From Beach Dog to City Girl: How Understanding Greenie Changed Everything

A story of agency, adaptation, and enrichment.

I took Greenie on not just as a client but as a case study. Her story reflected something I was deeply focused on at the time: how so many of our beloved Aspins, and the families who take them in, navigate the enormous transition from life on the streets to life in a home.

Greenie lived her entire life as a free-roaming dog along the beaches of Puerto Galera. That is, until she met Ms. Susie, who was working at a resort there. Their connection was instant. Every morning, Greenie would show up and walk with Susie, following her everywhere she went. Eventually, Susie decided to officially adopt her.

But she didn’t change much about Greenie’s life. Greenie remained free to roam in and out of their home. If anything changed, it was that she now had a safe, permanent place to return to, regular meals, and someone who loved her unconditionally.

Years passed. But life changed again and this time, it was drastic. Susie had to move back to Manila, and because of the bond they had, there was no question: Greenie had to come with her.

The shift was massive.

From beach freedom and familiar street dog friends, Greenie suddenly found herself in an apartment in a bustling city. Huge trucks passed by. The noise was constant. The smells, the people, the energy—it was all foreign. The dog who once loved to roam refused to walk. She would freeze in the middle of the street, unable to move. Sometimes, Susie spent nearly half a day just trying to take her to and from the nearest park.

Desperate for help, she found me online.

What struck me from our very first discovery call was this: Susie wasn’t looking for a quick fix. She wasn’t asking, “How do I stop this behavior?” Instead, she came with curiosity and compassion. “I want to understand what my dog is going through.”

That alone set us up for success.

I explained that what Greenie was showing wasn't a "problem." It was a natural, valid response from a dog whose world had dramatically shifted. A dog who had thrived in predictability, autonomy, and freedom was now navigating a city full of restrictions, household rules, and unfamiliar chaos. And unlike us humans, she couldn’t talk about her discomfort, confusion, or fears. But she was showing it clearly, consistently, and honestly.

Would you believe me if I told you we didn’t do any "formal training"? Instead, we pieced together the puzzle of Greenie’s life:

• Her experiences in Puerto Galera

• Her environment then vs now

• Her genetic traits as an Aspin

• Her personality, her health, her age, her preferences

  
  

I asked for videos and photos of her life before the move. I needed to see the dog she was before everything changed. From there, we crafted an enrichment strategy, one that focused not on stopping an undesirable behavior, but on giving Greenie the space to express who she’s always been.

We didn’t need to teach her survival skills. She already had them.What she needed was to rediscover her confidence in a new world.

Our strategy focused on:

• Letting her forage and explore at her pace

• Giving her safe opportunities to move freely

• Allowing her to observe her new neighborhood from a place of security

• Providing social experiences with other street dogs

• Offering choices in every walk: to move or pause, to sniff or simply sit and watch

  
  

And in just a couple of weeks, we witnessed a transformation.

Greenie, who had once shut down on walks, began to bloom. One day, out of the blue, she got up and confidently walked all the way to the park and back. No coaxing. No dragging. Just a clear decision: “I’ve mapped my new world. I’m ready.”

Since then, she’s never stopped walking except, of course, when she chooses to slow down and soak in her surroundings.

Today, you’d think she was born and raised in the city.

Working with Greenie and Susie reminded me of something profound: When we truly understand our dogs—who they are, where they’ve come from, and what they need—we don’t have to force change. We support it. We create the right conditions for adaptability. And they rise.

This wasn’t about fixing behavior. This was about working with behavior: listening to it, honoring it, and building on it in ways that feel enriching, not demanding.

After our initial program, Greenie joined my Life Skills and Manners class. But like many Aspins who’ve known a life of agency, our sessions didn’t look like “training.” We mostly hung out, explored new places, and built more experiences that aligned with who she was.

Because of dogs like Greenie, I’ve made a decision.

I’m restructuring my services to focus on enrichment-based training—the kind that doesn’t just address behavior, but meets a dog's needs, nurtures emotional well-being, builds trust, and honors the whole dog.

So consider this both a story and an announcement: I’ll be offering my current services only until the first part of August. After that, I’ll be launching a new program that I believe today’s pet parents and their dog truly need.

Stay tuned. I can’t wait to share it with you.

P.S. Want to learn more about Greenie’s story and how I applied the L.E.G.S.® model to help her transition from street life to home life? You can watch my full presentation from the L.E.G.S. in Motion conference—it’s now 50% off, until July 31st only! Use my affiliate link to access it: https://bit.ly/AspinLEGS