Originally named Katie, Shadow joined the Johnson clan in late May 2008 after spending her first five months only in the whelping box room. She was the only puppy left at the breeder’s home and was terrified of people, especially men. Shadow earned her name because she quickly became Jen’s shadow, traveling wherever she went. Jen worked with Shadow on puppy manners and socialization. Shadow continued to show signs of stress when leaving her yard and especially around strangers. Her anxiety would cause her to tremble in fear and often she would urinate when encountering new people and new spaces.

Janie Simmons encouraged Jen to enroll Shadow in K9 Nose Work class in September 2010. Exceptionally reluctant to try the class because of Shadow’s anxiety, Jen enrolled Shadow. At the first class, Shadow’s crate trembled, her tail tucked firmly under her belly and she did pee all over the floor. However, Shadow loved hot dogs, and the alluring scent of hot dogs in boxes led her to search. Her love of food encouraged her to keep searching. Slowly her tail started wagging whenever she saw boxes lying on the floor. People became less scary and she stopped her nervous urinating.