JoAnn adopted our little Maltese/Bichon mix  in July, 2007.  This update was sent in March, 2008.

Belle was brought to my house one Saturday night as my 8th PUP foster.  She had not been socialized the first 2 1/2 years of her life and was the most scared being I had ever seen.  Belle shook non-stop and did not move when put on the ground.  I eventually placed her on the dog bed that the other fosters found comfort in - and she pretty much stayed there for a week straight.  She only moved when I picked her up to go outside or to cuddle.  She wouldn't come off that bed for anything, not even food motivated her.  Belle only stopped shaking when she slept. She avoided eye contact with everyone, and tried to put herself in a zone "if I don't see it, it's not there".

Fast forward 8 months, and Belle has blossomed.  With lots of one-on-one attention, Belle now goes to work with me every day - we even won the Office Dog obstacle course.  Belle gets along with several 4-legged friends and is beginning to initiate play with them.  She has learned some commands including sit, down, shake hands, situp, and stand on her hind legs.  Belle had the opportunity to fly to AZ where she soaked up the December sun and had her human grandparents falling in love with her all over again.

One of the great things in watching Belle develop has been her joy in playing with toys and running.  She flings her toys in the air and pounces on them, squeeks them, then flings them in the air again.  And Belle doesn't just run, she hops - springs off of all four paws.  We think she is part bunny.

Belle continues to work on building her confidence and still needs to gain comfort in people reaching out to touch her . My goal is that one day Belle will be confident enough to become a registered Delta Society Pet Partner (therapy animal) with me.