Jennifer Lee wasn’t sure if Maggie, a pit bull who had been classified as “extremely reactive,” would ever be able to play with another dog when she acquired her from Seattle Humane.
Lee was so brought to tears as she witnessed Maggie jokingly conversing with a new buddy while racing around.
Lee told The Dodo, “It was quite miraculous.” “I sobbed loudly.”
This moment can be seen here:
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Maggie had spent the most time at the humane society until she was adopted in 2019. Her impulsive nature played a big factor in this. Maggie adored people, but she was fiercely protective of other dogs and would frequently growl and bark at them.
Lee believed that Maggie’s responses were likely motivated by fear rather than malice, and she was moved to provide the unusual youngster with a loving home.
Although I was prepared for a wild trip, Lee said, “I also felt that Maggie needed love and a home just as much as the next dog.”
Lee used to only take Maggie for walks at night in an effort to keep other dogs away for a long period.
Lee gradually started introducing exposure walks, where Maggie was permitted to sniff around dog-owning homes to get accustomed to their scent.
She would hear or see the dog, react, and I would draw her focus back to myself, according to Lee. “I trained her exclusively with positive reinforcement to help her learn that both she and the dogs were safe.”
Lee started allowing Maggie additional canine exposure after enrolling her in a behavioral evaluation to determine that her reactions were based on fear. Maggie eventually started to feel at ease leashed and walking close to another dog. This was as far as Maggie would venture for three years.
However, Maggie once met a dog by the name of Nobi. She was suddenly free of her worries.
According to Lee, “[Maggie] started displaying signals of wanting to play with her.” “We took the two off-leash together in a large open area. Maggie took part in a real, beneficial play with her friend! [They] just adore each other.”
Maggie soon met a few additional dogs who she felt at ease playing with.
Maggie is still making a lot of effort today to overcome her worries. But the once lonely pittie shows that it’s never too late to learn to trust each new acquaintance.
