April & June
April & June have been with MNBR since November 2022 so we thought it might be time for them to have their very own page.
APRIL #433 & June #434
Human Fearful
Requires applicant/adopter with experience with human fearful dogs and a confident friendly resident dog
April and June came into rescue in November of 2022. We don’t have any information about their history other than that they came from a commercial breeding facility, but since arrival they have struggled with human interaction.
April enjoys and seeks out attention from her foster family, but she likes her routine and will pace nervously if a new person is in the house. Once she “knows” them she will stare at them from a distance. When it’s just the family, April is more outgoing and will check in with her foster mom during the day in between paling around with her dog pack.
June seeks out attention from only one member of the family she has deemed her safe person, but the other member continues to work on winning her over with treats. June is the more skittish of the pair and follows April and the rest of the dog pack everywhere.
When there is a change of routine or two humans in one room it can be stressful for June & April. They prefer to find a safe space so they can observe two or more humans at once.
April has made big strides in her leash training. She walks on leash pretty comfortably in the house and back yard as long as a resident dog is also leashed but only for the one human she has decided to trust. June follows them on leash in the back yard and watches closely in the house but continues to be uncomfortable being limited by a leash for training.
They are 100% house trained and are dog and cat friendly. They are kenneled when their humans are gone, and at night they sleep in bed. April has been weaned off all medications but June, under the supervision of our vet, is on medication to help her manage her life with humans. Any changes to their current routine could result in a need to add or alter their medication regimen.
The girls continue to learn how to dog and really enjoy all the hounds in their foster home. June loves her foster siblings so much that she can be found constantly trying to give them kisses.
April and June will need a very special, patient forever home that will allow these girls to interact at their own pace. Their forever home will also need a confident friendly dog that will play and engage with them to draw them out and give them confidence. They will require a fence and they will need to be adopted together. They are considered a flight risk so their adoption includes one Fi Collar and a one year subscription each.
Their Article from Give to the Max 2023
When we said “yes” to April & June a year ago in November of 2022 all we knew about them was their ages and that they were coming from a breeding situation. We quickly determined that they were extremely shy of humans and would need a very special adopter, preferably one with experience with unsocialized dogs.
Most breeder releases are human-shy because they aren't socialized as puppies and have little to no human interaction or only negative human interaction as they age.
Dogs that are human-shy can have it present in different ways and at different levels. One dog may be very nervous about humans but still crave kindness and their touch. Other dogs, like April and June, may be so scared of humans that they may lose control of their bodily functions if handled without their consent.
While April and June have made major strides in their foster home, they are still challenging hounds as they require the humans in their lives to consider how they will respond to all human interactions. Some examples of actions their foster homes takes are:
When walking into a room they are in or you are walking out a room they are currently in, communicate your intentions so they know what to expect.
Talk to them every time you walk by them or see them. Read out loud and think out loud as the goal is for them to hear your voice at least 30 minutes a day.
Spend time sitting on the ground so that they can approach you. Standing humans or even humans sitting on furniture can be intimidating.
Always carry treats in your pockets as a potential reward for brave behavior.
April is more comfortable with the humans in her foster home but does prefer them one at a time. She will walk on leash in the fenced in backyard, loves to be cuddled, and takes treats very sweetly.
June is more uncertain of the humans in her foster home but she ADORES the resident dogs. She will take a treat from her foster mom’s hand and, if she gets on the ground, June will take pets and want to give kisses. Leashes have been challenging for her, but she has made improvements and is just starting not to go flat when a leash is attached to her halter. June requires structure, routine, and predictability to successfully manage her day.
April and June spend their days playing with the resident hounds, sniffing in the backyard, laying in the sun, and working on tolerating/enjoying the humans in their space.
Upon arrival they incurred significant veterinary expenses, including spays, mammary tumor removals, bloodwork, dentals, and vaccines and preventatives. A few months into their stay with us, we had a consultation with a trainer and then our vet where we determined that a medication regimen would better assist them with their transition into life with humans. To date we have spent $4,600 for their vetting expenses and their monthly expenses total around $280.
While April and June were not what we were expecting, we have done everything possible to get them healthy and make them happy while we look for a family that is open to a beautiful pair of dogs that need a little something extra. They are challenging hounds trying to be brave in a world that makes no sense to them and learning to trust that they are finally safe and free.
We are incredibly grateful that we have foster homes that are willing to open their homes to dogs like April and June, supporters that will send them pill pockets or bags of food during their extended stay, and donors that assist us in affording their veterinary care so they have the opportunity for a second chance at a real life.