courage (va)

Courage came into rescue in January as part of a hoarding case. Just 9 months old, he was terrified, unsocialized, and overwhelmed by change. He had never known that people could be kind. For five months, his foster family has patiently helped him gain confidence, and while he's made meaningful progress, Courage still needs an adopter with deep patience and realistic expectations. Now 1 year-old and 7 lbs., Courage has learned to trust his foster family and a few familiar people. However, he does not permit being picked up, isn't a fan of leash walking, and prefers to be pet by specific trusted humans. He thrives on routine—any disruption causes anxiety. With a predictable environment, he's a funny and happy little guy.   Courage is house trained as long as he's let out regularly. He's clean in his crate, which serves as his safe space, and he follows the command to go in. He also eats his meals there. The rewards for taking on a dog like Courage are huge.   Courage's foster family has continued to work with him but he still does not care for being leashed or picked up. He may never be a cuddly dog, but when he wants you to pay attention to him he is wiggly and funny. One of his favorite past times is stretching out on the sidewalk to bake in the sun. When you finally earn his trust, it will fill your heart with joy. He enjoys other dogs he knows and would likely do well with a cat. Due to his semi-feral tendencies and insecurities, Courage needs a quiet home without kids or lots of visitors. His adopter must be prepared for setbacks, including hiding or fearful behavior. But his foster mom is fully committed to supporting whoever takes the leap for this special little guy.   Here are several videos to see some of his progression: https://youtube.com/shorts/lYjg_gPwnGo?si=Qa5nn3rhZiEA5ljD   Courage early on https://youtube.com/shorts/fcVsmsDK7AY?si=klxLow8QdJAVg79V   Slow improvements https://youtube.com/shorts/iyLq5oXPJUE?si=WURr0MRD0FGgSsr4   Before we could pet him https://www.facebook.com/share/v/15DSv2bCEq/   Courage coming for attention https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1EuD4Uhgmk/  The first time we could pet him and give him butt scritches https://youtube.com/shorts/wJVHPFvKrvA?si=VAV3aKgro8qLpFTb  Sometimes you can pet him, sometimes you can't   More photos of Courage are available in this album:  https://imageevent.com/newrattitude/courage    If you are interested in adopting this dog, PLEASE READ THE DETAILED ADOPTION PROCESS information on our website at www. NewRattitude.org/adopt/  From there, you can access our adoption application or contact our Adoption Team for more info.November 4, 2025, 5:40 am