Noticeable Change:

April (mother) on the left and Klaus (son) on the right. We adopted April last July and then I had that bout with sepsis that put me in the hospital the next month. Then we planned to move from S. Colorado to NC due to the distance to the emergency room. It has taken all this time for April to feel part of the family. We made the move in one long drive and so her life was disrupted completely. 

Just recently she has indicated that she is part of the family. When I come in from being outside she will come meet me at the door with her tail wagging. When I am on the sofa she will curl up next to me and relax. She had been previously surrendered to the shelter on two separate occasions. Her life previously had been hectic and confusing and now she is on the other side of the country and finally relaxing enough to actually be a part of the family. We do not want to disrupt her life any further and let her realize she has her forever home. 

We adopted Klaus two years ago and when I would reach over to pet him and give him affection he would duck his head like he had previously been hit. Just recently he has stopped flinching which is good to see. He also had been surrendered to the shelter and had spent the majority of his life in the shelter. He must have previously been abused and all that time in the shelter must have been very traumatic to him. He is finally showing that he is comfortable in his home and trusts us to treat him with loving and tender care. 

It is so rewarding to see them both finally settle in and feel comfortable. It has taken time but we knew how to help them adjust and feel at home and loved. It takes time, patience and careful planning to get rescue dogs fully adopted into our family and I am so pleased to finally see it.