College janitor adopts dumped Australian Cattle dog, but finds out the pawfect pupper came with a few surprises, dog mom says: ‘For the first three days she was a normal dog but the moment I left she shut down completely.’

Author image for Laurent Shinar
Laurent Shinar • Writer and Editor
Jun 22, 2026 7:30 AM EDT

It is not everyday that you turn up to work and leave with a brand new pupper pal, but that is exactly what happened to a college janitor in this story. After coming across the doggo looking disoriented and sad she took pity on him and brought him home. Initially their story started out sweet and simple. But shortly after this doggo's adoptaversary things took a turn for the worse.

For what you do often see in Reddit's r/AustralianCattleDog subreddit is talk about how to keep these high energy and high intelligence dogs from flying off the handle. They have so much energy and so much going on in their minds that they need stability, reliability and lots to keep them occupied. But when our rescuer took a trip only a few days into starting to care for this canine, she also failed at giving him the stability that he needed. And when a new hooman came to temporarily care for the pup, he completely shut down.

A heartbreaking moment for all involved seeing as this dog had only recently begun to enjoy the perks of being a canine child once again. To be left thinking that your world has collapsed around you and you are once again alone, undeserving of the most basic of support, that's a low spot to be in. but this pawrent refused to give up on her needy pupper and put in the work with a trainer to coax the canine out of its shell once more and become the best bud she always wanted. So the moral of the story here is that mistakes can be mended with a lot of time and effort, which is great, but at the same time it is also worth taking a good hard look at your schedule after saving a dog from the streets and deleting anything that causes the two of you to be separated for significant periods of time. 
 

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  • 01
    "The trainer came and got her out within minutes! We went to a jog and walk and she assessed her as a good girl!"
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  • 02
    Hi all, Last week someone dumped their ACD at my work and now I have a very ar is ACD that refuses to come out of my guest bedroom.
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    My current idea is to c her, toss her into a crate, then run downstairs with her in it but I'm worried it'll make her distrust me. Is this a bad idea? I have zero experience with this breed and have no idea what I'm doing.
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    This only even happened because I was about to leave for a trip when the dog was dumped. She was doing fine when I left but my friend watching her told me the dog ran upstairs and has refused to come out since. I'm getting tired of constantly cleaning up here and fs and am at my wits end.
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  • Well, this is quite the tough spot to be in but a rather reasonable one at that. When you bring a doggo off the street the main thing they are looking for from you beyond food and shelter is stability. They need to know that the hooman they are coming to trust will actually be their hooman and not leave them like their previous hooman did. It is a scar that can last for a lifetime in some cases. So obviously when the hooman who has been caring for you for a few days ups and leaves you with someone else, you are going to lose your mind as a doggo. Not that any of this is much easier for the pawrent. 
     

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    The vet prescribed her tr. e and it has calmed her down but not enough to drag her downstairs on her own accord. EDIT: I forgot to mention that she immediately clung to me and she loves sleeping with me and petting her and
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    everything like a normal dog. For the first three days she was a normal dog and we got her to the vet, toys, etc. but the moment I left for 48 hours she shut down completely. I feel horrible and have been doing my best with the limited dog knowledge I have. I'm more of a cat girl myself.
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    Right now I sleep in the room with her at night even though I've gotten zero rest and I think that's why I'm at my wits end. She ignores the puppy pads and even when I coated the entire room in them she ripped them up to make room for her to sh on my nice rug
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    I've been playing with her and stimulating as I can with dog tv while I'm gone and puzzle mats and things. I'm slowly getting her used to the crate but my landlord wants to do an inspection on the house before approving the dog for my lease and I can't do that if the bedroom looks and smells awful.
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    She's too precious for me to leave to someone else and I love her b't wags with her nubby tail. It kills me every time. I haven't found a puzzle toy she doesn't immediately figure out. And the one she can't do immediately, she throws on the ground until all the treats fly out, which is simply hilarious.
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    She knows HOW to open it but doesn't want to do the work. It's just so funny. I unblocked the bed frame so she can make a cave under there like a friend told me to do. I was terrified she would Forst there and then I'd have to crawl under to clean.
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    A
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    I started taking her crate training seriously. She's smart as a whip and took to it immediately. She knows if I point and say "crate" that it's time to go there. She knows to sit and wait until I open and say "outside" and goes to the exact place I point. She doesn't do it 100% of the time but I think that will come with time and trust. I crated her the
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  • There we go, with a little love and effort everything is achievable with a doggo. It does not matter what the issue is when it comes to a doggo’s behavior. You must always have buckets of time, patience and treats on hand to help you help them. And now that this pawrent is back and being a stable and regular part of this pupper’s life, things can start getting better for the fearful pup. It goes to show that we all make mistakes, but that it is how we make up for them that matters most. 
     

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    RI Gma
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    longest yet which is four hours and I was not in the house. I fretted the entire time lol. When I went upstairs for bed I came into the room and saw her lying in it on her own accord! I tried to make it as comfy as possible. She has a thick but breathable, hand made with love crate pad. She has black out curtains
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    covering the top and sides. Next is to find her a cute little rug to go underneath. I'm working with an artist to have a custom crate cover for all seasons. She's relieving only on the puppy pads right now thank god! She already seems much more relaxed and I updated the behaviorist
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    on my findings for our appointment tomorrow at 9am sharp. She was so kind as to give me a great discount since she heard about the situation and wanted to help. She will have an actionable, realistic plan once she observes and tests Cassidy. Cassidy has not been comfortable with me in bed until tonight. She hopped up and snuggled
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    to me immediately. I'm not sure if it's to avoid being in the crate all night or if she's finally starting to relax. Could be a mix of both! I'll make sure to watch out for sneaky behavior but for right now I'm taking snuggles as a form of payment for all the stress and chaos.
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    The trainer came and got her out within minutes! We went to a jog and walk and she assessed her as a good girl! She said that Cassidy was scared of slipping on the stairs, not scared of the stairs themself. She said I have to think from a dog's perspective with their claws. I already have nonslip stickers on their way from Amazon.
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    The trainer also said structure, routine, regular and frequent outside trips, and that she can tell Cassidy chose me as her person. She loved the relationship Cassidy and I have and said it's beautiful and so rare for a dog to choose someone that quickly.
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    Cassidy naturally stays close to me on walks and watches my movements to be in sync, doesn't pull on her lead and the longer we were out the more comfortable she was with being outside again. Within minutes we got her to relieve herself and she seemed much happier than doing inside on pads.
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    The dog trainer said I had good instincts and gave me homework and things to watch out for. First thing is to get this dog a bath! I wanted to wait until she was assessed so keep the groomer safe. The trainer was really sweet and we started talking on what jobs she thinks would be good for her to do to stay busy
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    and have a purpose. We are going to start her on training to be a companion to help others. I think she would be perfect to take to the hospitals and help calm people down. And perfect for my SO as a working dog to guide them through a... situations. Because of the nature of their accident, it's hard to socialize and
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    be anywhere that isn't home. If we can take Cassidy out on trips it would help SO get their life back. And Cassidy seems more than willing!
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janitor pupper dog mom reddit story surprise perfect dog story australian cattle dog dumped dog adoption college
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