Sunday, April 13, 2014

Yogi and His Adoption Story

Yogi adopted from HSSV October 2011
I met Yogi in April 2011 when I started volunteering at HSSV. First he was a dog behind glass window, with red, tired and sad eyes. In July 2011 finally I could take him for a walk. At HSSV you have to complete five levels of training to start socializing more challenging dogs and Yogi was one of those dogs - diamond dog. I was taking him every other day for a walk, so he could excersise and have some special time just for him. At the end of the September 2011 I read carefully Yogi's adoption plan and noticed that he was in the shelter since December 2010, almost 10 months. At first I couldn't believe it, and that day I asked at the shelter if it is ok if I can take Yogi home so he can have some break. Shelter environment is very stressful for dogs. For 3 weeks I was fostering him, and at the end of October 2011, I signed adoption papers and he was mine. During our journey we went through many training session, I started taking seminars with the best dog trainers, reading tones of books, watching hours and hours of videos, and absorbing everything about dog aggression, about fears in dogs, about socialization. I started exposing Yogi to dogs and people, and using positive reinforcement, good structure we started our journey that is continuing. In July 2012 we joined together doggy daycare me as an employee and Yogi as a student, special needs student. In December 2012 for the first time Yogi was able to play with another dog . From that point he started playing with more dogs, and his group was including more buddies to play with. 
Yogi at Canine Corral Doggy Daycare with Dakota
Bringing Yogi home was one of the good things that happened to us. Watching his transformation is amazing. YOGI gave me and my family great lessons that patience, kindness, no judgment can open all the best sides of anyone, fulfill with good energy. Yogi shares his life with me, my husband and 13 and 17 years old human brothers. 

Yogi sharing his life with his family with respect, love and understanding :)
He goes with us everywhere, loves backpacking trips in Sierra, he helps socialize other dogs, and he is an integrated part of our family. He is six years old, we don't remember how was our life before him 

Yogi at backpacking trip at Lost Coast last summer


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