A Leap Forward

As many of you know, my Shyla was very very fearful when she first arrived here. She didn't want to meet anyone. She'd shrink away, making it clear that she was terrified. If cojoled, she'd belly crawl toward the person who wanted to meet her.

Recently, something has changed for her - a switch in her brain has flipped, and she's leaped out of the darkness.

We see people on our trails occasionally - and more so recently than usual. Believe it or not, Shyla *wants* to meet them!

Yesterday, we met a friend for a hike. I gave my friend the "standard instructions", including not to look at Shyla or act interested in her until Shyla made the first move to make friends.

It was only about 30 seconds before Shyla was giving my friend kisses!

I am in awe of her sudden boldness. I think some combination of all the work we did with our trainer, the passage of time, and the growth of our bond has made the difference.

We haven't been to town in a while but we'll go soon. I'm very curious to see whether Shyla's new confidence shines through even in the midst of the bustle of town - a stressful place for any mountain dweller.

Regardless of how the next visit to town goes, I now know that the sky is the limit. I am beginning to believe that Shyla will someday be anything but "shy". In fact, her shy days might be nothing but a distant memory sometime in the future.

I must say thank you to all of you who told me to "be patient"over the past 14 months and told me inspiring stories of very fearful dogs who learned to navigate the world with ease. Each of those stories buoyed my spirits, and I am very grateful.