Solo has a sign on his kennel that says, “go slow”. I waited for a while outside of his kennel, letting him get used to me, before leashing him and taking him outside. He was fearful of being near me and flinched when I raised my hand, so I can tell that he will need a patient family who is willing to let him come to them and not force interactions before he’s ready. Solo isn’t jumpy and takes treats very gently from my hand. He appreciated the few treats that I tossed in the grass for him to sniff out, but when I tried to toss a treat directly to him, he ducked as if the treat coming toward his face was scary. It seems that poor Solo hasn’t had many treats thrown his way and might have had some other bad experiences that led him to distrust sudden movements or hands coming near his face or body. As always with fearful dogs, I gave him the space to do whatever it was that helped him relax and he chose to sniff around in the tall grass near the treelike. It was there that he relaxed enough to use the bathroom, in nature. Solo would appreciate more trips outside in nature and fewer scary noises in the shelter and a family in which he can learn to trust people again slowly, on his own time.

For more information about this animal, call:
Prince Georges County Animal Services Division at (301) 780-7200