Meet Ollie! This sweet girl is another intake from the euthanasia list at the Maricopa County shelters. Even though she hadn’t been there long, Ollie found herself on the e-list due to fear in the shelter. We knew this sweet girl didn’t deserve to die just because she couldn’t thrive in the shelter, and we are so grateful to the foster that stepped up who had a lot of experience with shy dogs.

Now that Ollie is in a calmer environment, she is starting to come out of her shell. She was initially scared to even enter the house and had to be carried inside, but she’s making progress everyday. For the first several days, she was stressed in the house, panting constantly and often choosing to spend time outside. But even then, she wanted pets and head scratches from her fosters. She gradually began exploring the house and has started following the family upstairs to sleep, though she has not yet accepted their invitation to sleep on the bed or couch. Ollie really just wants to love and be loved – she likes to give kisses and will nuzzle people to get pets or belly rubs. She has done very well meeting new people and will happily accept attention from strangers.

As far as huskies go, Ollie is relatively low-energy, preferring to sleep more than the other dog in the home. She does, however, seem interested in playing with other dogs, though she’s still figuring out how. She will tap them on their back to initiate play, but will back off when they turn around to engage. She likes to take tennis balls and hoard them on her bed or in her crate, but she isn’t aggressive about it and allows them to be taken from her. She also loves to play with squeaky toys. All the dogs she has interacted with so far have been her size or bigger, so we do not know how she does with smaller dogs or cats. Both the golden retriever in the home and her fosters’ son’s husky are teaching her how to be a dog and even how to talk. Given some time, we truly believe Ollie will thrive.

Despite all the changes Ollie has experienced recently, she has not shown any consistent behavioral issues. She had one minor incidence of resource guarding over a treat while in an especially busy environment, but it has not happened since. She takes correction well when it’s needed, which isn’t often. She doesn’t try to get into things or have the destructive tendencies we often see in huskies, though she is crate-trained for the times when she can’t be supervised. She will need continued training for basic commands and to learn how to walk on a leash, something she was initially scared of, but has made a lot of progress! Once the harness is on her, she’s fine with the leash and is excited for the walk! She isn’t as food motivated as some dogs, but she does seem particularly fond of salmon treats.

All Ollie needs now is a family to call her own. She would prefer a quieter home, either with other mellow dogs or as an only pup. She has done well around older kids and preteens, though we believe she would be alright around younger kids, as well. She’s really an easy dog; as long as she’s getting attention and snuggles, she’s happy. She has so much potential, and we can’t wait to see what an amazing dog she becomes with some patience and love. Please fill out an application on our website if you’re interested in meeting this gorgeous girl.