Frankie spent weeks hiding and watching from a distance. It took around four weeks before one tiny wagging tail showed us how much had changed.
Some rescue puppies arrive and seem ready for their new life almost immediately.
Frankie was not one of them.
He had been rescued from a dog pound together with his two siblings, Bennie and Lilly, and taken to a no-kill shelter.
But while being safe is the most important first step, feeling safe can take much longer.
Frankie spent most of his time hiding inside his little shelter house.
So when we had the opportunity to foster all three siblings together, we brought them to our Puppy Yoga Retreat in Cyprus.
That was when we saw just how differently three puppies with the same beginning could develop.
Three Siblings, Three Completely Different Personalities
Bennie was the first to open up.
He adjusted comparatively quickly and became more comfortable around us and his new surroundings.
Lilly came next.
She started trusting us too, although walking outside remained difficult for her and she was frightened of going for walks.
And then there was Frankie.
Frankie watched.
He kept his distance.
And he needed much more time.
If you had compared the three siblings during those first days, it would have been easy to wonder why Frankie was not progressing as quickly as the others.
They came from the same place.
They arrived together.
They received the same care.
But they were three different dogs.
And Frankie simply wasn’t ready yet.
Why Is My Rescue Dog Hiding?
When a rescue dog keeps hiding, it can be tempting to worry that something is wrong.
Maybe they don’t like you.
Maybe they will always be fearful.
Maybe you are doing something wrong.
But sometimes hiding is simply the safest option a dog knows.
With Frankie, we didn’t try to force a dramatic transformation.
He was allowed to observe.
He could watch the other puppies interact with us.
He could see Bennie becoming more confident.
He could see Lilly slowly finding her feet.
And meanwhile, we kept being there.
Four Weeks Can Feel Like a Long Time
When you are waiting for a frightened dog to trust you, four weeks can feel incredibly long.
Especially when other puppies around them seem to progress much faster.
There were no huge breakthroughs with Frankie in the beginning.
No sudden transformation.
No moment where everything changed overnight.
And then, after around four weeks, something finally did.
Frankie started to open up.
He began greeting us differently.
And eventually came one of those tiny moments that means much more when you know how long it took to get there:
A wagging tail.
For many puppies, that would have been completely ordinary.
For Frankie, it wasn’t.
After weeks of keeping himself protected and watching the world from a distance, he was beginning to show us that he felt safe.
Same Start Does Not Mean Same Journey
Frankie, Bennie and Lilly taught me something I have seen many times since.
You cannot predict how quickly a rescue dog will settle simply by looking at their background.
Even siblings can respond completely differently.
One may explore immediately.
Another may be afraid of walking.
Another may spend weeks keeping their distance.
That does not mean one dog is doing better than another.
It simply means they need different things and different amounts of time.
Dogs do not know that they are supposed to feel comfortable after a certain number of days or confident after a certain number of weeks.
They get there when they get there.
You Cannot Judge a Rescue Dog by the First Few Days
Had someone met Frankie during his first days in the shelter, they might have seen only a frightened puppy hiding in a little house.
Had they met him during his first days with us, they might still have wondered whether he would ever become confident around people.
Four weeks later, we were seeing another side of him.
That side had probably always been there.
He simply needed enough safety to show it.
This is one of the things I love most about fostering rescue puppies.
You get to watch the dog underneath the fear slowly appear.
Sometimes that happens almost immediately.
Sometimes it takes weeks.
And sometimes the biggest breakthrough is nothing more dramatic than a tail finally beginning to wag.
The dog you meet in the first few days may only be a tiny glimpse of the dog they can become once they finally feel safe.
Frankie’s New Life in Germany
Eventually, Frankie was adopted and moved to his new family in Germany.
Soon afterwards, we received a video.
Frankie was lying happily on the sofa next to his new brother — a dog who had once been fearful too.
They looked completely comfortable together.
Then another video arrived.
This time Frankie was playing freely and enthusiastically with his new owner.
Watching those videos was special.
The puppy who had once spent most of his time hiding inside a little shelter house was now relaxing on a sofa, playing, bonding and enjoying life with his family.
That is why I am so careful not to judge a rescue dog by their first few days.
Sometimes the dog you first meet is simply the dog who is still waiting to feel safe enough to show you who they really are.
What Frankie Taught Me About Rescue Dogs
Frankie taught me not to compare.
Not one puppy with another.
Not one rescue story with another.
And not a frightened dog today with the dog we hope they will become tomorrow.
Bennie was ready first.
Lilly followed.
Frankie needed four weeks.
None of them was wrong.
They simply had their own timeline.
The dog you meet in the first few days may only be a tiny glimpse of the dog they can become once they finally feel safe.
Frankie was proof of that.
Meet Our Current Rescue Puppies
The rescue puppies staying at our Puppy Yoga Retreat in Cyprus all arrive with their own personalities, histories and pace.
Some walk straight up to our guests.
Some prefer to watch first.
And occasionally, like Frankie, one needs much more time before deciding that people can be trusted.
During their time with us, they experience everyday life, different people, gentle interaction and the freedom to approach when they are ready.
For our guests, that means something special too.
You do not only meet a rescue puppy for a few minutes.
Sometimes you get to watch them change.
And every now and then, the puppy who once stayed at the edge is the one who later sends us videos from a sofa in Germany, completely at home.
