Checking in with Emmett

Posted: August 10th, 2014

Remember trainee Emmett from earlier this year? He was adopted back in April after being fostered by a trainer for two months. We wondered how Emmett’s been handling life in his new home the past few months so we got in touch with his family and they gave us this update.


It took my husband and me a long time to finally decide we were ready for a second dog. Dogs can be a lot of work and of course an added expense. We knew that adoption was the only option for us, so we gradually started browsing through dog rescue sites.

It was months and months that passed before we stumbled across Emmett. We started following Emmett’s blog to track his progress. One night when my husband and I were reading a blog update we noticed that Emmett was located in Maryland – the same state we live in. It almost felt like fate in a way. I remember my husband telling me “We need to meet that dog.” And so we did.

After we had the chance to meet Emmett and introduce him to our other dog, Brewser, we knew he would be the perfect fit for our family. Again, adopting a dog is a huge decision so we took a few days to talk it over before telling American Bulldog Rescue that we wanted to be considered to adopt Emmett.

The rest is history and Emmett has been with us for three months now.

Emmett was about 16 months when we got him and he lacked socialization when it was most critical as a young pup. Our understanding is that he was left in a backyard without much human contact. Because of that we have our fair share of challenges. He is VERY timid around strangers. We can’t allow people to just come up and pet him like we can do with our other dog. All introductions are a long, slow and sometimes frustrating process. Emmett also has a TON of energy. We know that he needs regular exercise every single day. happy boy

My husband and I know that Emmett has his “special needs” and we are both committed to meeting those needs because it is so rewarding to watch him progress. Even the small things bring us such happiness. At one point our boy was petrified to take a walk around our neighborhood and now he struts around with his tail held high. The first time we tried to give Emmett a dog biscuit he didn’t even know what to do with it. Now, when he hears the cookie jar lid open he makes a mad dash to the kitchen and comes to a skidding halt and sits right next to you. The first time we all snuggled on the couch and Emmett wanted to lay on top of the blanket everyone was under. Now, he noses his way under the blankets until he (thinks) he is fully covered!

You have to know our other dog to know how opposite he is from Emmett. Brewser is very quiet, neat and tidy whereas Emmett … drools. A lot. He drools and then shakes his head and flings the drool everywhere. These days we rarely escape the house in the morning without slobber somewhere on our person.  He is constantly at our feet and we are constantly tripping over him. He is like a goofy over grown puppy who will knock down anything that isn’t bolted down when he gets excited. Including you. He is the one that finds all the mud puddles on our walks – and usually the day after his bath.messy boy

But when he looks up at us with those big brown eyes and gives us a little head tilt – our hearts melt. We are reminded why we chose adoption. And we just know that our “pack” would not be complete without our Emmett.

emmet with his bro


Love these updates! We knew it was going to take a special family to continue working with Emmett on learning to be a dog, and he’s definitely in the best hands!