20-July-2025

Kathy sends me daily updates on how Lass is doing. Is it only a week since Lass left for the joy of Kathy’s home (which includes 2 year-old female collie Kea and husband, Ken)?? Seems like longer because Lass has made so much progress.

Kathy has taken rescues and worked with shelter animals all her life. Kea (from me) was her first puppy. Kathy has a deep understanding of dogs and a softness that dogs are attracted to. Lass knew this from the first. She knows it more with every passing day.

Kathy writes is morning:

One week! Progress is slow, but steady. They just played in the yard for 1/2 an hour without me encouraging it, and when done, Lassie followed Kea right in the door, layed down on the floor OUTsIde her crate. She has come up to me once or twice and nudged my hand (on her own). I brushed her for a long time today and she looks beautiful. She’s still shy and spends a lot of time in her crate with the door wide open, but she also comes out and plays from time to time too. I’m letting her process this all on her own terms as much as possible. Occasionally I have to pick her up or leash her to get her in, but less and less. Twice she has gotten frightened while out in the yard, but her reaction is to run INTO the house, so that is a great sign. Rather than run away, she is running in. Kea and I went for a hike today and she tried to climb a ladder… got 3 rungs up before I made her get down.

The bubble analogy is excellent. I think about it often. Her bubble right now is her crate and the living room and the yard. We have taken a couple short walks in the neighborhood- they are scary and tire her out, but eventually we’ll be able to expand her bubble a little more.

It’s starting to get fun to watch her. She’s really trying to be brave. She follows me around the yard, and sometimes gets close enough to ALMOST touch my hand.
We have a TV in a different room, and last night I sat down in there. She’s never chosen to leave the main room, but she cautiously followed Kea in and was very interested in watching until there was a loud noise which sent her scurrying back to her safety.
She cried a little when Kea and I went upstairs to bed, but I took that as a positive also…. she wanted to go too, but she hasn’t tried going upstairs yet so that wouldn’t work anyway. She and Kea are playing more, which is also good.
This is her new relaxing spot. The bubble got a tiny bit larger.