Waldo (fka Waldorf) came to PAWS Atlanta from Northeast Georgia Animal Control with his siblings because there was no space for them. He was shy and withdrawn but braved the move well. At about 4-5 months, he was still a baby and had the most adorable neck wrinkles. During his time in our care, he was bit wide-eyed and perplexed by shelter life. However, he blossomed when other dogs were around, so we matched him with a couple of older dogs to build up his confidence.

Jean, a long-time PAWS Atlanta volunteer, told us about Waldo’s progress during his few weeks at PAWS Atlanta. “After many gentle quiet interactions he started easing into touch, moving towards me, and taking treats. He still refused to walk on leash, staying on his belly and not moving. I thought of my buddy Darwin as a coach for Waldo. Darwin is a calm, confident Pyrenees mix who is good at encouraging shy dogs, so I brought Darwin out to meet Waldo. He immediately wagged his tail, got off his belly and started walking- a goose bump moment! Waldo was still hesitant but wanted to keep up with his big new friend, which Darwin liked. After several more meetings, Waldo took off, much more confident.”

Thanks to the help of Jean and other volunteers, Waldo became more confident and relaxed and was able to greet new friends without feeling frightened. All of his practice walks and time spent with volunteers helped him NAIL his meet-up with his new family. He now has a 9 year-old dog sister (Ellie) and two human brothers (who are about the closest thing we have ever seen to kid-sized dog whisperers). They are amazing with Waldo, and we couldn’t be more happy for them! They recently sent us a happy update about how much Waldo loves his new life!

His mom, Alison, writes, “ Waldo and Ellie are currently stretched out on the couch beside me, in mirrored posture, their paws overlapping. We adopted Waldo in the hope that he and Ellie would get along, but we were nervous. Ellie is very dog-selective. Our 17-year old shepherd mix passed away a few months ago, and, after a period of grieving, we were all a little lost without him. Ellie was his most devoted caregiver and companion and, despite not being a fan of many other dogs, liked being alone even less. So, we went looking for a young, submissive, nonthreatening companion for Ellie. I’ve always been partial to shy dogs, and my kids have spent a lot of time winning over dogs who didn’t want them around, so we were very open to a shy guy. The genius PAWS staff who described Waldo as 'wide-eyed and perplexed about shelter life,' and pointed out his 'very excellent neck wrinkles,' might as well have written his description just for us.

Waldo is the dog each of us needed. He was timid at PAWS Atlanta, reluctant to engage with any of us, unsure on the leash, and extremely unwilling to be seen in a photo with any of us (just look at that first adoption shot!). We anticipated a long get-to-know-you period. Waldo, it turns out, only needed one day. Ellie taught him to use our porch stairs and to gleefully occupy all off-limits furniture. Our sons taught him to play tug and snuggle and laid out the softest blankets in all the spots we don’t typically allow the dogs. I just can’t get enough of the half-mast ears and the neck wrinkles!”

These days, Waldo loves to meet new friends (of all species) on walks with his family. He loves wrestling with his dog sister and hiking with his humans. When it’s time to relax, Waldo will plop is head right in his humans’ laps – giving them great access to those neck wrinkles.

If you want to find a little buddy of your own, take a look at our adoptable dogs!