This is BHRR’s Black Diamond. She arrived to BHRR March 12th and is truly one of the more heartbreaking Danes we have seen and we have seen many over the past 21 years.

I was going to post a video I took of her yesterday AM and I decided not to. For those who have followed her since the first picture was posted at the pound of her terrified, tail tucked up, eyes wide and almost frozen with fear to the spot and read about how she was impossible to leash or examine etc., already know that she has a long rehab journey ahead of her.

So, I want to focus on the positives since her arrival and not just the real terror she feels and that every touch no matter how slight makes her flinch….that is when you can get close enough to touch her.

Every step forward or two forward is met with a step or two backwards once we are out of her presence and sight…..then we start from the beginning again.

So positive first:
1) she finally started eating and drinking last night!
2) she actually munched and crunched on a smoked marrow bone from the butchery today
3) she has learned where the door is and will come back to the door now
4) she will allow us sometimes to take her by her collar and lead her gently to her crate
5) she will more easily go into her crate
6) she spends her time now 75% open crate and 25% on her own volition in our sunroom that has 6 Costco dog beds and the radiant floor heating on
7) when you can touch her and you leave your hand on her gently, while she is still extremely tense she is less posed for flight
8) she looks at you with such terror in her eyes yet she has now begun to actually ‘see’ & ‘notice’ other things around her – this is excellent….she is so lost within herself right now that she is in survival shutdown mode
9) while there are still small fear growls and whimpers of being scared it is less
10) when we are outside, she will actually take a few steps in our direction and not just bolt first
11) she is panting less in stress than she was
12) she has only made one attempt to snap at the leash and that was on Sunday night
13) when she does come in, she no longer makes a beeline to a corner of the sun-room
14) she has so much potential!
15) in both pictures posted her tail is not tucked up right under her belly!

She has only been with us just over 48 hours….this is good!

The heartbreaking reality….for now:
1) so undersocialised
2) she has not felt caring loving gentle touches for she flinches and tenses up at every touch and begins to panic yet she is a lot less likely to bolt – she has been neglected & hurt
3) there was a lot of trouble leashing her at the pound and even when Tom/Maira went to pick her up, she lunged and bit at the leash in complete fear & she did that once so far here
4) we cannot as of yet get that oversized terrible choke collar off her….but that time will come!
5) she was so scared on Sunday – Maira told me that she was having a lot of gas & she was – that she fear pooped once – only the one time
6) the leash is still quite scary to her and I show it to her so she gets to see it and will learn it means something so good/exciting and not something horrible. We no longer loop leash her as we can get her in and out without a leash now.
7) Up until today, I had to circle around her in the 3+ fenced acreage as she would run to the far corner and cower – two of our 2011 Freedom Danes also did this when they first arrived BHRR’s Gretta & her sister BHRR’s Peanut – and she would run away from me and I just walked behind her slowly guiding her in the direction I wanted her to go….towards the house
8) this girl is broken…her spirit crushed
9) she is confused and clearly has had a lack of structure, consistency and very little true love in her short life to date
10) she wrenches at my heart yet we must continue forward. I do not show her pity or sorrow….I keep that deep within me for that is doing her zero favours. She is doing things at her pace and on her terms with us giving her opportunities and guiding her in the move forward direction she needs in order to come back to the land of the living

This is BHRR’s Black Diamond today as part of her first BHRR Winter Wonderland. I got as close to her as I could so she did not feel intimidated and then was so pleased to see her come even closer to me!

The photo in the thread shows her posed to take flight and proud of her that she did not! BHRR’s Black Diamond you are doing great! I ask from you no more than I know you can give and we do have some tough love as we take your rehab journey for there is much to show you and for you to experience as you are ready….to help you realise what an amazing girl you are!

Tomorrow is Day three….another day and the path of new steps to be taken forward and back and in time more forward than back and then just forward onward we go!

You will learn that you can like yourself and that you are worthy and deserving!

Notice that as nervous as she is, her tail is not tucked up right to her belly like it was at the shelter!

Huge!