Real Stories: Battersea Rescue Dog Ruby
This marks the sixth year of ADAPTIL's Pet Anxiety Month, and each year, we strive to raise awareness and spread the message in new and impactful ways. This year, we've partnered with leading animal welfare charity Battersea, an organisation dedicated to being there for every dog and cat—including those struggling with anxiety. They have shared Ruby’s story with us, highlighting how they helped her overcome her worries.
Meet Ruby....
Anxiety can affect many dogs just like Ruby, a young dog who was cared for at Battersea. 5 years-old Ruby came to Battersea as her owners were finding it hard to cope with some of her anxious behaviours. Ruby was uncomfortable on the lead and afraid of going on walks and would often escape her lead to try and get back inside. She also struggled with noise sensitivity and would become anxious around loud noises. Due to her fear, she would bark at people passing the house, and become worried near busy roads or during storms or fireworks.
Battersea’s canine behaviours team created a behavioural plan to support Ruby and help prepare her for a new home. The first step was to encourage Ruby out of the kennel. The kennel block was fitted with ADAPTIL Diffusers to help Ruby feel calm and safe whilst she adapted to a new environment. Battersea staff also used puzzle feeders and feeding mats with tasty treats (cheese was her favourite) to tempt Ruby to take her first new tentative steps out of her kennel. After a few days, Ruby became more comfortable and relaxed in inside areas, however she was still very scared to go outside and would hide away when the doors were opened. The charity decided to fit Ruby with an ADAPTIL Calm Collar to support her training whilst doing confidence building exercises with other dogs, starting with very short sessions outside to show Ruby that outside wasn’t scary after all.
While Ruby was improving, Battersea's experts knew that she would be best placed in a foster home to continue her confidence building and start some sound desensitisation in a home environment. Ruby’s foster carer used ADAPTIL diffusers to help Ruby to settle into the new environment. Once Ruby got used to her foster home and foster carer, they were able to continue her confidence building sessions. They taught her new behaviours to support her lead walking and practiced her training in the garden.
Once Ruby had mastered this, she was ready to start going for walks. Over time she became bolder, playing with dogs on walks and taking food outside of the house. Her foster carers also worked on exposing Ruby to different sounds, like traffic, wind, rain and fireworks, firstly quietly then gradually increasing the volume as Ruby got used to them. This training, supported by ADAPTIL, helped Ruby to cope with different sights and sounds that she encountered on walks and within the foster home. Once Ruby had started to overcome her fears, Battersea knew that she was ready to find a new home.
With lots of patience and training, Ruby settled into her new home, she now enjoys long walks and paddling in muddy puddles, she particularly enjoys a beach day!
Ruby’s journey is a heartwarming reminder of the impact patience, training and the right support can have on a pet struggling with anxiety. With the help of ADAPTIL products and dedicated care from Battersea’s canine behaviour team, Ruby was able to gradually overcome her fears and find a loving new home. Her story highlights the importance of understanding and addressing pet anxiety, especially as it can take many forms, from fear of loud noises to challenges with daily activities like walking on a lead. If your pet shows signs of anxiety, remember that the right approach and support, they too can thrive in a calm and secure environment.
If you are interested in the products that helped Ruby take a look on our website and check out the rest of our blogs online. You can find more Pet Advice on the Battersea website.
