A little time and a lot of love

[PaulaH]

Tonight I was priviledged to witness a remarkable step forward in the development of a brave little girl named Ivy. Ivy attended her first Agility Foundations class this evening. We were originally only going to go and sit on the sidelines and watch, but she was so relaxed as we walked around the barn before the class started that we decided to see how she would do. Not only did this shy, fearful girl greet two men (not her favorite gender of humans ordinarily , but she walked back and forth on a level board, raced through the tunnel, and jogged through the ground poles with a big grin on her face. Her sit, down and stay was right up there with the other four dogs in the class that have all had previous agility experience! She actually laid down beside me several times while the instructors spoke and was perfectly content to just be in the moment. Thank you to the volunteers and fosters at North Star...in case you wonder sometimes if what you do matters, here's one success story that would not have happened without you! Paula

[Becky]

Wow! How awesome! Thanks for sharing that.

[Toni]

A big thank you from me too for sharing this moment with everyone. I'll never forget the day I pulled Ivy from the shelter, thanks to a very kind shelter worker who came in after hours so I could pick her up. She had run out of time and was in danger of being sold to research at any moment. The thought of that still makes me feel sick inside.

You have opened up a new world for Ivy and I cannot thank you enough. Your time, patience and love has built her confidence and now she knows you will always keep her safe. What a beautiful gift you have given her and I will always be grateful.

Please give Ivy a big hug and kiss from her foster mom....she is a very special girl.

[PaulaH]

So, at this rate this may be a running diary of Ivy's big adventure in Agility! Class two tonight and I'm going to have to stop calling her a shy dog. Let's see, how many new people can we meet in one night...oh, about 4 and take treats from all of them AND get ear scrubs and chest pets. And let's not forget showing some of the best foundation skills for the beginners...move away and around a standard...no problem, jump on the table and lie down...piece of cake...walk a board on the ground...please, challenge me someone!

Oh no...I sound like one of those obnoxious parents at the teacher-parent meetings! Stay tuned! Paula