Day 20 update - fostering Hermione the brave pup! Big milestones today! Hermione again, came out of her crate first thing in the morning, seeking affection and pats. She no longer withdraws to the balcony and hides in the corner on her grass patch. She had another outing at the quiet grassed area of Bondi pavilion. A friend joined us who has a quiet affinity with dogs. And within half an hour she was leaning against him and sniffed his hand several times. I encouraged him to give her a scratch on the butt, and she didn’t shrink away, but tolerated the touch. We did some practice walking on the leash, the three of us. And aside from walking across the busy Campbell Parade intersection. She was calmly walking the entire way. This is a huge achievement to see her walking on the street with relative calm. Compared to the erratic “wild fox” she displayed when she first arrived in Bondi. After the outing, she ate her entire breakfast, and this gave me confidence that the mornings’ events did not generate too much stress. She mostly struggles with loud noises and groups of people, especially if they are talking loudly or looking at her. And in these instances I often pick her up and carry her away from the stressful situation, or gently encourage her to bypass it. This means we can continue practice walking on the lead within a manageable stress zone. The good thing is that I am carrying her less and less. Midday we practised walking inside for ten minutes due to the rain. In the afternoon, we did another walk outside on the street, she was pulling back very severely and would not walk forward. I tried popping the lead but she was intent on staying planted. I didn’t want to drag her along or frighten her as I could see she was already very stressed so I carried her to the end of the block and we sat on a grass patch about 2 metres off the street. Once she calmed down and lay next to me I proceeded to walk her home. She managed to walk the whole way despite hesita
Day 19 update - fostering Hermione the brave pup. Another quiet day for Hermione to take it easy. The last week she had some stressful days so we have not been exploring new places while she is regressing in her confidence. Today was all about revisiting familiar places and practicing the drills she already knows. Patience is key and it’s not easy when she has days where her fearful behaviour kicks back in. It often feels like we are back at square one but that’s all part of the journey. We just keep on going, albeit more slowly if needed. #hermionesstory #fosterjourney #germanshepherd #backstory Hermione is a 9 month old (approx.) German Shepherd who was rescued nearly 20kg underweight from a backyard breeder. She was transported to The Dog Leadership Academy to undergo rehabilitation before finding her way into foster care. Follow her journey as she adjusts to human society. Hermie is available for adoption to the right owner.
Day 18 update - fostering Hermione. It was a quiet day where we practised a few walks further down the street (a distance of 270 metres). This is a big improvement from her ten or sixty metre walks last week. She probably covers twice the distance because she walks forward and backwards so many times. Our walks last anywhere from ten to twenty minutes and we repeat this at least twice a day. The goal is to have her walking 30-40 minutes at a time. For a puppy her age, this should be a good amount of exercise. As she is a puppy who experienced neglect and malnourishment, I avoid over-exercising her and stairs. German Shepherds are prone to hip issues hence our avoidance of stairs. We may have to increase her evening exercise as she is becoming very lively at night. Watch this space! 🐾 What exercise guidelines do you follow when introducing your puppy to walking on a lead? Keen to hear 👂#hermionesstory #fosterjourney #germanshepherd #backstory Hermione is an 9 month old German Shepherd who was rescued nearly 20kg underweight from a backyard breeder. She was transported to The Dog Leadership Academy to undergo rehabilitation before finding her way into foster care. Follow her journey as she adjusts to human society. Hermie is available for adoption to the right owner.
Day 17 update fostering little Hermione. Her ability to walk on the street with close proximity to people, dogs and road traffic is improving each day. It’s slow progress but the goal this week is to build a relationship of trust so she starts to understand that I am advocating for her. Unfortunately, she still views me as “the person” who takes her into scary situations. With time, she will learn that her fear is not necessary and that I am constantly advocating for her safety. Today, when we are in the street I check that the path ahead is clear of large groups of people, dogs or bicycles. I don’t expect her to walk if the road is too noisy or busy; I simply carry her and we try again later. The first element I want her to master is “back” (or “come”) and “wait”. This is because her instinct is to dart ahead to get home or escape the situation. If she is beside or behind me I can protect her. If she is constant pulling or running ahead there’s the risk she could be hurt by a cyclist, a car or another dog. 🐕 She’s still adjusting to walking on the lead in busy Bondi streets so we trialled a backpack to expose her to new areas in a safe way. Baby steps! #hermionesstory #germanshepherd #fosterjourney ⚠️ #backstory Hermione is an 8 month old German Shepherd who was rescued nearly 20kg underweight from a backyard breeder. She was transported to The Dog Leadership Academy to undergo rehabilitation before finding her way into foster care. Follow her journey as she adjusts to human society. Hermie is available for adoption to the right owner.
