You may remember Riley, a pregnant mama who arrived to the GTHS and unexpectedly gave birth within hours of arriving at her foster home (You can read the story of her arrival to the GTHS here). Riley’s pups (a.k.a. The Cereal Crew) were adopted in the fall, and Riley waited patiently to find her home. We received this amazing update from Riley’s adoptive mom:
Hello GTHS team!
A few days ago marked 3 months that Riley has been home, so I thought it was only fitting that I let you know how she’s been. Riley is our (not so) little ball of energy! She loves having free range in a backyard to play fetch in, and of course to watch squirrels in the big maple tree! She’s shown us what a smart girl she is as well. Every day we have short training sessions (or “tricks for treats” as I like to call it!) where she is more than happy to show all of her skills for some snacks. So far, she has learned her basics like sit and down, but also how to give both paws, how to stand on her back legs with her front paws in the air, as well as how to “touch” when something is presented to her, and to sit between someone’s legs as a safety stance. This girl will do anything for a slice of cheese and a belly rub!
For Christmas, Riley took a DNA test to find out all the breeds that make her, her. The results were very surprising to us. We were expecting some Lab, Border Collie, Husky and possibly some German Shepherd. None of that was correct. She is: 30% Great Dane, 16% Akita, 15% Belgian Malinois, 14% Alaskan Malamute, 13% Rottweiler, and 13% Anatolian Shepherd. All that to say, this girl is smart, sassy, protective, and happy to lay in the snow when it’s -15 degrees outside!
Riley is making fantastic strides in other ways as well. She has come a long way with her leash pulling while on walks, now only pulling when she is excited, which makes walks more enjoyable for both of us. We’ve worked together on some dog reactivity, and now she is able to disengage from the dog and walk past it on the road without lunging and barking. People can still be a little scary sometimes, especially when they come into the house, however, with more time, we will figure out what each other needs in those situations. In fact, just today she happily took a treat and a head pat from the crossing guard down the street!
Needless to say, Riley brings so many smiles into our lives with her goofiness, and I cannot wait to see what else life brings us. Thank you for all you do!
Riley, we are so excited to hear how happy you are in your new home! Happy tails, beautiful girl!
