For most dogs, moving from the cold outdoors to the warmth of a shelter is a big step forward. But for Doug, this change of scenery became a real psychological hurdle. Rescued by the Tri-County Humane Society in St. Cloud, Minnesota, USA, this 38kg (84-pound) dog had never known anything but dirt and grass at the end of a chain.
A phobia of hard surfaces
Unfortunately, when Doug arrived at the shelter, he seemed to panic at the sight of 'hard' floors. Tiles, wooden floors, and lino were all complete danger zones for him. Unable to set a paw on these surfaces, the poor dog would stay frozen to the spot at the entrance to any room.
Doug had never walked on anything other than dirt or grass, and when he encountered these floors for the first time, he was not a fan.
A wagon to the rescue
Faced with his distress, the volunteers had an ingenious idea. Rather than forcing Doug to walk on the floor, they decided to give him a ride. They kitted out a wagon with comfy blankets to move the dog around the shelter.
From his special transport, Doug began to observe shelter life, interact with people, and realise that he was finally safe.
Thanks to this clever method, Doug made great progress and has since been adopted.