Day 16 update - fostering Hermione the brave puppy. Today you turn 9 months old, Hermie! Hermione started her day with playful birthday antics in her crate, she was awake at 1 AM 😅 celebrating the milestone in her journey. Her newfound sassiness emerged as she confidently sought pats from my partner and even jumped into the bed, showcasing increased comfort and communication. Despite some hesitancy in her morning routine, we focused on building her confidence with short lead practice sessions. While her birthday ice cream wasn't a hit, ice cubes remain her preferred treat. Follow Hermie's journey as she continues to adjust to human society. #HermioneUpdate #FosterJourney #BravePuppy #DogAdoption #RescueDog #BirthdayCelebration #Backstory Hermione is an 8-month-old German Shepherd who was rescued nearly 20kg underweight from a backyard breeder. She was transported to The Dog Leadership Academy to undergo rehabilitation before finding her way into foster care. Follow her journey as she adjusts to human society. Hermie is available for adoption to the right owner.
Fostering Hermione - Day 15 Update! 🌟 A mixed day for Hermione, starting with a heartwarming moment as she sought morning pats, building a growing bond. However, she faced challenges throughout the day, showing reluctance to leave her crate and only eating half her meals. We returned to the grass near the pavilion, sitting in the shade for hours, observing passersby. Three people and three dogs approached; Hermione pressed against me, slowly backing away from the dogs. I advocate for her by fending off approaches and sometimes allowing gentle butt scratches as a compromise. Bondi is a tricky place for a timid dog and it’s my challenge to advocate that others respect her boundaries. I sourced a dog backpack to take her to new places however she avoided any engagement with it. I respected that today probably wasn’t the day to trial it. What's your approach to handling a nervous dog in public situations? Share your thoughts! 🐾 #HermionesJourney #FosterPup #RescueDog #BondiLife #DogAdvocacy #TrainingDay #backstory Hermione is an 8 month old German Shepherd who was rescued nearly 20kg underweight from a backyard breeder. She was transported to The Dog Leadership Academy to undergo rehabilitation before finding her way into foster care. Follow her journey as she adjusts to human society. Hermie is available for adoption to the right owner.
"Fostering Hermione - Day 14 Update! 🐾 Today marked a major milestone as Hermione ventured to a new block near Bondi Pavilion. Exploring with caution, she nuzzled against trees to hide but sought comfort beside me, observing her surroundings. A quiet space away from the road, it's a step towards conquering large open areas. Aside from a very polite mini Labradoodle; no dogs or people approached, providing a gentle introduction. As the journey continues, her resilience carries her through. I completely acknowledge that she is forced into uncomfortable situations most days. I would not continue to do this if her stress tolerance was not increasing with these exercises. How do you handle a fearful & timid dog? Keen to hear other people’s experiences. 🧑🎓 #HermionesJourney #FosterPup #RescueDog #BondiLife #DogExploration #backstory Hermione is an 8 month old German Shepherd who was rescued nearly 20kg underweight from a backyard breeder. She was transported to The Dog Leadership Academy to undergo rehabilitation before finding her way into foster care. Follow her journey as she adjusts to human society. Hermie is available for adoption to the right owner.
Day 13 update - fostering Hermione the rescue puppy. Here’s a nice update of a leisurely Mew Years Day spent relaxing in her crate, lounging on the balcony and in bed being petted. She’s starting to look comfortable, huh?! Who would have thought this is the same little girl who was cowering in a corner on my balcony nearly two weeks ago. #hermionesstory #ResilientPup #fosterjourney #backstory Hermione is an 8 month old German Shepherd who was rescued nearly 20kg underweight from a backyard breeder. She was transported to The Dog Leadership Academy to undergo rehabilitation before finding her way into foster care. Follow her journey as she adjusts to human society. Hermie is available for adoption to the right owner.
Day 12 update - fostering Hermione the brave pup. On New Year's Eve, Hermione, the resilient 8-month-old German Shepherd, had a series of breakthroughs. Shifting from her crate sanctuary, she chose to join us on the balcony as we ate, a milestone in itself given her preference for solitude. A trip to Waverley Park was an opportunity to trial her on a 10-meter lead, a step toward newfound freedom. In the park, she eventually opted to sit on the picnic blanket with us, choosing connection over seclusion. Hermione's response to stress is distinct—flight over fight. Rather than confrontation, she often chooses to retreat. If this is not an option she will then freeze in response. Slowly, with time, she is making more and more choices to connect with us rather than flee, hide or freeze. Her tale, rooted in neglect, is slowly unfolding in Bondi Beach, showcasing what a fantastic dog she will become. Join us in sharing Hermione's journey so she can find a home. #HermionesStory #ResilientPup #FosterJourney #Transformation #DogBehavior #backstory Hermione was rescued from life lived in a backyard, malnourished and neglected. She is now in foster care and learning to adjust to human society.
