Sometimes we all take the little things for granted, forgetting that there are many people who don’t have as much as we do. Even the simplest comforts can be completely foreign to somebody else.
The same is true for dogs: countless animals spend much of their lives on the streets or in overcrowded shelters, and never even have their own bed to sleep in.
One viral video of a foster dog shows how some pets need a little time to adjust to even the most basic comforts of a new home — but also the big difference they can make in a dog’s life.
An animal-loving couple, who share their pet adventures under the social media handle timberandkona, recently took in a foster named Susie.
But after arriving at their home, it became immediately clear that Susie was not used to her new surroundings — in fact, she had never even seen a cushion before.
The foster parents had put out a soft cushion for their new arrival to rest on, but Susie doesn’t seem to understand that she can curl up on it — she just lays her head down.
“[She] doesn’t know what to do,” Susie’s foster mom wrote in a TikTok video.
But, she understood that this was normal behavior from a shelter animal — they might be scared and confused, and need time to adjust before they start acting like a normal dog.
“Foster pups often don’t know how to ‘dog’ when they arrive,” they explained. “Things like stairs, carpet, or even having somewhere soft to lay down may be entirely new to them.”
However, Susie quickly started to warm up to her new home. A follow-up video documents the dog’s first week in foster care, and just a few days make a big difference: “Watch her realize she’s safe.”
The foster parents quickly gained Susie’s trust. The video shows Susie going for walks, and eventually cuddling up in a bed — it took some time, but she learned what a cushion is for.
“From being terrified to look at us, to being my little shadow,” the foster mom wrote.
“She has blossomed into a spunky, sassy, pup with an unbreakable soul. She’s gone from cowering in the corner, to playing and soaking in the sun.”
It goes to show the big difference fostering can make in a dog’s life. With love, care and patience, Susie has learned “how to dog,” and her house experience will help make it an easier adjustment when she finds a forever home.
According to the foster family’s Instagram, Susie is currently on medical hold, but will be available through Fur-Ever Homes Rescue in the near future.
Susie has definitely come a long way in the past week, from not knowing what a cushion was for to feeling right at home.
We’re so glad she has thrived in foster care and we hope she will find a loving forever home soon!
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