Tuesday, August 26, 2014

National dog day

In Honor of National Dog Day...

Getting a story read...



Doggy froyo- yum!

Nappy poo




Too bad the poor girl can't relax!! ;)

I love having "excuses" to spoil our girl. Happy National Dog Day!!!!

Friday, August 8, 2014

Ohhhhhh Hazel



What? Is there something on my face?


Honestly, I hesitated sharing my last post with you. I felt terrible guilt admitting that I had concerns. I tried to take my heart out of the equation for a moment and try to be objective to gain some clarity. I have really, really been watching the interaction bewtween D and Hazel. I want, I need to see that Hazel has a social draw towards her. I had to know that she enjoyed her company and was not stressed out by it. Hazel needs to feel at ease with her...with us. Then I saw this.........
These two are bonding for sure. D loves to play with her. My challenge is guiding that play so that it is safe for D. If Hazel gets too worked up, then play becomes too crazy which = potential danger for D. D is learning to watch for signs that Hazel is getting over stimulated. She is not to engage with her at all when Hazel has the "doggie crazies". Hazel is learning impulse control, but it's a work in progress. It's worth it. She's worth it.

Friday, August 1, 2014

Meeting new friends, weekend fun

This weekend included a lot of "firsts" for us. We have been waiting to introduce other dogs to Hazel until she was feeling better. She's definitely full of it feeling back to her old self, so we decided it was time.



D and Hazel bird watching.


First up was Bella. She was a pretty important doggy to get a long with, as she is the dog of D's best friend who lives across the street. The girls spend a lot of time together and I adore Bella and like to pet sit on occasion for her, so I had everything crossed that this would be a good match. Our challenge is that both girls are CRAZY on a leash initially when they see other dogs. Bella was much more calm, but Hazel was literally foaming at the mouth to meet her. I am not used to that kind of intensity, and when it's that high, I know things can go south pretty quickly, so we opted to walk the girls side by side for a bit before allowing them to truly meet face to face. It worked like a charm! Hazel was trying to sneak kisses here and there. When both girls were calm, we unleashed them in the back yard, and they were off!
Taking a break from the action


We started to see glimpses of what life could be like should Hazel become an official member of our family. We are still in the "foster to adopt" mode. It's been an emotional roller coaster I have to say. We've waited so long for a dog to come into our lives, and I at times question whether I moved too fast. I loved Hazel the moment I saw her, as did D, however my husband reminded me that D would love any dog. I think what is holding me back a little is that I am still observing how she is with D. My daughter has waited years to have a buddy she can interact with and snuggle..someone who will return the love that she gives in spades. I lost my objectivity due to my own feelings for her. It took my husband to point out that he's not sure if Hazel is drawn to D at all. That realization broke my heart. From the very beginning, I knew that it was most important for a dog to have a strong social draw towards kids..simply tolerating is not enough. With this breed, when they like kids, they really like kids That's what I want for D. It was not a question to me whether she would be our family dog. If it were up to me, we would have adopted as soon as we met her, but I was following the rescue's protocol. Now I am finding myself questioning everything. I went from thinking she was (is?) my dream dog to wondering if she's truly meant for us at all. This uncertainity has led to sleepless nights. I need clarity and have prayed for it. If it were just me, there would be no question, but I am asking, is she the right dog for us for the next 15+ years? And more importantly, are we the right family, the very best for her? I really want her to be happy. When I see that smile of hers light up all that's around her,I don't question it. She's happy, I think, she's really happy. And then there are times she nipping at D, taking her arm in her mouth, charging her (in play),and truly acting inappropriately for being around a child. I am expecting to train (and know I have a LOT to work on). I wish she could just speak for herself. If she could, this is what I would want to know: -Do you even like D? -Do we make you happy? -Do you want to live with us? Has anyone else ever questioned themselves during an adoption process?
Sunday, bone day...YUM!
It is strange being on the other end of an adoption. Usually I am the one counseling adopters and assessing the match. I seemed to have lost my "adoption counselor cap" when it comes to my own family. All I can say is that my heart is telling me to see this through. I can handle the training and managing some inappropriate behavior until she knows better. What is most important is her core temperment and it's very good. I love her soul.