The remarkable difference between a rescue dog greeting his new owner on his first day compared with one month later has melted hearts online.
Sophie Coombs, 25, adopted Baloo, a Cane Corso mix from her local shelter on September 26. While little is known about Baloo’s past, it’s believed that he was mistreated and still learning that not all humans are bad.
Coombs, from the UK, captured an emotional video of Baloo greeting her on the first morning in his new home. After three months in the shelter, he was very timid and didn’t know how to interact with Coombs, who told Newsweek that it was “quite emotional” to see how nervous he appeared.
“To see him clearly excited to see me, but not quite sure how to approach me was quite bittersweet,” Coombs said. “I felt a mixture of relief and joy that he was home and safe, and sadness and anger for what he’d experienced in life before that morning.
“He stayed on the chair he’d slept on all night and wasn’t quite sure how to greet me, but his little tail was wagging like crazy. I gave him some fuss and sat with him on the chair, where he slept for another two hours before getting up.”
It’s remarkable what a difference a few weeks can make though, as Baloo has grown so much in confidence and personality since then. Coombs shared a heartwarming video on TikTok (@sophcoombs) contrasting the clip from his first morning with one taken a month later – and the difference is astonishing.
Now, Baloo greets his owners with joy and warmth every day, and he’s certainly not afraid to show his excitement anymore. Coombs says that Baloo has transformed into the sweetest and most gentle dog over the last five weeks. He loves playing fetch and curling up on the sofa like the true velcro dog he is.
One of the biggest improvements is how much surer Baloo is of himself now. He’s no longer hesitant about getting excited and doesn’t fear getting into trouble.
Coombs said: “We don’t know specifics from Baloo’s previous life, but we have some clues about how he was treated. He was found with his mum in July, they were both very hand shy and Baloo will still flinch if new people try to stroke him.
“Sadly, Baloo also has some scars which suggest there were injuries too. If he does something wrong, he often cowers away and has, upsettingly, had accidents out of fear. While we don’t know his exact history, we can safely assume he’s experienced some heavy handling and mistreatment,” she continued.
Since she brought Baloo home in September, Coombs has been documenting their experiences on social media to show his progress. The video showing his first morning compared to a month later has generated over 10,200 views and more than 1,100 likes on TikTok at the time of writing.
Coombs has been blown away by the online response to Baloo’s journey, and she loves connecting with others who have shared their experiences with rescue pups.
Of course, Baloo’s progress isn’t complete and he’s still gaining new experiences gradually. Coombs is cautious not to overwhelm him with too much at once, especially as he can be wary in unknown situations.
“Baloo is, generally, a happy boy now. He is practically perfect at home, very settled,” Coombs told Newsweek. “We’re past the early stages of settling in so now we’re putting in the work to make sure Baloo’s permanent life is as great as possible. It’s a case of building confidence and trust, and learning that the world isn’t all that scary.”
Internet users can’t get enough of Baloo’s transformation, as many people took to the comments to share their praise.
One comment reads: “Sweet angel, thank you for picking him.”
Another TikTok user wrote: “So rewarding. Your love has done this for Baloo.”
While another person replied: “Love seeing his progress, thank you for giving him a loving home.”
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