Day 11 fostering Hermione the brave pup. Her body language is becoming less tense, stiff and/or frantic on outdoor walks. She is pulling on the lead to try and drag me home so in these moments I just stop and gesture for her to come “back” into a heel. This slows down her frantic pace and gives her something else to focus on other than the people and traffic noises. I am not strict with her when she is pulling on the lead because a "perfect walk" is not the goal right now. Today is simply about co-existing with strangers on the street and noisy traffic. It is yet another opportunity for her to experience this environment and then safely return home. Every time it becomes less overwhelming and my hope is that eventually it will induce fun not fear. I do not train her with treats. In this stressful environment she would not take them so instead we have to build a relationship based on trust. It is slow progress but every tail wag makes it worthwhile! We finished the day with a movie night and Hermie was carried onto the bed for her first "couch cuddle" experience. She mouthed my hands and pawed at me for pats for an hour and a half. It is great to see her becoming more playful and affectionate. #hermionesstory #ResilientPup #rescuedog #fosterjourney #backstory Hermione is an 8 month old German Shepherd who was rescued from a backyard breeder in a state of neglect. She was rescued nearly 20kg underweight by Sydney Dog Behaviourist - George Tran and cowered in her crate hiding from people. Here she is being fostered in Bondi Beach and learning to adjust to human society. Hermione is available for adoption. Please help by sharing her story so she can find a home.
Day 10 update - fostering Hermione the brave pup. It’s still a daily struggle to coax Hermione out of her crate and outside. Unfortunately, she continues to be resistant at least half of the time and I literally have to drag her out or carry her places on these occasions. It’s tough to witness. I could respect her wishes and leave her in hiding but then she would never learn about the world outside. How else could we (humans) teach her that fun, adventure, affection and kindness exist beyond her crate? Today she experienced an outdoor cafe setting for twenty minutes. She found a space to curl up and hide while the world passed her by. It was successful in the sense that despite the noise nobody meant her harm. In fact, she was largely ignored by passers-by. Those that did take an interest in her immediately saw the label “nervous” and respected her space. I have also started increasing our pace during our “follow me” training games. She seems most comfortable at a jogging pace rather than a walk. I’m slowly increasing the amount of exercise she has each day and time outside her crate. She thoroughly dislikes being out of her crate but she is making progress. #backstory Hermione is an 8 month old German Shepherd puppy rescued from a life confined to a backyard. She was found underweight and neglected. This is her story as she adjusts to human society & living indoors. I guess it’s comparable to someone living in a country house until they were ten years old and never venturing outside. Suddenly they are transported to a bustling city and expected to venture outside. Hence why we are taking it very slow and focusing on baby steps.
Day 9 fostering Hermione the brave pup! She’s catching on quick with our little training games, “follow me” and “back”. I have even started dropping the lead in safe, enclosed spaces because she listens to my voice. The lead is not always needed as an extension of my voice. Every day we practice “follow me” drills inside and you can see that outside the apartment it’s starting to pay off. Just a few minutes of practice a day! Basic things are still a challenge; such as going into the street or relaxing enough to go toilet near foot traffic. Yet, everyday we see baby steps of progress. #hermionesstory #ResilientPup #rescuedog #backstory Hermione is an 8 month old German Shepherd rescued from a neglectful backyard breeder. She was rescued underweight and psychologically shut down; opting to hide in a hole or a tuck into corner rather than play or explore. She is currently in foster care learning how to live indoors and adjusting to human society.
Day 8 update fostering Hermione. Hermione’s progress is really starting to shine! She has started to practice following me on the lead; the key to achieving relaxed walks together. We practice “follow me” at home when it is quiet. She has also started to master “back” rather quickly. Sometimes I see a tail wag when we are practicing this in a quiet environment like the hallway. We practice “back” on every walk whether inside or outside. I am teaching her that in order to have forward momentum she needs to stop running ahead and stay by my side. It is a painfully slow process to witness but I am certain it will pay off in the end. Teaching “back” is also a useful skill for recall (teaching your dog to come when called). It will ensure she is safe and can be guided away from danger by her new owner or handler. #hermionesstory #ResilientPup #rescuedog #backstory Hermione was rescued by George Tran from Dog Leadership Academy & rehabilitated for one month. She was severely neglected. Here she is after one week in foster care. Hermione is learning to live in the city among people in the hope she can be adopted and live a life free of fear.
