Related Posts:
Throwback Thursday: Kaya's First Photo
Kaya's Adoption Story
A Year with Kaya
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Sunday, July 14, 2013
KAYA & NORMAN DO SAN FRANCISCO PRIDE!
Wow...of all the years I have lived in the SF area, this is the first year I have gone to pride! We had a blast and I can't wait to go again next year. I have brought the dogs to some events but nothing of this scale so I wasn't totally sure how they would handle it. I kept an eye out for any signs of stress but I should have known, they loved every minute of it! With all the commotion, loud music, helicopters, parade floats, marching bands, crowds of people, crazy costumes, people on stilts, fireworks and cheers...the dogs walked along like we were on any old walk around the block. About a year ago, Kaya would have flipped her lid with all the excitement. And as much as Norman acts like a nervous nelly at home and even in the car, nothing phases him when he's out and about. And of course what they loved most was all the attention they got from people.
We were too late to get a good spot to view the parade so we mostly walked along the route, checking out the floats as the went past.
One of my favorite things about the day was how friendly everyone was. Tons of people came up to say they had pit bulls too and show me pictures. A lot of people asked what breed they were and smiled when I said they were pit mixes. One lively group started to shout "Give Pit Bulls a break! We love Pit Bulls!" as we walked by. It amazed me that sometimes I go out and only run into 5 people and get a snotty comment while in the midst of a crowd of 1.5 million people, I did not hear one snide comment, muttering, gasp or anything. One girl was happy to give her entire bag of ice cubes to Kaya in return for some tricks.
I cannot believe how cool and calm the dogs were all day. We had to navigate through some very tight crowds where the only way to get through was to have them follow close behind me while there were people reaching out and petting them from all angles, but the hardest part is that they wanted to turn around and greet everyone that petted them. One girl even tapped me on the back and asked me if the dogs were in training. I said we are always working on things but not specifically. She said she was impressed that they were paying such close attention!
There were 2 really shocking things that I saw throughout the day. Forget naked people and outrageous outfits, forget dirty dancing and drunken displays of affection...the craziest thing to me was a lady with a cat. Not just any cat, but a cat in a stroller all dressed up with a woman who was extremely obsessed with the 4th of July. The dogs saw the cat and they were intrigued but calm and kept their distance though the cat was hissing like crazy, understandably. I led the dogs away from the cat as the lady rambled on and on to me about the 4th of July and tried to get the dogs to come closer to the cat. I nodded and used it as an opportunity to get some pictures.
The next crazy thing I saw was an off leash dog. Now the dog was no bother to us. Kaya & Norman were lying down as it marched up to us, but they have no issues with new dogs or surprise greetings and it was a friendly little dog so they all exchanged sniffs and it left, but I could not believe that someone would think it was a good idea to let a dog dodge through dozens of people across a 30-foot sidewalk toward a parade route to jump in the middle of 2 unknown large dogs. The guy had another little dog on a flexi-lead that nearly tripped several people as it tried to join us too.
After the parade, there was a huge festival with tons of live music, djs and food where we checked out a lot of fun entertainment.
After a while, the dogs really started to get beat so we got something to eat and Kaya passed out on my feet while Norman rested in the shade behind us. Kaya soon got too hot and I told her to go in the shade also. She agreed that it was a good idea and turned Norman into her personal pillow.
When we started to head back to the car, the dogs felt rejuvenated when tons of new people took interest in them. The only bit of attention that was too much for them was when some guy tried to put sunglasses on Norman. I was about to say you shouldn't do that but Norman backed up and that was the end of it. And the next thing you know, Norman spun around and covered the guy's face in kisses, something they both really enjoyed. No grudges held! In fact, Norman kissed a whole lot of faces. One guy said it was the best kiss he had all day. Another rather flamboyant guy said, "Oh no! Too much cute, waaay too much cute!" And we had to laugh because that is word for word something I say all the time, haha.
