Introducing Abby

Abby is about 50 pounds of spitfire. She arrived from a North Carolina shelter on Saturday, happy to be out of that state and happy to be the newest foster with Promises Animal Rescue. She is probably about a year old and is still very much a puppy in her attitude and demeanor, but she's a pup who grew up tough. She can a bit overly defensive in her meeting with new dogs, especially if she's in a crate or on a leash, but she met all of the dogs around here without difficulty. Maya set her straight about who's in charge the moment I had my back turned. Lesson learned, no problem. Abby spent the night in a crate in the office between Sparky and Taz and seemed fine with that. She brings our total back up to an even number of 10 dogs. Most importantly, it appears that she may be the best playmate for the Beast.

Abby with her personal pilot, Frank.

Abby's ride from North Carolina. She arrived at the Louisa
airport Saturday afternoon.

She did well on the flight, but seemed happy
to be back on solid ground, celebrating
here with a roll in the grass.

A big thank you for helping her get out of N.C.

Meeting Samantha, who was not interested.

Meeting Gigi, who was also not interested in her.

The first thing she did in the dog yard was walk the perimeter
with Theo and Taz in tow.

They may not be close in size, but they are fairly close in age
and that means more when it comes to play compatibility. 

The Beast (Taz) has met his match.

She showed him some teeth and he jumped out of her way.

She may be the one who finally tames the Beast.

Taz doesn't care who chases who, he just wants to play.

She's got a bobbed tail, don't ask me why.
It looks like a North Carolina back yard
bob job. She might be a rottie mix. She
sort of has those colors and markings.

Happy smile, happy girl.

Dog sitting

Felix

I've mentioned before that one of our former fosters, Felix, lives just up the road from us, literally two doors away. His folks went on vacation so I've been dog sitting for Felix and his adoptive sister, Millie. They are nice people and nice dogs so I'm happy to do it. It's also been sort of a nice getaway for me this past week.

Millie

I go up in the morning, feed the dogs, and sit with a cup of coffee and watch the morning news while the dogs are outside. I go back around noon to let them out for a while. It's been really nice for most of this week and they have a screened in porch with a sofa that calls my name. I can't nap during the day, but I've spent a little time laying there in the warmth of the sun. I go back late afternoon, before dark, to feed again. The dogs go off into the woods and do their thing for a while, but they are pretty good about coming back when I call. If Felix comes back first, I tell him to go get Millie and he goes back out and then they both show up shortly after that. I go back up in the evening just before I'm going to bed because everyone needs to pee before going to bed for the night. They don't stay out too long before they come back in to collect their treats and go to bed. I eat my nightly dose of the neighbors' chocolate and head home to bed myself.

Our house is a mess with the kitchen project going on so it's been nice to get away to someplace so nearby yet so calm and serene in comparison. Plus, I can't ever sit and relax in my own house, there's always something that I should be doing. Even if I don't do it, it's hanging over my head.

Felix is a lot younger and a lot bigger, but they play nicely.

Kaya's Very Big Day

This is a nice, happy, smiley face.

I woke up at 4:00 a.m. because my schedule is messed up. I got up and started work though because I had a lot to do to before getting Kaya to her vet appointment at 9:00 a.m. The adopters met me there and sat in on the vet visit and exam. Kaya had gained about six pounds since her last vet visit. She tested negative for heartworms and her stool sample was free of parasites. She checked out all the way around and we scheduled her spay appointment for one day next week. The adopters filled out the Promises adoption contract and took her home.

She was bit nervous when we first arrived,
but she was good for the tests and exam.

She kept coming over to me for a
sense of security. I like that.

That was just the beginning of her day, of course. She was nervous with the new people so they stopped at a park and did a short walk, which she enjoyed. They went to a pet store and got her a new ID tag. They've walked more since getting her home, of course, and she finally collapsed for a much needed nap. She has met kids and a cat and did well with them all. They ran into Daphne's owner at a coffee shop in Crozet, who recognized Kaya from my blog.

Everything is new to Kaya. She came from a rural area and was comfortable with outdoor things but she knows nothing of life in the larger human world. They described her as cautious but inquisitive; both traits should serve her well.

I only had her since Saturday. It didn't
take either of us long to bond. She's a
very sweet girl.

Taz in the Pasture

Yes he needs room to run.

I've come down with a cold and feel like crap, but I took Taz and Theo out to romp in the pasture this afternoon. Taz couldn't care less about the ball, but he regards the game as a contact sport. Thank goodness that Theo is a big, solid shepherd and can hold his own.

He's eating 3-4 cups of food three times a day now. He's just going to get bigger. He's getting a little easier to handle, or else I'm getting stronger. Yesterday I let him run from the dog yard to the house without a leash and he came right to the door. I can't say that he would necessarily come when called, but if he thought you were interesting he would. Mostly he's getting accustomed to the household routine. He crates without resistance now and is good in there all night but he does want to be the first one out in the morning.

He's up for adoption through Green Dogs Unleashed. Don't kid yourself, he needs a fenced yard and someone committed to training, but at least he's receptive to it -- he loves any kind of attention. Ignoring this dog is impossible.