Sugar was found as a stray in Taiwan, in the company of 2 other dogs, with a wire band wrapped around her neck. Sugar was by far the skinniest among the 3, because she was always the last one to eat whenever they could find food.
Sugar is about 35 lbs and 1.5 years old. Her exact mix is unknown but she has long legs and a lean, narrow body. Sugar is spayed, current on shots, and microchipped. Sugar is a very timid dog upon initial meeting, unsure of what the world has to offer her. But she learns to trust her family quickly and with them by her side, is willing to embrace life.
Sugar's History
Sugar was found as a stray in Taiwan, in the company of 2 other dogs, with a wire band wrapped around her neck. Sugar was by far the skinniest among the 3, because she was always the last one to eat whenever they could find food.
These are pictures of Sugar in possibly the first home she had ever known--her foster home in Taiwan, where she was taken in by travelers from Canada who were vacationing in Taiwan.
Sugar stayed with this family for a week before they had to return home to Canada. In a country where stray dogs litter the streets permanently and are at best, usually ignored, or at worst, abused, Sugar's chances of finding a permanent and loving home in Taiwan were virtually nil. So with the help of The Animal Rescue Team Taiwan, Sugar was flown to the US in search of a family who would welcome her into their hearts and cherish her for the rest of her life.
Sugar's Arrival
Sugar arrived at SFO airport the morning of Dec 8, 2007. On the drive home, Sugar sat in the backseat of the car so quietly for hours. She mostly stayed in her crate but would occassionally pop her head out or even look out the window.
When we got home, my boyfriend and I carried her, inside her crate, into a small room I had set up just for her. There she chose to stay for the rest of the day. I had 3 oversized dog beds for her, but she always chose to lay on the floor, up against a corner.
Sugar was very withdrawn, as I knew she would be. She was so easily intimidated that she would turn her head if she saw me looking at her, and sometimes her whole body would shake in fear just from that. I didn't even try to pet or touch her and instead, just sat with her for a while throughout the day and left treats out for her.
DAY 2
Sugar slept in her private room the first night. She managed to get her sweater off, even though her harness had been placed over it. It's a good thing too as I could tell the sweater was falling off behind her and making it difficult for her to walk. Her original rescuer had put that sweater and harness on her before I got her, and Sugar would not allow me to touch her to get it off. So I'm glad she got it off herself.
Today Sugar showed an increased curiosity in the things around her. And she showed a surprising interest in toys for the first time. In my experience, the first sign of a shy dog starting to get just a bit comfortable in their new environment is when they start to play with toys. And Sugar, when she gets into it, loves her toys!
For most of the day, Sugar was still hesitant around us. She still kept her distance but now watches us with curiosity. She left her room and went sniffing around the adjoining rooms. At the end of the day, she got a little playful with the dogs--a very big turnaround from the scared growling she would direct at them yesterday when they got to close.
DAY 3>
Sugar smiles for the first time!
Last night, Sugar followed me into the bedroom. This is where we prefer everyone to sleep at night, so I closed the bedroom door and crated her. She didn't want to go in her crate--I imagine she's not really used to being crated--but she finally did. She slept quietly in there the entire night and in the morning, when I opened the crate door, she didn't want to come out! And when she did come out, she kept going back in throughout the morning to nap!
For a while, Sugar seemed to revert to her initial reserve. But by late morning, she was bouncing and hopping around trying to get the dogs to play with her! And they did! I see now how truly playful Sugar really is once you get beyond her fear and timidity.
Sugar also finally discovered a dog bed that she liked to lay on. She rests there all the time now.
And the best thing that happened today is that Sugar allowed me to pet her! First it was just a brush of my hand but as the day wore on, it progressed into actual pettings. I can tell that sometimes Sugar is a bit frozen about it, as if she's just tolerating it because she's too scared to do anything else. But other times, she actually seems to seek it out. She will bow (in the guise of a stretch), and sometimes even makes a noise to get me to pet her.
Sugar appears to be mostly housebroken already. She had a few accidents the first couple of days simply because she was too scared to leave her room. But she always went on the potty pads. Now that she has more confidence, she goes to the door to let me know to take her out.
We're still not over the hump yet. I can tell Sugar's still not completely comfortable with me. I can tell she's still nervous when I reach out for her sometimes. But she's very curious and follows us freely around the house now. She appears to be completely comfortable with my dogs already, especially Phoebe, and will follow Phoebe around everywhere. And this goes a long way in helping Sugar to get comfortable with me and Tyler.
Sugar Today
Although Sugar is still extremely wary and cautious of new people and situations, she has adjusted wonderfully in our home. She is 100% comfortable with both me and my boyfriend, and she is very playful with our dogs.
Sugar would do well with another, confident dog in the household. Although she is not submissive to other dogs, she tends to follow their lead in situations she is unfamiliar with. And she loves to chase and wrestle and can be a feisty little thing too.
Sugar is a well-behaved dog, playful but not hyper. She is responsive to voice correction and walks great on leash. She enjoys throwing her toys about and makes funny little noises when she is excited. Every morning, at about the same time, she jumps on the bed and rubs her body up against me and gives me soft licks. (This is how I wake up everyday--who needs an alarm clock?)
Adopting Sugar
The ideal home for Sugar would be a quiet one, with somebody willing to take things slowly and who understands that the strongest bonds are forged when trust takes time to happen. It is important to note that until Sugar learns to trust her new family, she is a very high risk for bolting and should wear a harness and leash at all times, even inside the house. Because of her extreme timidness, she should go to somebody with previous dog experience and able to commit to socializing her with new people and environments. She needs a gentle hand that will show her that the world need not be a scary place.