Day 7 - foster update for Lil’ Herm the brave pup. Today concludes Hermione’s first week in foster care learning to live with humans inside an apartment. In the short space of seven days she has started to learn indoor toilet training, walking on a lead in high pressure environments, sleeping alone without any other dogs, and slowly bonding with humans. She is mostly triggered by people and loud noises. Large dogs staring at her will also cause her to scurry in the opposite direction. I haven’t started any training with her beyond basic house skills as this first week has been focused on acclimatising to her new human housemates and environment. Unfortunately, walking on the street further than ten metres is too high stress for her so I have opted to carry her when we must travel longer distances. Next week will be the beginning of basic leash training and recall training (learning to come when called). Wish her luck as she embarks on her adventure adjusting to human society! #hermionesstory #ResilientPup #rescuedog #backstory Hermione is an 8 month old German Shepherd found in a state of neglect underweight & malnourished. She spent one month being rehabilitated by the Dog Leadership Academy and is now in my foster care. She is learning to live indoors with people to prepare her for adoption. Please share her story so she can find a home 🏠 🐾
Day 7 update - fostering Lil’ Herm the (not so) feral foster pup. 😭 😭 😭 I am so pleased to report that after seven days in foster care Hermione has finally engaged in play. I met this 8 month old puppy nearly two months ago and I have never seen her wag her tail. I have never seen her play. That is how psychologically shut down she was when she was rescued. Even after a month of rehabilitation at The Dog Leadership Academy she was struggling with basic puppy skills such as playing and exploring. My understanding is that she came from a backyard breeder notorious for neglect. She was rescued as a 5kg German Shepherd at 7 months old. A female puppy of this age should be closer to 20kg, if not more. Utter neglect. What else could produce a situation such as this? No matter her circumstances she has bounced back like the resilient little puppy she is. I am incredibly fortunate to have her in my care. I didn’t think I could be inspired by a dog until I met her. Merry Christmas. No matter where you came from, there’s always a better tomorrow ❤️🩹 💫 #hermionesstory #ResilientPup #rescuedog #backstory Hermione is in my care as a foster pup until she is ready to be adopted into her forever home. She is learning how to live in human society. Please share her story so she can find a home this holiday season. 💝
Day 6 fostering Hermione the feral pup - we hit a wall! Well, it’s nearly been a week since Lil’ Herm landed in Bondi Beach to begin her new life in foster care. The first three days of decompression involved promising signs; Hermione was eating food and taking small steps to leave her crate on her own. She was already communicating when she needed to toilet. But there were many setbacks. Today, we both hit a wall. Neither of us have been sleeping well and it was starting to become evident. Despite setbacks, Hermie has stopped using the balcony tiles as a toilet. She is now returning to me when she realises she has reached the end of the lead. And , in CHRISTMAS SPIRIT, 🎄 we are slowly incorporating play into our daily activities. Cheers to Potty Plant - Grass Dog Toilets and all the strangers who respect her space 🙏 #hermionesstory #ResilientPup #rescuedog
Day 5 fostering Hermione the feral pup - What a big day! Day 5 started out so well as Hermione bravely left her crate at sunrise on her own accord for THE FIRST TIME. Unfortunately, following this the rest of the day went downhill. She had a low appetite in the morning yet tolerated me petting her for one minute. Trips to the lawn outside were more difficult as she was pulling in all directions to escape the noise of the traffic. Bondi was busier and louder than usual with lots of holiday excitement. We trialled a ‘snood’ and a bandana with the label “nervous”. This helped to block noise and successfully prevented any dog lovers from approaching her. Right before sunset I carried her several blocks to the local self-service dog wash. Although I could have bathed her at home I decided that the dog wash would be the fastest and most effective option. At home it would take at much longer and prolong an inevitably stressful situation. She froze for most of the bath experience but a few hours later seemed to have recovered. She even sat on me during our sunset time on the lawn. #hermionesstory #rescue dog #resilientpup #backstory Hermione is a rescue dog from a backyard breeder. She was found in a severe state of neglect, malnourished and underweight. She is learning to adjust to human society in the hope she can be rehomed.
Live update! #hermionesstory #hermioneupdate #resilientpup Hermione’s 5th day in foster care and as of 6am she finally left the crate on her own accord. This is very exciting for me, her foster carer, because Day 4 was a big day of backward steps 😭 I am so pleased to see Hermione continuing to take forward steps despite all of yesterday’s setbacks. Celebrate with Hermie! #backstory Lil’ Herm is the product of generational neglect and was rescued from a backyard breeder almost 20kg underweight. Hermie is an 8 month old puppy so her development has been severely affected. She is currently in foster care learning to adjust to human society.
