Background Info:

Camilla was found as a stray by a good samaritan. She was pregnant, hungry and cold. The gentleman tried to bring her into his house but she was too afraid. He created a shelter for her under his deck and took care of her while she nursed her puppies. Unable to bring her into the house, he eventually took her to the city pound. Camilla was scared out of her mind and a plea was made for her rescue.
Adoption Fee: $ 200
Breed: Pit Bull mix
Sex: Female
Age: 1-3 yo
Weight: 45-55 lbs
Health Condition:
Camilla has a tortured soul but a healthy body. She suffers from a great deal of anxiety and fears. Her behavior is most likely a combination of genetic inheritance and lack of socialization. We are doing everything we can to help her become a well-adjusted companion but she will probably never be your typical social-butterfly pitty.

Physical Description:
Camilla is a lean girl with a beautiful and soft black and white coat. She has the cutest ears and sometimes she'll have just one ear perked up - so cute!

Camilla is not a full-blooded Pit Bull. She could be mix with Border Collie or perhaps a Pointer-type dog. She might be approved in a municipality will mild BSL

Current Living Situation:
Camilla is fostered in a home with two adults and a neutered male pit bull; 2.5 years old. The introduction to the other dog is in progress and going very well. There's a medium size yard in her foster home with a tall wooden fence.
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Camilla is crated when home alone and her foster family uses an escape-proof crate that works well for her. She does fine in the crate as long as she is in same room as foster brother. If crated alone, she has separation anxiety.

She has been no trouble at all, except for a rare potty accident once or twice. She is improving every day and thriving under the loving care of her foster parents.
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Report from foster mom:
"We're currently working on letting Camilla decompress in her foster home. She has pretty severe anxiety and is startled by nearly everything. However, she's making progress each day. She has her own room that she feels comfortable and safe in, and every day she's settling down more and more in that room, even when she's in there alone. She does not like her crate and will not go in on her own, even when coaxed by treats. We haven't yet gone on any walks, but she does go outside in the fenced yard and is starting to get more brave exploring the yard. Now she comes back inside from the yard pretty easily.

Camilla's room is my office and I'm in there all day with her during the week. She pretty much sleeps most of the time on the couch while I'm working. At night, I've been sleeping with her in our guest room and she sleeps well through the night on her bed. She thrives most when we're all together, just chilling. Too much disruption to her environment is stressful for her, so her ideal home would be a quiet family. I don't think she would do well with kids because I think that would be too chaotic for her. However, she hasn't yet been around kids so I can't say for sure. I think she will need structure and training that will give her guidance on how to respond to the world to alleviate her anxiety."
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May Update:
"I am amazed at how far Camilla has come in the short time she's been with us! She's becoming much more comfortable around my boyfriend and I and is showing a lot more affection. She has settled down into our home and is actually becoming a pretty chill dog. She's perfectly content to sleep all day in my office, while I'm in there working. I've taken Camilla on car rides to the vet a couple of times and she does wonderful in the car. We haven't gone on any walks because she shuts down a little when you put a leash on her, but she loves to explore the back yard. I think a quiet home with a fenced yard would be perfect for her."

Personality:
Camilla is shy and this trait is likely genetic in her case. It doesn't mean she can't live a successful life as a companion, but she will require a very patient and understanding owner. She needs more time than most dogs to warm up to people but she does eventually - at least to a certain degree. We believe she will always remain somewhat skittish and unsure and therefore she is not a good candidate for a busy household, or active lifestyle such as traveling, etc.
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Report from foster mom:
"I haven't seen much of Camilla's personality shine through yet. However, she's only been with us a week or so and there are moments I get a glimpse of her playfulness. I think once she works through some of her anxiety, she'll be a happy, silly girl!"
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May Update:
"As Camilla is becoming more comfortable in her home, she's starting to show off her goofy side! She wakes up each morning excited to get the day started and she'll come in our bed and give us kisses and ask for pets until we get up. During the day, she's pretty mellow and likes to sleep most of the day. We'll let her outside once or twice in the afternoon to burn off some energy, and then it's back to naptime! Anxiety issues aside, she's turning into a pretty easy dog and an affectionate companion. When her anxiety starts to act up, giving her something to do - like a nice bone to chew or a stuffed kong - is pretty effective at easing it."
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Behavior with people:
Camilla is shy when meeting people and needs them to be patient and let her come to them. She doesn't show a preference toward men vs women, but warms up a little faster towards certain people. It might be due to their approach and personality.

Report from foster mom:
"When she met my mom, she did warm up pretty quickly and would come sit by her on the couch and let my mom scratch her ears!"
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May Update:
"Camilla has met several new people in our home now and has done very well. She is a bit shy at first, but as long as guests give her time to decompress and approach them at her own pace, she warms up quickly."

Behavior with children:
Unknown but due to her shyness, Camilla will not be placed in a home with children. She is easily startled and we worry a house with kids would be too chaotic for her.

Behavior with other dogs:
Camilla is the type of dog who might benefit from the presence of an outgoing male. We still recommend slow introductions to minimize stress and anxiety while the relationship is established.

Report from foster mom:
"We're still working on slow introductions with our male, but so far it's been very promising. She shows positive body language and seems eager to play with him. They're both at the point now where they're mostly just neutral when in each other's company. However, she will need time to settle into her environment first before throwing another dog at her, so slow intros are recommended. Play time will need to be monitored closely because a dog that gets too rambunctious could be overwhelming for her."
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May Update:
"After slow introductions, her and my dog Archie are getting along spectacularly. We do supervised play sessions in the yard and her favorite thing is to play chase with Archie. It's so fun to watch them run around in circles chasing each other! Inside they're mostly neutral in each other's company. She likes to follow Archie around the house and I believe he's helping to show her how to be a dog. She doesn't bother his food or show any signs of resource guarding with food/treats/water, etc. I think she would really benefit from having a compatible male dog in the home."

Behavior with other animals:
Unknown. She did chase down a bunny in the yard which indicates a high prey drive, especially since she typically moves around the yard with caution.
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Training:
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Report from foster mom:
"We haven't yet worked on training. She's mostly housebroken, but did have one accident when my mom was here and I left to take my dog on a walk. I think that was probably due to her anxiety more than anything."
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May Update:
"She's still pretty skittish when it comes to training. We're trying to work on some basic commands, but more advance training will likely take time and patience."
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Additional Info:
"I can already tell how much Camilla just wants to love and be loved! Once she can work past her anxiety, I think she'll be a sweet girl who is happy to cuddle-up on the couch with her loved-ones. She will require a confident and patient leader who can provide her with the structure and training she needs so that she's not so overwhelmed by the world. She will likely never be a social butterfly, but for whomever adopts her, they'll become her whole world!"
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May Update:
"This goofball is starting to learn that life can be pretty great and she embraces each morning with an eagerness to get the day started! Camilla is a great dog and has so much love to give.
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Potential adopters need to understand that Camilla is going to require time and patience in order to settle into her new home. It may be weeks/months before she's completely comfortable, and even then, she will likely still be shy and anxious to some degree. But it's incredibly rewarding to watch her come out of her shell and learn to trust people again. She has all the love to give!"
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