When Florian and Katrin, a lovely young couple, experienced the loss of the child they had eagerly anticipated, they were utterly devastated.
In an attempt to divert their minds from their sorrow, they considered that adopting a furry companion might be a beneficial choice.
While browsing through the animal shelter pictures, they stumbled upon Fausto’s image – a dog with a sorrowful countenance that seemed to plead for assistance, ‘please, help me’.
They decided to visit Fausto at the shelter and immediately formed a bond, so they ultimately chose to adopt him.
Fearless Fausto
As far as they are aware and have been informed, Fausto was brought to the shelter by a family that no longer wanted him. He was merely a small pup who likely didn’t have ample time to bond with his mother.
Fausto spent several months in his kennel at the shelter before being moved to another shelter, where Florian and Katrin discovered him.
“We quickly began to realize that he has an enormous fear of nearly everything. For example, lights, bicycles, certainly cars, airplanes, construction sites, and practically anything man-made frightens him. Yes, he was also terrified of water,” Florian recounted to GeoBeats Animals.
Poor Fausto had spent most of his early days confined within the boundaries of his kennel, and unfortunately, he was excessively fearful of everything that lay outside and all things artificial.
He was remarkably trusting of other dogs and humans, but whenever he ventured into the outside world, he transformed into an entirely different dog.
For the initial couple of months, the couple consulted numerous professional dog trainers, as they felt quite overwhelmed.
“We struggled just to get him to leave the apartment. We thought, well, we need to escape this constant worry about our dog, so let’s take a break and go on vacation,” Florian said.
That was the first occasion they witnessed Fausto emerging from his shell and exploring the world without exhibiting extreme fear.
The Cutest, Smartest, And Bravest Dog
It truly necessitated four to five months of perseverance and understanding how to assist fearful dogs like Fausto, but eventually, their diligence bore fruit.
“Practicing loose leash walking and addressing Fausto’s fear of traffic. Not long ago, that would have either triggered a flight response or he would simply lie flat on the road.”