How to feel warm on a cold day

Sunday was a cold one.  The sun was shining at least, but the wind was cold so we were set up indoors at the Petsmart in Gainesville.  I took Roscoe, Thora, Radley, and Hannah and thought I had good prospects for Roscoe and Hannah anyway. 

The ride up was quiet, Thora was crated because she will climb up and lay on top of the crates if given the chance.  Roscoe was in the other crate, leaving Radley and Hannah free in the space at the rear of the van.  There were plenty of extra hands to hold my dogs so I was free to talk, but Hannah really didn't want to leave the van so I left her there until the person I had been talking to about her arrived from over on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. 

Pam got some great pics of Roscoe and Radley.  Both of those dogs are so photogenic that they don't really challenge Pam's skill with the camera, but still, getting a dog to sit on a cold windy day is no small feat. 

Radley really worked the crowd for treats and attention.  He has a smile, presence, and personality that are second to none.  If his coloring was different I'd swear he was a rottweiler.  That's the highest praise I can bestow on any dog.  He met some folks who may be interested in adopting him and I have no doubt that we will find him a home, but as it turned out, he's the only dog I brought back home with me on Sunday afternoon.

Roscoe was very popular, as I expected.  I had been emailing two families about him and both came to meet him.  That was a tough spot to be in because both were very nice people and would make very nice homes.  They were both very understanding of the position we all were in.  (If one of them had been a jerk it would have been easy to eliminate them.)  But having multiple choices of good homes is a good problem to have and I made a decision because that's my job.  (It turns that I am the decider, not Dubya.)

Roscoe and I went by their home after the event and met the cat.  He was good, not obsessed, didn't even try to eat the cat.  He looked very comfortable and I left him there, whispering "leave the cat alone" in his ear as I left.  We will hope for the best as always, but I think it stands a good chance and I know the adopters are committed to making it work.
 

Hannah was an easier choice although there were other people there who were interested in her as well.  But the man I had been emailing with sounded perfect for her, and she for him, and what I saw of them only reinforced that belief.  He's calm, quiet, and wants a one-on-one companion relationship.  That's Hannah in a furry nutshell. 

He knows it will take a few days, but she bonded with me in just a few days and I wasn't able to do the one-on-one time with her that he will.  She learned the routine around here very quickly.  She's good, she's smart, and surprisingly non-bitchy for a female shepherd. 

This second picture isn't great because I cut off her ears when taking the picture, but I love the relationship it shows.  I love people who touch their dogs.  I also love dogs who want to touch their people.  In a rare moment of introspection, I'm thinking that it's me who has that tactile need.

I was half expecting and hoping to be adopting out Roscoe and Hannah yesterday, but Thora came as a surprise.  Her home as cats too, but apparently they are reclusive cats and no one who knew the home thought it would be an issue.  I hope it goes well for Thora, she's a great girl, a classic female shepherd personality.  She reminds me of our late, great, sainted Gypsy more and more all the time.  She will have a great home with a lot of attention and love lavished on her.  But the adopter has had female shepherds before and knows that she will need to be in charge.

Radley was tired and very quiet on the drive home.  I was too.  I don't remember when I've talked to so many people non-stop for over three hours.  I probably used up three weeks of words.  It's not the part of this process that I am particularly good at, but I can and will rise to the occcasion when it means finding a good home for a good dog.