Marlo came to us a very different dog than we know today. After months in the shelter, and what must have felt like a lifetime in transit, she arrived in Portland to a sea of new smells and faces. She was so traumatized by the event that she refused to get out of her kennel! We were prepared for a long rehabilitation process, and took things slow with her; giving her a warm space to hide where nobody would bug her, open doors to wherever she needed to go, and most importantly (being a Golden) some treats nearby. Wasn’t long before the snacks won her over. Mere hours after she arrived in the house, she decided she was ready to play.

Anxieties melted away quite quickly after that. Walks became less frantic, strange sounds and people on the street went from threat, to annoyance, to potential source of food or attention. Once she was through her quarantine period and was allowed to meet other dogs, she made a bunch of friends in the neighborhood, and perfected her ‘whole body wag’ by way of a greeting.

Now, 3 months later, she’s the sweetest, goofiest, most loving dog imaginable. She craves attention and adventure, and is more motivated by love and excitement than snacks. I spend as much time as possible in the woods, building and riding mountain bike trails, and she’s there with me every time, exploring the underbrush, playing with all the other trail dogs, and chasing me down the hill on my bike.

 

 

Marlo loves the snow, patrolling for squirrels, large fluffy dogs, and taking her assortment of plush friends into the yard with her. She tolerates baths, still prefers all her water to be served outside, and lives by the policy that anything is food until proven otherwise.

We’re so lucky to have her in our lives.

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