It’s been a long journey for Mimi, but this once reactive pup is now in her forever home. Mimi first came to Seattle Animal Shelter (SAS) in 2018 when she was surrendered due to reactivity towards other dogs. Mimi would often lunge, bark, tremble, and growl at the sight of other dogs. Laura, a foster program volunteer, took Mimi in and, with the help of the animal behavior team at SAS, worked on her reactivity towards other dogs.
Mimi went through a few adoptions, but unfortunately, things never seemed to work out. Laura continued to work with Mimi for almost two years to address her fear-related issues. When the new Animal Behaviorist Lead Kimberlee Spicer joined SAS, she worked with Laura, digging deeper into the behavioral issues. Mimi would work directly with Laura two to three times a day and with Kimberlee once every other week. With the support of Kimberlee, Laura trained Mimi to look at her and away from other dogs using a “stunt dog” while on walks. Tactics like this helped Mimi reduce her level of reactivity, decrease her “bubble” to 10-15 feet (distance at which she would react), and recover from a reaction much faster. Kimberlee also assisted Laura in changing Mimi’s emotions towards other dogs by creating positive associations. Through these strategic training sessions, Mimi’s behavior improved drastically.
After working with Laura and Mimi closely, Kimberlee knew it was important to find the right adopters. Mimi’s adopters would need to understand her behavior issues and work to make her feel comfortable in her forever home. To do this, Kimberlee prescreened all potential adopter applications. In about a month, she was able to find the right home for her with Brad. Both Laura and Kimberlee offered support to Brad post-adoption so that he could continue working with Mimi on her reactivity. Kimberlee went with Brad to the store to find items to set up her new home and went on a walk with both Brad and Mimi so that Brad could see what would be required for walks with her.
“I’m on the lookout for squirrels, cats, and such on our walks. I’ve found the best walk routes to avoid other dogs,” shares Brad. While Mimi requires a quieter walking route, Brad doesn’t mind. “It’s worth the tradeoff; we fit well together.”
Although Mimi may be excitable and anxious on walks and a leash, Brad shares that she is chill and relaxed at home and around other people. “She is on my couch and lap 24/7. The silliest thing she does is trade me her toys for treats. She’ll bring them to me when I get home. Otherwise, she never plays with them.” Laura fondly remembers Mimi’s sweet personality and silly toy trading routine, as well. “She was so sweet. Very polite, always asked to get up with you, loved to snuggle/cuddle on the couch or in bed.”
When asked what made Mimi “the one,” Brad shares, “I needed her, and she needed me. There were several dogs I looked at when I wanted to adopt and she was the first… and there was just something about her. All she needed was love.” Thanks to Brad’s love, and the help and support provided by Laura, Kimberlee, and the Animal Behavior team, Mimi is happy in her forever home after two years of hard work and searching.
To support the important and valuable programs Seattle Animal Shelter runs, like the Behavior Modification program, consider donating to the Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation.