I just wanted to send you an update on the dog we adopted from your shelter in August, Sherry.  We actually changed her name to Rogue, though she is the least rogue-like dog you could imagine, aside from her occasional sock stealing.  When we first brought her home she was a very timid little dog who seemed unsure of herself and the intentions of those around her.  We knew this would be the case and that by adopting a 'special needs' dog we would have to take a gentle and patient approach in acclimatizing her to her new home and lifestyle.

We are very happy to report that Rogue is doing very very well in her new
home!  She thoroughly enjoys her walks, meeting the neighborhood dogs, and
going everywhere with us.  She is still a little skittish around new people or people she doesn't know well but is slowly starting to figure out that more often than not, people just want to pat her on the head and tell her how cute she is.  She becomes more and more confident everyday, and is a real goof around the house.

One last thing, this dog either had a full repertoire of tricks she learned prior to living with us, or she is an extremely fast learner and somewhat of a canine genius.  I do believe it is the latter.  Rogue has learned to sit, stay, shake (both paws), high five, lay down, come, crawl, roll over, play dead, and target train.  What a smart dog.  It is very rewarding to see her learn and become more outgoing with us and others.  We are so happy to have adopted Rogue from the shelter and thank you for taking care of her until she found her forever home.

Attached are a few photos of Rogue, and one of her and her two corgi friends Mochi and Maeve.

Update August '14

It has officially been one year since we adopted Rogue from your shelter (previously named Sherry) and she is doing great! At 5 years old, Rogue is still the same gentle, calm dog that she was when we first adopted her but is now much more relaxed and sociable with strangers. We always get compliments on how well behaved and gentle she is.

Rogue enjoyed her first Canadian winter (probably a big shock for her since she came to the shelter all the way from Texas). She loves jumping around and chasing other dogs through the deep snow. Rogue goes jogging with us, hiking, camping, and loves to tag along anywhere that we can take her; we just returned from a canoe camping trip in the Frontenac parklands where we discovered that she is a really good swimmer!

She knows a TON of tricks and commands, and is very easy to train; we have been doing some dog agility at Dream Fields (one of the shelter's staff members recommended the training centre), and classes are going great! We have finished the beginner level classes and have moved on to the Novice level. Rogue really seems to enjoy the classes and it has helped a lot with her shyness around people.

We were so lucky to find such an awesome dog at the SPCAWQ. Thank you for taking care of her until we found her, and I hope stories like this encourage more people to consider adopting an adult dog (or cat!) from a shelter.

Update August '15

It has been 2 whole years since we adopted Rogue (aka Sherry) from the shelter. She is now 6 years old and doing wonderful! She is still the same gentle and well behaved dog as always and has gotten a lot better with her nervousness around strangers.

We are still doing dog agility at Dreamfields (Starters level now!) and she is loving it. She is still learning new tricks and is thoroughly enjoying our summer camping, cottage, and beach trips. Rogue is a wonderful dog and we are so happy to have found her at your shelter.

Thank you for taking the time to help all those animals in need. Wishing you all the best from Rachel, Taylor, and Rogue!

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