Tears at Moment Senior Dog ‘Trusts' Foster Carer for First Time

Animal lovers are in tears at the moment a senior rescue chihuahua chose to trust a man for the first time.

Fresh is a 10-year-old chihuahua available for adoption through Muttville Senior Dog Rescue in San Francisco, and is currently being cared for by Lisa Arden, who has dedicated her life to helping dogs in need.

In April, Arden shared a video to her TikTok account, @allthefosterpups, showing how far Fresh had come since being in her care-as, having previously been terrified of Arden’s husband, finally grew in confidence enough to trust him.

“Fresh was too scared of dog dad to go near him at first,” Arden wrote in a caption to the video.

“It took a couple days for her to feel safe enough to let him get close. Once she saw our dogs getting love from him, she got curious and finally let him pet her…and then suddenly she was all in, giving love right back.”

Arden added: “It’s the best feeling when they start to feel safe.”

The clip shows Fresh on the couple’s bed, keeping a close eye on Arden’s husband, who is lying quietly and facing the foster pup, speaking quietly and making no sudden movements.

Fresh very cautiously takes steps towards the man, sniffing his hands, and accepts some gentle pats, as he gently encourages her by calling her a good girl.

All of a sudden, she rolls onto her back for belly rubs, and as he duly obliges he asks: “Are we best friends?”

The sweet clip ends with Fresh approaching him and offering a quick lick of his nose, as though in thanks.

Arden wrote over the video, which has close to 200,000 likes: “Watch my foster dog start trusting my husband for the first time.”

It had animal lovers in floods of tears, one commenter writing alongside a crying emoji: “They've been through so much and they still choose to open their heart up to love again, it's so pure and half the time humans don’t deserve it. Thank you for being her safe place.”

“Earning the trust of a scared dog is the best feeling,” another said, as one put it: “Watching our rescues blossom is the best part.”

“She put her guard down to feel loved,” another said. “How wonderful. What an Angel baby and wonderful parents.”

Helping a dog grow in confidence is a vital part of the fostering process, as it will assist a dog in getting adopted or settling better into their future forever home.

Dogs can show fear by appearing depressed, trembling or cowering, yawning or pacing, growling, whining, barking or lunging, according to the Animal Humane Society. Owners can help a shy or fearful dog gain confidence by exposing them to what scared them at a low intensity, combined with something positive like a treat.

Owners should allow their dog time to get used to people, and avoid direct eye contact at first. Approach the dog at their level, and pet under their chin or on their chest rather than their head. Owners should build up trust with the dog before bringing them to public settings, as putting them into a stressful situation will set their progress back.

Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.

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This story was originally published April 21, 2026 at 10:43 AM.