesn?t like to be left alone for excessive periods of time. She does suffer from separation anxiety and will start to chew on things not for doggy?s attention. She will voluntarily go lay in a crate but doesn?t like the door to be shut. She fights to get out. Update:ÿÿCavanaugh is progressing nicely. She can to live with us about six weeks ago and we discovered she is a little leery of men in her home. She barks at them when they come into the house but once they sit down she will slowly work up to getting close so she can get her loving with the rest of the dogs. Once they stand up she will bark at them again ? even her foster Dad. Cavanaugh is weighing in at a whopping 110 lbs. She came to our home at 101 lbs. She is getting better at responding to basic commands and walking on a leash. Cavanaugh feels best trying new things with her foster fur-sister nearby and she is very food driven. Oh, as you can see in some of her pictures, she loves to chase balls. She is such a clown when we are playing fetch that I can?t help but laugh at her. Cavanaugh will probably do best in a home that has another female dog ? male dogs her age or older seem to put her off. She seems intimidated by them. She does fine with our 11 month old male Dane and seems to like kids. The toddlers have her confused but she does well with them. Cavanaugh is about two years old, and came to me twenty pounds underweight, covered in scars, scratches and sores from other dogs.ÿ On top of that, she had worms, ear infections, staph infection, conjunctivitis in her eyes, and was terrified of everything. ÿDespite all of this, she is the sweetest little thing who plays with her foster brothers, follows me around the house, and let me poke and prod her twice a day when I had to administer 4 different medications with very little complaint. ÿMost of her scars and scabs have faded and become barely visible (yay) and she is beginning to trust more every day. ÿShe?s a little wary of men, but allows them to pet her as long as they move very gently and are sweet to her. ÿShe also began taking treats from me a few weeks ago. ÿHer potty training is pretty much under control and she is crate trained, but has some anxiety when left alone, even in her crate. ÿSome patience, love and more time will heal the psychological scars she still has. ÿDespite the special care she needs right now, she is a wonderful little girl! ÿShe is smart, and loves to snuggle, sleeps in bed with me all night long without even getting up to wander. ÿShe plays with her foster brothers like she?s a puppy and jumps in giant circles when she gets too excited.ÿ Cavanaugh is currently taking Prozac to help her with her anxiety. ÿCavanaugh is between 3-5 years old and has had a rough life so far. She has scars all over her body from wounds that are healing. However, her spirit still shines through. She enjoyed her first bath so much. She probably realized that along with it, her past life washed away. She came from a back yard breeder along with 2 other danes and 3 mastiffs. She is good with the 2 male dogs in her foster home. She is still unsure of new men but is learning to trust. Quick movements also make her a little nervous so she probably needs to go to a home without children at this point. She may be better in the future but for now, she is still learning that all people are not bad! Check back soon for more updates.
