Shy Stray Dog Wins the Jackpot With New Owners

You walk into the shelter, and you see a dog that’s been passed over for weeks. That was the case with Finna, who came into a Tennessee shelter as a stray. Just like dog owners that buy puppies from reputable breeders, future dog owners tend to lean towards certain breeds, when adopting a dog from a shelter.

Oftentimes that means certain breeds are overlooked. Breeds like bully breeds, giant dog breeds, dogs with thicker fur, and high energy breeds like shepherd dogs are often left behind.

Finna fell into a few of these categories. But little did Finna know that after meeting one particular family, she’d be hitting the doggy lottery! Soon, she’d going from a small enclosed cage to a home with plenty of room to run and friends to play with!

Why We Think Finna Got Passed Over

Finna was named “Xena” at the shelter, and she was a classic shelter dog. She was scared, nervous, and just a little unsure of her surroundings. Finna was clearly part German Shepherd, and her age was unknown. She was also high energy.

To our surprise, Finna was labeled as four years old. But, we knew right away when we saw her that there was no way she was that old. Usually, puppies will get adopted faster than adult dogs. So, this was likely a contributing factor to sticking around the shelter for a while.

Breed played a part, and so did the fact that she looked like a nervous, high energy dog.

However, Finna’s youthful mannerisms and pearly white teeth were dead giveaways that she couldn’t have been older than a year. Having been around plenty of rescue dogs, we also knew that her nervous demeanor would likely change once she felt more secure.

Finna had enlarged mammaries when she was at the shelter, so the shelter employee mentioned she’d likely had puppies. This also probably put some potential adopters off.

Having owned several dogs that have gone through a heat cycle, we immediately knew that it was far more likely that she was just old enough to have gone through her first heat cycle. This typically happens between months 9 through 12 in most breeds.

How We Knew Finna Was Ours

We asked the shelter employee to let us spend some time with Finna without all the noise. We were escorted to a small room with just her, and we could immediately see her start to de stress. Often, the noise alone in a shelter is enough to stress out any dog.

As we got settled in, she immediately became more affectionate, curling up into our laps. We were sold right then and there, and were very surprised to see how mellow she was. This is why we always recommend potential owners meet with a dog behind closed doors and away from the chaos that can happen at shelters.

Introducing Her at Home

At the time, we had four (yes four) other dogs. Two of which are massive English Mastiffs (both over 160 pounds) so meet/greet was essential. Many shelters have an adoption window in case it ends up not being a fit. However, we never really take that into consideration.

Instead, we brought here home and made sure to set her up for success with the other dogs.

Our other four dogs all have quirks. Three of the four are rescue/shelter dogs, so understanding their patterns and managing their behavior during introductions is essential.

To make things easy, we chose to introduce Finna to our pack individually with each dog, outside. We then later gradually add each dog to the group setting when it feels right. For the first week, Finna both ate and slept separately from the other dogs in the house.

Over a period of two weeks, the other dogs welcomed her into the pack. She now has some new best friends she gets to play with every day.

Finna Today

Having been home for several months now, Finna fits right in with the rest of the dogs at our little semi-rural home. She has over an acre to run and play on in the backyard, and two high-energy dogs to keep her busy.

Owning and managing five dogs can be a lot, but we wouldn’t have it any other way. Adding this beautiful pup to our pack has been a huge blessing.

If you are on the fence about adopting a pup rather than shopping for one, let this story remind you that you should never judge a book by it’s cover. She is one of the best pups we’ve owned, does well on walks, and is an absolute cuddle bug.

Thousands of perfect pets like Finna get dumped at shelters everyday, so we encourage you to pay a visit to your local shelter before shopping for a puppy when adding your next four legged friend to your pack!