About Sadie
I feel I should start by explaining my feelings about buying a pet from a pet store. There are so many pets out there on the streets and in shelters that I think it's important to look there first and rescue an animal verses buying one from a pet store that probably came from a puppy mill. We rescued both of our dogs and they are wonderful dogs! We couldn't have bought better dogs. (My point of the following is to demonstrate that if you decide to rescue a pet instead of buy a pet it can be a very rewarding experience)
Sadie was our first rescue dog and we weren't looking for a dog at the time, she kind of found us. Sadie is a two year old female Catahoula. When we found her she was scared of her own shadow! She would hide under anything she could fit under including coffee tables, the couch and even dressers. She would not allow you to lure her out with food and her whole body would shake if you attempted to pet her. When she did come out she was very cautious and any sudden movements would send her frantically back into hiding. She never barked, I was begining to wonder if she had the physical ability to bark. She would back her self into a corner and hide her face under both paws in a fetal type position if you tried persistently to approach her. She took a while to warm up to us but now you'd never know it! Sadie is now a happy outgoing and healthy dog! She has opened up so much! She isn't a barker but now she also isn't afraid to bark either. If someone comes to the door she will let us know. She no longer hides. When we first bought our house we would purposely create "safe" spots where no one could see her. But she has stopped using them and little by little we have eliminated them. When we have company she is still a little cautious but at a normal level now. She has even started letting company pet her. (We still give her an out when we have company by leaving a safe space but she doesn't use them much at all) We wouldn't trade her for the world! We highly recommend rescuing!!