So all in all it was an amazing day and bringing the dogs made it all the more fun because we got to meet and talk to so many more people than we normally would have. We did do some things right like bring plenty of water and a portable bowl for the dogs, plus treats and poop bags. I bathed the dogs in the morning and put sunscreen on them, but not enough on me! Though I have some ideas of how to make it even better next year. I would love to come earlier and get a spot by the side so we can actually see the parade and after that it would be nice to set up a blanket with drinks and snacks on the grass to listen to music. And I did not have enough time to get cool costumes together for them like Miss M & Mr B but maybe next year!
Last but not least, here is a picture of Norman totally confused by this guy...
I think he would have stood there all day trying to figure it out!
Related Posts:
Kaya & Norman Celebrate the 4th!
Wordless Wednesday: Be Free...
Peaks & Paws Dog Festival
Our Pit Bull Awareness Day
We were too late to get a good spot to view the parade so we mostly walked along the route, checking out the floats as the went past.
 |
| I think Norman found a spot with a peephole to the parade:-) |
One of my favorite things about the day was how friendly everyone was. Tons of people came up to say they had pit bulls too and show me pictures. A lot of people asked what breed they were and smiled when I said they were pit mixes. One lively group started to shout "Give Pit Bulls a break! We love Pit Bulls!" as we walked by. It amazed me that sometimes I go out and only run into 5 people and get a snotty comment while in the midst of a crowd of 1.5 million people, I did not hear one snide comment, muttering, gasp or anything. One girl was happy to give her entire bag of ice cubes to Kaya in return for some tricks.
I cannot believe how cool and calm the dogs were all day. We had to navigate through some very tight crowds where the only way to get through was to have them follow close behind me while there were people reaching out and petting them from all angles, but the hardest part is that they wanted to turn around and greet everyone that petted them. One girl even tapped me on the back and asked me if the dogs were in training. I said we are always working on things but not specifically. She said she was impressed that they were paying such close attention!
There were 2 really shocking things that I saw throughout the day. Forget naked people and outrageous outfits, forget dirty dancing and drunken displays of affection...the craziest thing to me was a lady with a cat. Not just any cat, but a cat in a stroller all dressed up with a woman who was extremely obsessed with the 4th of July. The dogs saw the cat and they were intrigued but calm and kept their distance though the cat was hissing like crazy, understandably. I led the dogs away from the cat as the lady rambled on and on to me about the 4th of July and tried to get the dogs to come closer to the cat. I nodded and used it as an opportunity to get some pictures.
The next crazy thing I saw was an off leash dog. Now the dog was no bother to us. Kaya & Norman were lying down as it marched up to us, but they have no issues with new dogs or surprise greetings and it was a friendly little dog so they all exchanged sniffs and it left, but I could not believe that someone would think it was a good idea to let a dog dodge through dozens of people across a 30-foot sidewalk toward a parade route to jump in the middle of 2 unknown large dogs. The guy had another little dog on a flexi-lead that nearly tripped several people as it tried to join us too.
After the parade, there was a huge festival with tons of live music, djs and food where we checked out a lot of fun entertainment.
After a while, the dogs really started to get beat so we got something to eat and Kaya passed out on my feet while Norman rested in the shade behind us. Kaya soon got too hot and I told her to go in the shade also. She agreed that it was a good idea and turned Norman into her personal pillow.
When we started to head back to the car, the dogs felt rejuvenated when tons of new people took interest in them. The only bit of attention that was too much for them was when some guy tried to put sunglasses on Norman. I was about to say you shouldn't do that but Norman backed up and that was the end of it. And the next thing you know, Norman spun around and covered the guy's face in kisses, something they both really enjoyed. No grudges held! In fact, Norman kissed a whole lot of faces. One guy said it was the best kiss he had all day. Another rather flamboyant guy said, "Oh no! Too much cute, waaay too much cute!" And we had to laugh because that is word for word something I say all the time, haha.
