The Ceiling Fan and Gidget

Have you ever had a dog that is startled by new things? Exposure to all  parts of life is essential to having a well-rounded, confident pup and that is one of the things that Our Companions is able to provide our pets! We have recently been exposing the dogs at the sanctuary to a common item in most homes but one that surprisingly makes a lot of dogs uncomfortable, the ceiling fan. Our ceiling fan is great at moving heat or A/C throughout the house and, with some recent renovations to the dog houses, is proving to be a great function to utilize. We are happy that the majority of our dogs are taking the spinning fan well but there's always the exception that requires extra attention and training and in this case the exception is named, Gidget.
Gidget came to us with a broken leg at approximately 6 months old. She was left at a local vet during the middle of the night and we knew that she was a dog that we needed to help! We suspect that she did not have much socialization during her young life and have been working diligently to expose her to the everyday aspects of living in a home. Gidget was initially very scared of the ceiling fan, she would display obvious signs of discomfort and would crouch when walking throughout the house. It was the work of constant positive reinforcement that is what is helping her to overcome her fears and feel comfortable when chewing one of her favorite bones in the living room. She is a great dog that is relishing all that we have to show her and is quickly learning that this world is less scary and increasingly fun!

 

Gidget is unsure about the ceiling fan. She is displaying this

through her pulled back ears, wide eyes and stiff body.