A Big Black Dog Defies the Odds

Everyone knows that our Medical Center saves lives every day. But the fact is that our behavior and training department does too, as Sophie’s story demonstrates.

Sophie (known for a time in the shelter as “Kissyfur”) was an 18-month-old BBD (big black dog) who came to the League from a shelter on Maryland’s Eastern Shore that had run out of room for dogs.  She was sweet and smart, but as shelter workers have long known, big black dogs often don’t get much attention from prospective adopters. As days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months, Sophie became increasingly stressed by shelter life. She was frantic and frenetic in her den, jumping constantly and escaping from her den at every opportunity. She even started to snap at other dogs.

Her chances of adoption dwindled with every passing day.

The League’s behavior and training staff knew they had their work cut out for them. They enrolled Sophie in the Open Paw program, providing her with mental stimulation, training, exposure to new people and environments… and lots of consistency. They also arranged regular “play dates” with other shelter residents.

Although Sophie excelled at training and seemed relaxed and content when in a play yard or hanging out in the behavior staff’s office, she still didn’t attract any potential adopters. So a dedicated volunteer offered to foster her and continue her training until the right home could be found.

And it was…Sophie was adopted on December 27 by a Maryland woman who had never had a dog before and was relieved to find one for adoption who was already so well trained.

Thank you to all those who so generously supported our behavioral rehabilitation work through the holiday dinners and with online and mailed donations. With your help, we are opening a new behavior and training space this spring. It will be the first part of our renovations of 15 Oglethorpe Street, NW, the building next to our shelter that we purchased last summer. Nine thousand of its 45,000 square feet will be dedicated to a large room for dog training classes, private training space for shelter dogs and individual clients, an assessment room for our temperament evaluations, and office space for the growing behavior and training staff.

See Sophie’s training video . . .