“It’s going to be a process,” Gardner said. “They’ve never been in a house before. They don’t know what carpet feels like, what a TV sounds like, the movement of a ceiling fan. They’re terrified of leashes. It’s going to take a while.”

It took Gus a few minutes to warm up to Sheila Williams, who’d made the hour-long drive to get him.

“You gotta be brave,” Cresap told Gus as he anxiously inched out the kennel door toward his new mom.

“They are great dogs. They are very outgoing and are such happy dogs generally,” Williams said, noting Gus will have some four-legged help adjusting to his new life from Williams’ other family member — Olivia, a 10-year-old Samoyed.

CBHS has received more than 100 applications from all over the country — New York, Maine, Colorado, Indiana, Minnesota — from people interested in adopting the Samoyeds. Gus was the first to go home Tuesday. That afternoon, Tippy met her prospective family and would head to her new home that evening. Indy is expected to be adopted by the end of the week.

The remaining dogs continue to be evaluated and socialized and will be matched with families that are the best fit.