One of our most strongly held values is the promise that canines recruited from shelters and rescues for search training will never face homelessness again. Our Lifetime Care program guarantees a happily ever after for all our canines, even if they don’t become search dogs. Sometimes that means finding them a fulfilling career that more closely fits their interests. Other times, it means finding the perfect family home of their own.
The journey to discovering a dog’s perfect fit is seldom a direct path, and occasionally, a dog can surprise us. This was the case with Caper (formerly known as Ursala), who was found running in the street and surrendered along with her littermate, Chester, to the Burbank Animal Shelter in California. Recognizing their toy drive, shelter staff contacted SDF, and after evaluation, the pair was approved to enter our program.
From the start, Caper had some challenges to overcome. Her hunt intensity was lower than we’d like to see, and she also had significant reactivity around other dogs. But she had promising qualities, too. She loved her toys and had an intense desire to please, offering her handler nearly constant eye contact as if to say, “Whatever you want me to do, I’ll do it!”
SDF trainers worked with Caper to increase her desire to hunt, and she started to show improvement. However, she remained hypervigilant when other dogs were around and tended to become reactive if they got too close. She also struggled with certain sections of the rubble and an overall lack of confidence. For these reasons, we ultimately decided that although Caper was a sweet dog and a lot of fun to work with, she wasn’t cut out for a career in search and rescue. Instead, Caper entered our Lifetime Care program and went to a foster home with one of our SDF trainers.
Caper thrived in her foster home. Her reactivity was mainly triggered by exposure to strange dogs, so while life as a search dog (with its constant exposure to new dogs) wouldn’t work, Caper was fine with her canine foster brother after a slow introduction and time to get acquainted. The two dogs enjoyed spending time together playing tug, going to the beach, and snuggling, and Caper received training every day to build her confidence.
After several months, Caper had come out of her shell, and it became clear that her ideal home would be with a very active family. Candis, an avid dog sport enthusiast and prior LTC adopter, was the perfect fit. Candis adopted Caper in June and introduced her to the dog sporting world and to ten (yes, ten!) new dog siblings—all competitors and former competitors in every sport from flyball to field hunt. As for Caper, she took to dock diving like a duck to water. You’d hardly recognize this formerly bashful girl now, running with her pack and leaping off docks with abandon!
Caper’s brother Chester, who entered search training with her, did go on to graduate from the search program and was paired with a handler from Chula Vista Fire, California Task Force 8. We are very proud of him, of course, but no less proud of Caper for her accomplishments. The important thing is that both rescued dogs were given the freedom to realize their full potential in the pursuits they most love.