We'll see

Jake, a very pretty face

Rex, at least when he settled down,
he would look at me and pay attention.

I made it to Front Royal in about two and a quarter hours this morning, with five dogs.  Lexy rode in the front seat with me, Rex and Dixie in the crates, and Jake and Hank in the back end of the van.  It was a full load but still I found no need to strap a dog in a crate to the roof of the van.  Rex was a bit anxious and whiny, but it was his first time going anywhere.  Lexy rode beautifully in the front seat, didn't bother me at all, just rested her head on the dashboard and tried to nap.

Things went pretty much as I expected.  Jake was cool, calm, and collected.  Rex was a neurotic mess.  I took him out for short periods only, and used two leashes.  He got a bit better each time I took him out of the van, but it was clear that nothing in his past experience had prepared him for a sidewalk full of people and dogs in a strange location.  He is going to be a project.

Hank, getting the kind of attention he likes.

Dixie, ready to go home.

Lexy was a bit over stimulated herself and barked at new dogs unless she could go up and greet them.  Her new fosters took her home for a quick meet and greet with their resident dogs, with mixed success and then brought her back to the event.  They ended up taking her home to give it a try, and I really hope it goes well.  She is a sweet girl and she settled in here very quickly.  I think she thought she was home, so another upheaval wasn't exactly what she was looking for, but it's a necessary part of the rescue process.  She will need a day or two to bond with her new foster folks, but I'm sure that she will.  I just hope she can work things out with the other female dogs in the home. 

Lexy was a little stressed out when away from me.

Lexi, heading to her new foster home

Dixie was pretty much her usual self.  She's a great girl, but I don't think that a home with small kids, cats, or small dogs is going to work well for her.  Hank had a good time.  He really likes people and he worked the crowd well.  It's just a matter of time, and this is only his second, or first?, adoption event.

Jake's adopters drove from Annapolis to meet him.  They brought three tests to challenge him.  First, their small daughter.  That was easy, Jake likes everyone.  Second, the undisputed alpha bitch of the household, a senior shepherd.  She checked him out and seemed to approve.  The third test was their small dog, a beagle/basset mix they call a Bagel.  Again, no problem for Jake.  His reaction to new things is rather reserved, so he comes across as calm even in a chaotic situation. 

These are the same folks who adopted Babe, the Golden Retriever pup from me a while back, so I obviously like them.  The first report after arriving home and meeting the rest of the household is that Jake was fine but looking a little worried, which is how he looked for the first couple days around here as well.  He's a solid dog, I think he will be fine. 

So I came home with two less dogs.  We will see how the placements go, but I'm hopeful for both. My doggie dealer was on the answering machine when I got home, calling about a lab/bloodhound that she's got.  At least it's not another shepherd. 

This pretty much says it all about Jake.