Simon

We feel incredibly lucky to have found Life of Hope Foundation. There were many adorable pups on the website. Simon caught our eye with his cute face, floppy ears, and Batman bandana. After submitting our application, we received a response extremely quickly, and were approved! Although we had to wait for a flight volunteer to bring Simon over, Anita and Ivy sent updates on Simon, with photos and videos, so we felt really connected with him despite being a sea apart. It made us even more excited to have him when he finally arrived.

The airport pickup process was very easy. We were informed of the time and flight that Simon would be arriving on, and the airline workers brought him up along with 3 other pups. Simon came with a collar, harness, blanket, and plush toy attached to his kennel. He was nervous at first, but calmed down after some treats. After the drive home, we put down the kennel and sat on the floor to allow him to come out on his own. He immediately began exploring his new home, playing with toys, asking for pets and cuddles, and went to potty on the pee pads that we had. We knew it was a big change for him, so we’re so proud of him for his courage even in these first days in a strange environment.

It’s now been two months since we’ve had Simon. He continues to surprise us everyday. He loves chewing on deer antlers, napping on the comfy couch pillows, and begging for belly rubs. He has a lot of fun in our dog park, running around after balls or chewing on wood chips. We went to the beach and he loved it! We do a lot of positive reinforcement training everyday, and he recently passed basic obedience class. He quickly learned sit, down, paw, stand, touch, sit pretty, and is doing great with recall training. He now walks great on a leash as well, following by our side and even looking at us often. He has learned to politely sit to wait before a door opens. Simon is an extremely intelligent pup!

He has made a lot of progress, and despite being nervous around strangers, we have been working on helping him be calm and to feel safe around them, which can be difficult given the busy apartment environment we are in. He recently overcame his fears of a floating helium balloon and vacuum cleaner. He also learned how to file his own nails using a scratchboard, while we work on getting him comfortable with nail cutting.

Adopting a puppy is not easy. Being first time dog owners (other than a family dog), we sometimes feel very overwhelmed, but Simon’s progress inspires us and assures us that we’re doing alright. He is gaining confidence, and so are we. We are so glad to have Simon in our lives. He has taught us so much, and we can’t wait to see him grow braver each day. 

Thank you, Anita and Ivy, and the volunteers at Life of Hope Foundation. Your passion and love really shines through our amazing pup 

I’ve attached some pictures of Simon in his new home, and you can find some more on his Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonthefmd/.