Tucker came to foster as a very damaged dog. He was hand shy, meaning if you reached your hand out he thought you were going to hit him. If he was startled he would bite. He didn't trust any people or other dogs.
In a word, he was a wreck.
He came into our home the middle of August, and was succesfully adopted out on January 1. During that time he became a much more balanced dog and we grew to love him. Between his daily walks, good food, and a nice home he became more comfortable.As he settled in, we learned he had many talents.
He is one of the smartest dogs we have ever met. If you told him which toy to bring he would go find the right toy and bring it to play. He invented the game "Goalie Dog" for our family, where he would bring a big fluffy ball and drop it at your feet, then go into a doorway and play goalie while you tried to kick it by him.
We gave him a song "Goalie Dog" based on the Simpson's movie "Spider Pig."
Goalie Dog, Goalie Dog
Does whatever a Goalie Dog does.
Can he swing
from a vine?No he can't he's a dog.
O.k. it was silly, but all you had to do was sing the song and Tucker would show up with his goalie dog ball looking forward to playing.
Camp Hoover was very good therapy for Tucker. We gave him a long time, but he came out much better than when he showed up. Along the way we briefly grew to three dogs and he learned how to get along as part of a pack.
None of it was easy, but Tucker is truly one of our most rewarding foster rehabilitations.
