A giant fluffy dog named Doug recently arrived at Tri-County Humane Society after his previous family could no longer care for him. Although he had always been deeply loved, life at the shelter was completely unfamiliar to him.
Doug had spent nearly all of his life outdoors working on a farm. Grass, dirt and open fields were all he had ever known. So when he suddenly found himself inside a building surrounded by smooth floors, the poor dog became terrified.
Shelter staff quickly realized Doug refused to step onto indoor flooring at all. To him, the surface seemed strange, unsafe and completely unnatural.
Because Doug weighed around 85 pounds, carrying him everywhere wasn’t exactly easy. But instead of forcing him through his fear, staff members decided to help him adjust at his own pace.
That’s when they came up with a creative solution.
The shelter had a wheeled cart normally used for recovering dogs after surgery, and they discovered it worked perfectly for transporting Doug around the building. Soon, staff members could be seen pushing the giant fluffy pup through the shelter while he calmly rode inside the cart.
The unusual sight quickly captured attention online, and people everywhere fell in love with the nervous farm dog who believed floors were terrifying.
Not long after his story spread, Doug finally found a forever family.
As luck would have it, his new home also includes a farm — meaning Doug could return to the outdoor lifestyle he was already comfortable with while still receiving plenty of love and care.
According to his adopters, Doug has settled in wonderfully and quickly became an important part of the family.
Even better, by the end of his stay at the shelter, Doug had slowly started overcoming his fear. Staff members proudly shared that he eventually learned how to walk across indoor floors on his own.
For a dog who once thought floors were basically lava, it was a huge achievement.
