The Project Dog: Hera’s Story

Thanks for joining us for The Project Dog series. Why don’t you start by introducing yourself and your dog.

My name is Chelsea and my dog's name is Hera. Hera is a 5 year old sassy Shiba Inu - She's a libra.

Hera living her best life at FastCAT

I do love that we are starting things off with star signs - Taurus here! Tell us more about Hera, what is she like?

Hera, in a lot of ways, is a typical Shiba Inu. She's sassy, selective, and aloof. She has her people and dog friends, but she is very much a "one person" dog, and that person is me. We (me and her dad) say she's cat software on dog hardware. She likes to be in nature, sleep in bed, and eat snacks. As a puppy and adolescent, Hera was very standoffish with people, but more friendly with dogs. As she's gotten older, she's become much more confident with people and more dog selective. But she loves an adventure, a patio, and going to her grandma's house.

People often expect dogs to be friendly and enjoy attention and affection from everyone. Since Hera does not fit that mold, have you ever felt judged by people because of it?

Oh my god, yes. For context, I grew up with huskies. I was so used to primitive dog behavior. The aloofness, independence, and general disinterest in people was so normal to me. From when we got Hera, I did recognize that she was fearful and independent. Her genetics weren't really doing her any favors in that regard. I started one on one classes with her at 9 weeks with Leah (The Pet Professor) because I wanted to set her up for success. From there we took puppy classes, tricks, and obedience classes with Noelle. Hera was a covid puppy, but I was really lucky to live somewhere at the time where she got to see and experience a LOT of different things. If she hadn't, I think she'd be even more fearful now. I'll never forget, when she was around 12 weeks old, I saw a coworker at the time out somewhere and had Hera with me. Hera wouldn't let the coworker touch her. I remember the coworker going "What's wrong with her?" and I was so defensive. It was an eye-opener for me that people really do expect that all dogs they see out in the world are always friendly golden retrievers, when most dogs really aren't. I think having a behaviorally-challenging dog who doesn't bark or lunge can be really complex in its own way. Hera is avoidant, but people don't read that. They see the cute little meme dog with a foxy face who play bows at them and want to squish her sweet little face. It requires a lot of advocacy for her, all the time. Hera's dad and I both have scripts and one-liners for meeting strangers. Thankfully, people will usually ask to pet her. We typically say "She probably doesn't want to be pet, but she will do a trick if you give her a snack!" or, my personal favorite "No, she doesn't like when strangers touch her, which I don't either! But thank you for asking!" I care a lot less now about people judging her behavior. And as an adult, Hera is a lot more "feral" and less obedient. But she is so much more confident and sure of the world now. People can think she's poorly behaved because she zooms around and won't walk in a heel. At least she's happy.

She really does have a very squishable face! It sounds like you have become a wonderful advocate for her even though it is not always easy. Being Hera’s guardian, have you had to manage your expectations and define success differently?

I'm a perfectionist and struggle with high expectations of myself in everything I do. Tempering my expectations has been a journey, and I've realized that I find more success the more I follow Hera's lead. Seeing her become more confident and relaxed, and recover quicker from negative experiences, has been such a huge win. As an example, Hera loves Leah now. Hera's known Leah since she was a puppy and, for a long time, was disinterested in her. Leah would give her treats for interacting and being a brave girl. And at some point over the last few years, Hera has learned to love Leah! Leah's one of her favorite people now, she's excited to see her, jumps up on her and gets airplane ears and lets Leah give her lots of pets. It's a marker of success for me that my dog's social circle with humans has expanded, and that we've found people who love her how she is. Not ask, "What's wrong with her?"

Dog’s are very good teachers! Since starting your journey with Hera, has your perspective of dog training, reactivity, or fear in dogs, shifted at all?

I’ve worked with many reactive and fearful dogs while assisting Leah with her classes, so I’ve been exposed to a wide range of perspectives and approaches from guardians of behaviorally complex dogs. One of the biggest misconceptions I’ve encountered is the idea that reactivity is simply “all about how you raise them.” That mindset can unintentionally create a lot of shame for people with more challenging dogs. In reality, so many factors shape a dog’s behavior: genetics, early life experiences (even before coming home at 8 weeks), socialization, exposure, and even single impactful events. Rather than assigning blame, I think it’s more helpful to meet your dog where they are and focus on making their world better moving forward. With Hera specifically, one of the biggest shifts in my perspective has been understanding that a lack of outward reaction doesn’t always mean a dog is comfortable. Some of the most fearful or uncertain dogs don’t show it in obvious ways. Shiba Inus, in particular, tend to be less expressive than other breeds. That, combined with Hera’s fearfulness, meant she rarely reacted--but that didn’t mean she was coping well. In some ways, Hera’s behavior might actually look “worse” now. She’ll sometimes bark at people or other dogs, but I see that as a sign of increased confidence and communication. We’ve learned how to work through those moments together. She doesn’t always listen perfectly, and there are still walks where she pulls or seems to ignore me, but what matters most to me now is that she feels safe and is able to enjoy herself. I feel much more connected to her, and our relationship is stronger because of it.

It is great to have that broader perspective and such an important take away for project dog guardians as I’m sure many of us think about what we could or should have done differently. It seems as though you have really embraced Hera’s individuality and love her for the dog that she is. One of the best things about sharing our life with dogs is the time we spend with them, do you have a favorite activity that you and Hera enjoy together?

Hera loves to do tricks. We've tried a bunch of different activities over the years (Barn Hunt, Nose Work, Rally, Agility) but we always come back to doing tricks. Hera likes it because she gets one on one attention, there's no pressure, and she gets lots of treats. Hera gets bored and doesn't like repetition. She doesn't react well to feeling like she did something wrong. With tricks, there are virtually endless options for things to do and she gets lots of snacks. It's also super low stakes--nothing bad happens if she doesn't push a basketball with her nose. I like doing it with her because it's good for our relationship. I am the constant giver of snacks and praise. We can also do it anywhere, any time. If something spooks her on a walk, I can ask her to put her feet on a rock and it helps reset her and gives her something positive to focus on.

Tricks may not get as much attention as some of the mainstream sports but you make some really great points about the benefits of trick training! I’m so glad you and Hera joined us for this interview. Before we wrap things up, one last question - How has your relationship with Hera changed your life?

Hera has changed my life in ways that are honestly hard to fully put into words. I’ve had to let go of certain expectations and learn to stop worrying so much about what other people think of us. That shift hasn’t just impacted how I show up for her—it’s carried over into other areas of my life and helped me feel more confident and grounded in myself. I’ve become a stronger advocate, not just for Hera, but for other dogs and even for myself. We’ve really grown alongside each other, and that growth has been meaningful in ways I didn’t anticipate. Getting Hera, and the relationships I’ve built since starting this journey with her, have shaped my life in a profound way. I’ve developed a deeper understanding of and appreciation for the animals we share our lives with. What began as bringing home a companion during a particularly lonely time has turned into something much bigger: a supportive community and a network of people who care about their dogs just as deeply.

Picture perfect in front of the Cherry Blossoms

Dogs are not only incredible companions but they have so much to teach us if we are willing to learn! Many thanks for sharing Hera’s story with us. We love learning about each of the dogs in the series and the unique journey’s they share with their humans.