Extra-bubbly dog goes from chaos to calm

Blanche arrived at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary from a nearby shelter like a bottle of shaken soda — fizzing over with excitement about everything. The only trouble was that her joy came out in jumps, nips, and bursts of exuberant energy that were hard to manage when she was around people. “She just couldn’t contain herself and didn’t know how to handle her feelings,” says Emma Smith, a Best Friends behavior specialist.

Best Friends supports shelters in reaching no-kill by taking in pets like Blanche who need a little extra training and care to become their best selves. And that’s just what she would get at the Sanctuary.

Even simple interactions could feel overwhelming for Blanche. She’d jump on people, grab at their sleeves, grab the leashes they held — anything to stay close to the people she was so thrilled to see. “She was trying so hard to connect,” says Kathy Abbott, another member of the Best Friends behavior team. “She just didn’t know how.”

That’s where Blanche’s transformation began — not with a quick fix but with calm routines, consistent care, and a team who saw through the bubbly chaos to the affectionate dog underneath.

[The right roommate helps calm anxious dog]

At first, progress came in tiny moments. A few seconds of stillness on a bed. A quiet check-in during a walk. “We celebrated every little win,” says Emma. “Because that’s what builds the foundation.”

To help Blanche manage her emotions, the team introduced her to “working walks,” where she could earn treats just for walking calmly and staying connected with her handler. And slowly, the blur of motion started to settle. Little by little, Blanche began to bloom.

Today, she helps shy dogs at the Sanctuary feel safe in playgroups, and she even serves as “demo dog” for the behavior team, showing visitors what calm engagement can look like. “She’s one of our go-to helpers now,” says Kathy. “When we need a dog who’s steady and kind with others, Blanche is often at the top of the list.”

She still gets excited to see her favorite people — complete with her signature full-body wiggle — but now, she knows how to channel that excitement into connection instead of chaos. “Now you can walk into her kennel, and she'll be very happy to see you, but she doesn't grab or put her mouth on anything,” says Kathy. “She's so sweet and easy to handle now. She’s just an all-around wonderful dog.”

[Channeling a dog’s boundless energy into a new home]

And around the Sanctuary, Blanche has earned one more title: unofficial staff member. When she tags along with Emma and Kathy to the Shipley Dog Lodges — the area of the Sanctuary where the behavior team works with dogs who need a little extra support — she heads straight for the picnic bench. “When we do bring her along, she just likes to lay on the picnic bench,” says Emma. “She sits up there with us like she’s our little helper. We always joke that we should give her a name tag.”

As Blanche found her footing, her world started to open up — including a chance to try something new: her very first sleepover. New place, new people, new everything — and she popped right into it like a pro. It’s only a matter of time before an adopter falls in love and brings her home.

Blanche may have started out like a bottle of shaken soda, bubbling over with more feelings than she could manage. But these days, she’s all soft fizz and steady sparkle — still effervescent, just a little more grounded with every step. The pop is still there. It just bubbles up at the right time.

Our goal at Best Friends is to support all animal shelters in the U.S. in reaching no-kill in 2025. No-kill means saving every dog and cat in a shelter who can be saved, accounting for community safety and good quality of life for pets. 

Shelter staff can’t do it alone. Saving animals in shelters is everyone’s responsibility, and it takes support and participation from the community. No-kill is possible when we work together thoughtfully, honestly, and collaboratively.