A Circle of Friends Makes the Difference for Chiquita: A Video Case Study
Chiquita was living with two other under-socialized dogs in the previous home. Their owner was starting cancer treatment, and could no longer care for all three dogs. We ended up getting Chiquita and Ramon both surrendered to us.
All dogs were fearful when we met them, but Chiquita and Ramon were at least eating treats in our presence. However, they were both very hesitant to approach and interact with new people, and would approach for the treats and then immediately retreat. They were very wary of the shelter environment, startling easily from noises, walking around with tucked tails, and actively avoiding interactions with people. At first, Chiquita was also indifferent towards dogs and would alarm bark.
Initially, Chiquita was roomed with her former housemate Ramon, but we quickly separated them so they would not facilitate one another’s anxious behavior. Ramon made progress quickly; however, Chiquita was slower to improve. We started off with only evaluation assistants— volunteers who have been specially trained to read dog body language— in her room; we knew they had the skills to help Chiquita learn through desensitization and counter conditioning to the presence of people.
She slowly became more comfortable and started to relax around volunteers who would visit her regularly, who then became her “Circle of Friends.” Dogs with special behavioral challenges have a list of volunteers who are allowed to interact with them posted on the door of their habitat. Only volunteers in her Circle of Friends were allowed to take Chiquita for walks and introduce her to new people so that a familiar person could monitor her threshold and help bridge the trust with someone new.
Once Chiquita made her first two human friends, we hit a little bit of a roadblock with expanding her circle. At that time, we started to introduce her to dog playgroup and also added an herbal supplement. The combination of these two seemed to help her get back on track with expanding her Circle of Friends amongst staff and volunteers.
As Chiquita began actively participating in playgroup on a regular basis, her confidence increased dramatically. We also noticed it was easier to introduce her to new people in a playgroup setting.
When the time came to introduce Chiquita to a potential adopter during an adoption promotion, we made sure it was facilitated by a volunteer who was part of her Circle of Friends. Chiquita is now in her forever home, where she is relaxed with her family. When her owner was away on vacation, she was able to stay with a volunteer who was part of her circle, and she made new doggie friends there. We hope Chiquita continues to build her confidence now that she is in a stable home environment.
Humane Society Silicon Valley is an independent, privately funded 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. HSSV’s on-site Behavior team consists of three Behavior Associates and Behavior manager Michelle Suarez CCPDT-KA. They are dedicated to preventing and managing behavior problems animals may present while in care.
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Mike is an emerging animal behaviorist sitting in Minnesota in the US. He carries an MSc in social science research methods (U. of Kentucky) and brings a passion for understanding how the methods we favor shape the knowledge we privilege. Coming from careers in teaching and non-profit program evaluation, he found companion animal behavior by accident helping anxious feline friends in a unique shelter in Ohio. It is a privilege and a joy to combine these and advance the journal in this exciting time of growth.
Alexandra is a certified dog behavior consultant and holds a PhD in neuroscience. She has spent over a decade in academic research and is author of numerous scientific articles on different aspects of brain development, including olfaction, neurogenesis, and memory formation. Her work as a behavior consultant focuses on creating trusting relationships between humans and their dogs through communication, respect, and science-based knowledge. Alexandra is very dedicated to promoting more science within the dog training world. She supports dog guardians and professionals to build a solid understanding of scientific principles and provides guidance on how to apply these to life with dogs. She runs Canine Mindscape in Alicante, Spain.
I’m an Argentinean-Italian dog trainer and CSAT who spent eight amazing years in Brazil learning and working with dogs. Now based in Europe, I volunteer with the IAABC as a translator and, in my free time, help rehomed dogs settle into their new families. I love bridging languages—and hearts—between people and their dogs.
I’m a translator, editor and journalist, as well as canine educator for children and families, specialized in canine body language. I am part of the IAABC Family since 2019, as Language Director at the IAABC and Translators Team Lead at the IAABC Foundation, at the moment. I volunteer at local shelters and promote bite prevention and animal welfare at schools and events all over my country, Uruguay.
I’m a Chilean veterinarian and certified dog trainer, based in Madrid and working at a veterinary clinic. I’ve been volunteering with the IAABC and the IAABC Foundation for over seven years. In my free time, I help dogs and their guardians strengthen their bond, and I love spending quality time with my own dogs.
Master’s Degree in Natural Sciences, with a strong interest in environmental sustainability and the protection of natural ecosystems. Passionate about writing and science communication, she collaborates with multidisciplinary teams on research projects, such as Equine International, and with non-profit initiatives in the environmental and cultural fields. She is writing for different magazines, including IAABC Foundation. Her major goal is to improve horse’s welfare through behaviour research and empirical practice.
Adrienne Hovey is the copy editor for the IAABC Foundation journal and the owner of 
I believe that knowledge from a wide range of disciplines fosters a more empathetic, curious, and engaging world. I am passionate about social, environmental, and minority rights issues (both human and non-human), and this has invariably led me down the road of multi-species anthropology. Perpetually curious about the world we live in, I hope to contribute towards making the world a kinder place for all of us earthlings to live on!
Beckie Wheldon is based in England, UK, and has been supporting the IAABC Foundation Journal team as a volunteer journal content editor since early 2025. She has a BSc (Hons) Animal Behaviour and Welfare, and has recently completed a MSc Clinical Animal Behaviour. With a passion for both practical and theory, Beckie is proud to be a part of the journal submission journey and support the process of applied animal behaviour information and research getting from our writers to the readers. As her full-time career, Beckie is currently part of the UK veterinary charity, PDSA, as a Learning and Development Business Partner for Veterinary, where she supports the professional development of people in their Veterinary Hospitals. Her last position was with the rescue charity, Dogs Trust, as a Canine Behavioural Welfare Manager, where she worked on embedding evidence-based behavioural welfare best practices throughout policy and practices, with both internal and external professional stakeholders, such as the police and military. With a varied background in kennels, caregiver education, and charity dog training classes, Beckie is also an accredited Animal Training Instructor (APDT UK) and an Associate Clinical Animal Behaviourist (APBC).
Erin Jones, PhD, IAABC-ADT, CDBC, CPDT-KA, CANZ-ATI, CANZ-ABC, is the Journal Director of the IAABC Foundation Journal. She holds a PhD in Human–Animal Studies, an MSc in Anthrozoology, a PG Dip in Animal Welfare, and a BSc (Hons) in Anthropology and Psychology. An international presenter, editor, writer and mentor, Erin’s writing bridges research and practice with a focus on the intersection of philosophy, ethics and dog-centered behaviour practice. She is the author of Constructing Canine Consent and co-editor of Topics in Non/Human Coexistence and numerous academic and trade journal publications.