Unlike other family dogs, Bale hadn’t had an easy start in life.
He had to weather the storms before finding a proper home. And, when he finally found one, he still wasn’t comfortable enough to start living a normal doggo life.
Due to a rough past, Bale was scared of pretty much everything. He had fear reactivity toward other dogs, inanimate objects, and, most of all, people.
He was highly insecure until his new momma, Amy, finally figured out the one thing he needed in order to overcome his fear!
Rough Start
Before he was found by Amy and her husband, Bale was a shelter dog, saved from a desert. According to his rescuers, he was found in a devastating condition.
Bale’s previous owners tied him to a bin and left him there while he was still a puppy. It was a traumatic experience that left many scars on this German Shepherd mix… the ones that last to this day.
“He was taken there after someone found him tied to a bin and abandoned as a puppy,” Amy wrote on Instagram.
Due to lack of socialization and proper guidance, Bale ended up being afraid of everything.
“He was terrified of people. He would get spooked by dogs, noises, inanimate objects. Literally anything that was new or he hadn’t seen before, he was terrified of it,” Amy told The Dodo.
He couldn’t function properly around anyone or anything that he was unfamiliar with. He wouldn’t allow people to pet him, and he would snap at anyone as soon as they got close.
All It Takes Is Love And Understanding
The first thing toward Bale’s healing was a change of environment. During the first year, Bale lived with his family in a very busy tower on the 36th floor. After they moved to an apartment on the ground floor with a garden, things slowly started to change.
Bale became more relaxed, and he definitely enjoyed his new home more. Yet, all that still wasn’t enough for him to overcome his fear.
With the help of a professional dog trainer, Amy started to muzzle-train Bale. With the muzzle on, she was able to take Bale out among other people and dogs, which eventually yielded positive results.
Over time, Amy came to a surprising realization! Apparently, Bale wouldn’t snap at people if they had a dog.
Whenever another dog owner approached Bale to pet him, he was completely fine with it. He’d soon warm up to both the person and the dog, which was truly amazing!
This was a signal for Amy to start building a community around Bale that he could fully trust. And, in no time, Bale ended up having dozens of new friends!
The Power Of Community
Thanks to his momma’s endless efforts, Bale soon transformed into a sweet lovebug. Even though he was still coping with his reactivity to some extent, he was finally able to make friends.
“Since then, he has been able to make lots of friends and his progress has been huge. He still struggles with reactivity but we understand him better now and know how to navigate stressful situations or the aftermath,” Amy stated on Instagram.
His daily life changed completely, and now Bale is able to embrace new adventures without having to worry about being triggered by an unfamiliar situation.
However, another setback is the fact that Bale and his family will soon move to another country due to a job change.
As their last act of gratitude to the wonderful community, they decided to throw Bale and all of his friends one last goodbye party. It was the perfect way to say a big thank you for all Bale has achieved next to his amazing buddies.
And, even though change is never easy, Amy and her husband are positive that Bale will soon find new friends to call his own. But, he definitely won’t forget the old ones!
You can follow Bale and Amy’s journey on their official Instagram and keep up with their exciting adventures!