Watch 'Shy' Rescue Dog Slowly Settle Into New Home and Start To Trust Again

Heartwarming footage of a rescue dog slowly settling into his new home is melting hearts.

Cowboy is a 1-year-old chihuahua and Pekingese mix and after a tough start in life, now lives in Chicago, Illinois, with owner Emily Stonier.

"I rescued him just about a month ago and I don't know a lot about his history," Stonier told Newsweek. "I know he originally came from El Paso, Texas, and it seems whatever situation he was in put a lot of fear into the poor little guy."

When he first came home, Cowboy was incredibly unsure and spent time hiding away.

It isn't unusual for rescue dogs to be nervous when they first find a forever home, often traumatized by previous life events.

Rescue dog Beam delighted her owners when she slowly learned to accept love, while another rescue dog owner came up with an excellent way of taking their nervous pup on walks in busy New York City.

"When I first brought him home he pretty much hid 24/7. Under the bed, behind my desk, behind the toilet—wherever he could find a spot. After a while he started to want to sit on the bed or couch with me, but he would always seem scared to walk over to me," explained Stonier.

"All of the research shows that you have to ignore a shy dog, but that's the hardest thing to do. You just want to let them know they're so loved, but that's what I had to do. I ignored him, except when he came to me and slowly he got more and more comfortable," she added.

There are plenty of ways to support a nervous or anxious dog, and often time and love are the most important things.

With Cowboy, Stonier ensured she gave him the space and love he needed and before long, he started to come out of his shell.

"After a while he started following me around 24/7 and always needing to be right next to me," she said. "From there he has started to explore more and more and just in the past couple of days has started getting into anything and everything. It's so much fun watching him open up."

When he first came home, he wasn't a fan of walking on the leash, but with a little practice and encouragement, Cowboy and Stonier are now going on daily 20 minute walks.

"While he isn't wagging his tail and loving it, it curls up more and more every day, so we're getting there," said his owner.

Cowboy still hides when he is nervous, but is learning to embrace his new life, even starting to enjoy time with his owner's boyfriend and friends. "Every day he gets a little more comfortable," said Stonier.

With over 2.5 million views, Cowboy's slow progress has delighted the internet, and his owner said she will continue to share his journey on their Instagram and TikTok accounts under the handle @cowboythechi.

"It's really awesome to see all of the support and people throwing out so much awesome advice for working with shy or scared rescue dogs," said Stonier. "I have definitely already learned a lot and it has helped me feel like there are a lot of other people in the same boat. We're looking forward to continuing to document our adventures."

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