Pepper

Pepper is doing well! At home he is a lovely normal (whatever that is!) dog who is grounded, playful and a sometimes naughty puppy. He loves my dogs and frequently is rough housing outside with Jasper. In the house/yard he shows no reaction to noises; he's been unfazed by the spring storms and today he hung outside with me as I mowed and trimmed the yard. The goal is to get him to be as comfortable & resilient in the greater world as he is at home. Hes made great progress but he's not there yet. Who would be an ideal adopter for Pepper? Someone who either has experience with fearful dogs or who is willing to learn. With fearful dogs it's always a balancing act between their comfort and pushing them in order to expand their world and their confidence. Keeping a fearful dog safe is paramount and that means good, escape-proof equipment as well as being very strategic. It's all teachable (by me) & learnable (by you), you just have to be committed to doing the work. So what does all this mean? Pepper will likely not show well. I expect him to be fearful and to not interact much with applicants at a meet & greet. If you are someone who needs to have a strong connection/interaction with a dog before you can adopt, then Pepper might not be the dog for you. But if you are open to adopting a pup who might not make a good first impression but has all the potential then I hope we can meet you! Pepper is worth the effort and with continued, consistent work I know he'll find that confidence and ease in the world. Apply to adopt at www.hotlabrescue.org