Sweet Tina Marie

Tina Marie, formerly known as Sister Timothy, is a very sweet and special little girl. She is a perfect sized brindle girl with gorgeous bold markings. Her personality tends to be a bit on the shy side, but once she gets to know you she gives lots of tail wags and kisses to show her affection. Tina Marie has acclimated well to life in our home and her personality is beginning to emerge more every day. Although she is somewhat shy, Tina Marie is certainly not a wallflower. She is getting more playful with our 2 dogs everyday as they run in the backyard and reminisce about former racing days. Life as a part of the pack is very good according to Miss Tina Marie. What she seems to enjoy most is just hanging out with her foster people and her 2 new greyhounds buddies.

9/29/13

Tina Marie has done a complete turnaround since she arrived so very timid almost 10 weeks ago. She is still shy when she first meets people but she has learned to become calm and trusting during her prison stay. She has such sweetness and is so very cute. She also listens very well; if you call Tina Marie, she will look every time. She's really good at all her commands and has mastered sit, down, stay, here, heel, shake, bed and wait. She climbs stairs easily. The extra contact with the different inmates trying out for the program really helped her with socialization. Her handler's calm manner has also helped this hound feel more confident, following her handler's lead. Tina Marie does well with other dogs, large and small. She hasn't been into playing with toys but has fun chasing kibble that her handler rolls along the floor for her. She does love her treats. Tina Marie may be a little shy at first with her new family, but she loves to be loved and has sweetness, gentleness and playfulness that will make them fall in love with her.

9/22/13

Tina Marie is so sweet and lovable. She can still be shy and doesn't like loud noises but is such a good girl. She knows all her commands really well and her down stay is particularly good. She's been coping well with slick floors and with getting into her kennel. Tina Marie has fully learned shake now and it's so cute! She likes to spend relaxing time watching football on TV with her handler. Though she is a quiet little girl and takes a while to get comfortable with people, there are a couple of people she gets really excited about and will then spin and crouch and joyfully wag her tail around them!

9/15/13

This week Tina Marie learned shake, which she will do now from a down or bed position. She's a very smart hound and knows all her basic verbal commands, with or without hand signals. This sweet girl has also been revealing a playful side this past week. It makes her handler so glad to see Tina's happy spirit emerge when she's with her. She does it mainly with those she loves and not all the time, but when she does, it's so cute. Also, when it's time for a dog run, she has started to get down on all fours, frisky as a cat. Though still at times a little shy, Tina Marie has come so far! 

9/8/13

Sweet Tina Marie is a wonderful dog. She has come so far and has accomplished so much since she arrived so timid at the compound. She knows all her commands really well, with only the shake not yet mastered. When her handler first got her, Tina Marie needed to be coaxed out of her kennel but she overcame that and subsequently worked her way as well through slipping and sliding as she went into her crate. The towel in front of her crate that helped her has gone now and she does fine with the shiny floor. This past week, she has continued to work with the inmates trying out for the training program. It's a lot of work for the hound with different women practicing commands with her. There were a couple of times when she didn't like being scooped, but with a gentle rub first from the inmate, she was then fine. She is such a sweet and lovable girl.

9/1/13

Tina Marie is so sweet and smart. It's clear she's a shy girl who takes her time getting to know you, but she's doing so well and now enjoys hugs from her handler and smiles to greet her when she's been gone or when she's let out of her crate. She's being given plenty of opportunity to socialize and experience other environments. Another weekend in a different dorm went well. Her alternate contact said she was so great to be around. She did really well roaming around the dorm and let one of the sergeants who walked through pet her. She's a good listener and performed her commands great for the alternate. She also came right away, tail wagging, when called. Tina Marie spent time as well this week with some inmates who were trying out for spots on the Second Chance training team. She did excellently and was so very good with all the different people. Training back at home dorm is going well. She knows all her basics and is now learning how to do shake. She climbs stairs without any difficulty.  Treats are the way to this sweet girl's heart! 

8/25/13

Tina Marie spent her first weekend away and did wonderfully. This girl, who was so very shy a few weeks ago, explored the aisles in the new dorm and came immediately when called. She coped well with the floors, only skittering a couple of times! She wasn't fully confident about going up to strangers for petting but still wagged her tail. Her alternate handler was really pleased with her progress. Tina Marie was happy to come home. There she knows the people who are with her daily and she trusts and enjoys them. She walked into her home dorm wagging her tail and right away visiting missed friends! Tina Marie is such a sweet and lovable girl. Her commands are going great and she is gaining confidence daily from the patience, training and love she is getting.

8/18/13

Tina Marie now knows all the basic commands and responds 90% of the time! Her handler is working towards that 100%. She doesn't yet shake paws, but does a great sit! She's a very food driven girl and is always on the lookout for treats. The waxing of the floors this week has meant some extra practice walking in the inside areas as Tina Marie gets used to shiny floors again. She slips and slides, so has a towel in front of her kennel door to make her comfortable stepping in and out. She's a sweet girl.

08/11/13

Tina Marie is a very sweet little dog. She's becoming more at home. Her handler has been giving her kibble rewards to reinforce her being comfortable with other people petting her and has seen some success already. This shy girl has come out of herself a lot and now trots around the dorm aisle, even venturing into the day room on her explorations. Her commands are coming along well, including sit, which she does well in the dorm and will do with a reminding touch on the bottom when she's with her handler at work. Her wait command is her best and she's also learned down, here, heel and bed so far. She's a good girl and listens really well.

08/04/13

Tina Marie is slowly acclimating to prison life.  She is being coaxed out of her kennel using kibble but it is working.  Her handler believes that with a little more time, getting her out of the kennel will be a non-issue.  She is a very sweet girl.

She has begun training starting with sit and scooping.  She is doing great thus far, with the scooping.  Her inmate is also working on "bed" while Tina Marie is in her kennel.  This is working quite well.  Eventually, her inmate will do this when Tina Marie is outside the kennel.   

Tina Marie will do a good "here" and her "wait" is also good.  She will do a "heel" with a lure.  Despite her shyness and being reluctant to do some commands this early on, she is progressing quite well. 

First Impressions - 07/28/13

Sister Timothy, known now as "Tina Marie", is settling in to her new environment, slowly but surely.  Her handler has already fallen love with her!  She is a little shy but is getting all the extra love and encouragement she needs to thrive and flourish!

Her difficulty is coming out of the kennel, which they are working on.  Once she is out, she is fine.  She is such a sweet dog.

She loved her bath, nail clipping, and getting her ears cleaned!  As a way to gain her trust, her inmate is hand feeding her for now. 

They look forward to the next few months and training this sweet girl!!