Prudence
Prudence joined the team in April 2015, after being rescued along with her siblings from a desert area in California. Amber found her through Rescued Hearts Northwest and within a week she was on her way to Washington via Wings of Rescue with 2 of her sisters!
The first 7-weeks of Prue’s life are unknown, but due to the conditions in which she and her littermates were in when found, they likely weren’t good. All of the pups were emaciated and 3 of them, prudence included, had broken skeletal bones. This early trauma is likely the cause of Prue’s general anxiety and fear of dogs.
Prudence was only 10-weeks old when we got her and immediately began attending puppy classes. Her first few sessions she would freeze and faint the moment another puppy approached. The next few sessions she began to bite approaching puppies in the face. The presence of her sister, who we were co-fostering, in classes helped build her confidence around other puppies. We were able to get Prudence to a place where she was confidently greeting new dogs and able to go off leash to local parks and hiking trails confidently. She assisted in many classes and private lessons and loved it.
In January of 2017, a day before Prue’s second birthday, we unexpectedly lost Lucy. The loss was harder than any other Prue or I had ever faced. Witnessing her heartbreak broke mine even more. She would sit in the yard and howl, whine at the front door, and continually look for Lucy everywhere we went. Her behavior towards unknown
dogs began to change. My once confident, happy-go-lucky girl, was now responding in fear to an oncoming dog. Off leash she would make herself as small as possible, even rolling onto her back and peeing herself. But if the intruding dog would not give her space she would begin to snarl and chase the dog off. On leash, knowing she was restricted from fleeing, she would immediately begin to bark and lunge in an attempt to scare the other dog away. The engagement we once had as a team was now gone.
A few weeks later we brought Jude home. A decision I had greatly struggled with, was it too soon? Would she bond with him like she had Lucy? I was so nervous about the meet and greet, we drove 8 hours and spent the night in a hotel so Prudence could meet two male puppies. Would she like either of them? Would she turn into Cujo the moment she saw them? Or would I see my bouncy goofy girl once again?
She absolutely melted. While she was happy to see both puppies her instant attraction to Jude was undeniable. He came home with us that day and while I can say he certainly helped us each heal from the loss of Lucy Prue’s overall fear and anxiety remains.
I have been working hard for the last 2-years to rebuild my relationship with Prudence and create confidence in other situations. My overall goal for her is to be able to feel safe and enjoy life. New dogs are still a no go for her, but she is gaining confidence when she sees them out and about and is beginning to react calmly. Jude is becoming a pillar of confidence for her in other situations where she feels anxious and it is nice to see.
Prudence is lucky to have a handful of friends that she continues to socialize with well and she adores meeting new puppies. We are currently working towards her first Team 1 Title with Fenzi Team Titles and have begun Nosework for fun. She has once again found her love for training so I am creating a class based on the things that she enjoys learning, stay tuned!
Prue’s Favorite Things:
- Walks
- Jersey & Ellamae
- Grandma
- Chewies
- CHEESE, all of it
- Snuggles
- Chasing small furries
- Obstacle Training
- Grass
- Sandy Beach
- Rolling in gross things
- Sniffy Adventures
- Tacos
Want to learn more about Prudence? Find her on Instagram @thebeatlebulls #PrudencethePitull