When a pup has been mistreated its entire life, it eventually learns not to trust any hooman, as it fears that they might do the same.
Dogs that have experienced this will try their best to avoid humans, hide themselves from the world, and, in extreme cases, even become violent in order to protect themselves from danger.
Today, I will be telling you a story about a little Frenchie who had not been given the life she deserved, resulting in her not trusting the humans at her rescue shelter.
Terrified Frenchie
![man trying to pet scared frenchie](https://www.pupvine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/man-trying-to-pet-scared-frenchie.jpg)
When she first arrived at the Ohio shelter, Sunshine was completely terrified. She was constantly shivering, hiding away in the corner, and trying to disappear from the world.
“For the first couple of days, all I could do was sit there in her cage and patiently wait for her to trust me. After about two weeks she would finally come up, smell my hand and allow me to pet her without shaking,” Joe, an Ohio rescuer, told The Dodo.
It took this sweet little pup two entire weeks to build up the courage and finally decide to see if her rescuers were truly her friends. And, to her delight, they were.
![close-up photo of frenchie](https://www.pupvine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/close-up-photo-of-frenchie.jpg)
The Ohio shelter decided to find Sunshine a foster home, so that she could truly see what being a part of a loving family truly felt like.
“She was kind of scared of us at first. She didn’t really want to come to us. And she was not in good shape. She was really thin,” said Tina, Sunshine’s foster mom.
After seeing what state Sunshine was in, Tina was absolutely heartbroken. She knew that all this sweet pup needed in order to come out of her shell was some love and affection.
Knowing she could provide her with just that, Tina decided to take her home.
At The Fosters
![photo of frenchie dog](https://www.pupvine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/photo-of-frenchie-dog.jpg)
“She was a puppy mill mama and everything was brand new to her. She would like to follow around my other dog to learn everything,” she added.
This poor pup didn’t know anything going on in a hoomans house. When she first saw a bed, she had no idea what it was used for.
Even when she found herself in front of a big pile of toys, she simply didn’t know what to do with them.
Luckily, as time passed, Sunshine started understanding what everything was for. She even started experiencing her first-ever zoomies.
![two dogs lying on a fluffy cover](https://www.pupvine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/two-dogs-lying-on-a-fluffy-cover.jpg)
“She was relaxed and trusting enough where she could be a dog,” said Tina.
One time, when Tina was watching one of Joe’s videos, Sunshine curiously came up to her and started watching as well.
Soon, she became super happy since she recognized the voice of the first hooman who showed her love and affection.
Now, every time she hears his voice, Sunshine can’t contain her excitement. This is exactly why Tina decided to surprise her and take her to meet Joe.
![man meeting the frenchie](https://www.pupvine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/man-meeting-the-frenchie.jpg)
As soon as the two met, you couldn’t tell who was happier – Sunshine, who was reunited with an incredible hooman, or Joe, who couldn’t believe Sunshine’s incredible transformation.
The two spent some time having fun, playing around, and enjoying yummy treats.
Final Word
It’s incredible to see just how much of a difference love can make.
Sunshine went from a trembling, terrified dog, to a pup who loves to have fun, do zoomies, eat yummy treats, and hang out with hoomans.
Making such an incredible transformation in such a short amount of time convinced Joe and Tina that this young lady would be able to live the best life ever as soon as she finds a family who will appreciate her just like she deserves.
Good girl, Sunshine!