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Kyro was surrendered from a home that left a lot to be desired in many different ways. Kyro had been used primarily for breeding purposes and sadly because of this he never had the chance to develop the social skills most other dogs have. He came to the BC SPCA Comox Valley & District Branch in December 2011 with staff and volunteers immediately rallying behind him.
 Kyro was petrified of anything and anyone; it was going to be a long and arduous journey to help him become a secure and well-adjusted dog. Kyro needed to be neutered and tattooed so he was taken to a local veterinarian this way he would never be used for breeding again.
Over the next couple months staff and volunteers made sure to be extra patient with Kyro. Some days they would sit outside his kennel and just keep him company so that he knew they were only there to help him, not harm him. They slowly began introducing him to a leash; it was pretty scary to him at first, but over time he learned that it meant he could go for a walk.
 After his first walk you could see a big difference in Kyro, he seemed a bit more confident and cowered a lot less once out and about. Putting him on a leash became easier each time until it elicited excitement out of Kyro every time. Going for walks helped diminish his fear of cars, but he also began having fewer accidents inside his kennel area.
Soon enough Kyro was ready to gallivant around the fenced yard off-leash; it was a big moment that everyone had been waiting for. Finally you could see some of Kyro’s Border terrier behaviours spring to life. He would run around the yard sniffing and smelling everything he could, it was a wonderful sight to see.
Kyro would still require a special home to help him work through his fears of new situations and people, but the road was going to be a lot less difficult than it was initially. Kyro soon found the family that would be a perfect match for him and was adopted straight away. They have been so gracious to keep us updated on all the wonderful activities they have been up to and have even sent us pictures.
February 10, 2012
Isn't he a happy looking fellow now? He's very comfortable within our house and backyard now. He's begun playing with toys and our female border terrier.
This morning I think I heard him bark and join in on a group howl. I'm sure he was discouraged from making noises so I like to hear him find his voice. I hope to spend the next few weeks close to home so can begin to spend some time introducing him to clicker training.
February 17, 2012
 Well, 2 weeks have passed since Kyro came home to live with us. I've attached a photo of him curled up with our female border terrier. Kyro goes out for several walks a day around the neighbourhood. Today was a big day. He got to go to the off leash park (on leash!) along the Fraser River with the girls. He was very excited to be out in the country. He got to meet some friendly dogs and went up to a stranger and accepted treats.
Later on today, he got his rabies vaccination so he can travel to the US with us and also his CKC microchip. I will be getting him a CKC Performance Event Number in the hopes that he will be confident enough to try some dog activities like earthdog with us. I will also be getting him an AKC number so he can try earthdog in the US as well.
We decided today that we will change his name to Dobby. When he's not too sure of things, his ears stick out to the side, like Dobby the elf from the Harry Potter stories. This is also the beginning of a new start for him so felt a new name was fitting.
March 5, 2012
Well, I still haven't figured out how to make the little guy bark. The responses from the BT folks have been quite comical when I ask how to convince a terrier to bark - but, if he's going to compete in earthdog, he's going to have to make some kind of noise. Anyway, a work in progress.
Last night when I took him out for his before bed pee, he really made me proud: he flushed a rat out of one of the bushes and darn near caught the thing! He came within a few inches of it (darn, that little guy can be fast when he wants to be). The really impressive thing was that I could call him off of hunting the rat - not something that a lot of Borders will do.
As time goes on, he's getting more comfortable around here - he's playing with the other two dogs off and on and his little tail is wagging a lot more than when he first appeared. He's still a bit nervous around parked cars and he's getting better at handling loud noises around him.
Here is a video of Dobby playing with a wind up rat. He destroyed the original so I ordered 10 more. And then there were 9...
 Earlier this month, Dobby came with us in the RV to an agility trial near Duncan at the Cowichan Valley Fairgrounds. We met another border adopted from your shelter in 2011 by Rick & Laura of Nanaimo from the same situation. They came to see us at the trial and we all suspect that Archie & Dobby might be father & son.
After the trial, we went camping in Parksville with friends. Dobby got to go for many walks on the beach. On the last day, when we were far away from anything and with many treats in our pockets to reinforce our recall, we let Dobby loose. He chased the girl dogs, dug holes and had the zoomies. I've attached a photo of him on the beach.
I have never seen such a happy dog!!!
 We are also working him in K9 Nosework, teaching him to search for food and eventually specific scents in various environments. He loves to get his harness put on and competes with the girls for his turn to hunt.
We wanted to let you know how much he's progressed. His wonderful temperament and your kind and patient work with him have helped him grow and continue to grow.
Sometimes it’s truly amazing how small this world is at times. It’s true; Dobby and Archie are father and son! We cannot thank Dobby’s new family enough for welcoming him so wholeheartedly into their home and making this special adoption their first option.
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