Smurfy (L) and Goofy (R) are Poodle/Chinese Crested Powder Puff brothers who came into rescue at 2 years old from a backyard breeder situation. They had not been socialized at all and would not let people near them. Because of this, they remained in a rescue sanctuary for 6 years!
From Mom Jennifer: I brought Smurfy home to foster him hoping that I would be able to teach him to trust people enough to find a home. As he was very food motivated, I put his crate in the kitchen since food was the only way he’d come out. I started latching the crate closed when he came out so he couldn’t hide from us, but the smarty pants could open the latch in a split second to open the door and go back in! But after 6 weeks, it was like a switch flipped and Smurfy declared, “I am home!” From that point on, until he passed suddenly at 13 years old, he was my heart dog.
Goofy came to our house 6 months later than Smurfy. He was not food motivated and much more reluctant to trust people. But he recognized his brother and perked right up. Having his brother around helped Goofy come out of his shell, and he always looked to Smurfy for guidance. Goofy learned a lot about loving and trusting. Goofy’s transition was slower than Smurfy’s but he continued to make baby steps. At first he would not even come near me, even for Canadian bacon! Now 7 years later, Goofy trusts his family completely, and even approaches other people to get pets. Goofy has enjoyed learning about vacations, visiting the Biltmore House, the beach and going out to dinner. He has earned the nickname Mr. Adventure because he is always ready to seek out new experiences. These guys are proof of what patience and love can do !