So all in all it was an amazing day and bringing the dogs made it all the more fun because we got to meet and talk to so many more people than we normally would have. We did do some things right like bring plenty of water and a portable bowl for the dogs, plus treats and poop bags. I bathed the dogs in the morning and put sunscreen on them, but not enough on me! Though I have some ideas of how to make it even better next year. I would love to come earlier and get a spot by the side so we can actually see the parade and after that it would be nice to set up a blanket with drinks and snacks on the grass to listen to music. And I did not have enough time to get cool costumes together for them like Miss M & Mr B but maybe next year!
Last but not least, here is a picture of Norman totally confused by this guy...
I think he would have stood there all day trying to figure it out!
Related Posts:
Kaya & Norman Celebrate the 4th!
Wordless Wednesday: Be Free...
Peaks & Paws Dog Festival
Our Pit Bull Awareness Day
Thursday, July 11, 2013
KAYA & NORMAN CELEBRATE THE 4TH!
Kaya and Norman have never shown a fear of fireworks noises and they have been going off regularly for the whole month prior to the 4th. So when I found out there would be a display at our favorite park, I couldn't resist bringing them along.
It was a bit surreal when they blocked off the roads that we are so used to driving on and instead they were filled with people. For some reason, it reminded me of The Walking Dead. The park is at the Berkeley Marina which is a peninsula and everyone was gathering on one side for viewing where there was also music, food and carnival rides but the off leash dog park is on the other side so of course we headed over there since I had at least an hour to let them play before the fireworks.
Kaya, of course, chased a million tennis balls. Well, she chased her tennis ball a million times and Norman found some new friends to play with. One of them was a super cute Kaya look-alike and the other one was a buff tan pittie who was a ball fiend like Kaya.
As we walked around the park, I realized that there were people gathering on the hill so we decided to stay on this side to watch the fireworks instead of going to other crazier side. We grabbed a spot on the hill and while we were waiting we could see the fireworks on the San Francisco side across the water which was cool. Kaya and Norman got in the spirit and put on their glow necklaces.
As soon as the fireworks started on our side, I realized I had very little to worry about with the dogs being bothered by the fireworks. Kaya passed out with her head on my legs and Norman passed the time by playing with the ball, sitting on our laps getting his butt scratched and giving us kisses. He even watched a little bit of the display. After it was over, Kaya was happy to chase her ball again back across the park.
The walk back to the car was pretty entertaining. Some people set up a large drum circle in the middle of the blocked off road and there were tons of people weirdly dancing to it. It was quite the range from little kids(one was an amazing break-dancer!) to washed-up hippies flailing their arms around to bootie-shakin' ladies and some awkward college guys sort of club dancing. We watched for a few minutes and we had our fill.
Overall, I think the event was a bit of a let down for the dogs. After having gone to SF Pride a few days earlier where they were spoiled with so much attention, this time they only had a couple people come up to pet them. Norman was certainly miffed and confused. Though Kaya had one guy memorized by her knack for catching tennis balls in the air. But at least I know they don't mind fireworks!
What did you do to celebrate? How did your dogs handle the fireworks?
Related Posts:
Happy 4th of July!!!
Kaya & Norman Do San Francisco Pride!
Wordless Wednesday: Happy New Year!
Thanksgiving: Kaya & Norman Style
How We Do Labor Day
It was a bit surreal when they blocked off the roads that we are so used to driving on and instead they were filled with people. For some reason, it reminded me of The Walking Dead. The park is at the Berkeley Marina which is a peninsula and everyone was gathering on one side for viewing where there was also music, food and carnival rides but the off leash dog park is on the other side so of course we headed over there since I had at least an hour to let them play before the fireworks.
Kaya, of course, chased a million tennis balls. Well, she chased her tennis ball a million times and Norman found some new friends to play with. One of them was a super cute Kaya look-alike and the other one was a buff tan pittie who was a ball fiend like Kaya.
As we walked around the park, I realized that there were people gathering on the hill so we decided to stay on this side to watch the fireworks instead of going to other crazier side. We grabbed a spot on the hill and while we were waiting we could see the fireworks on the San Francisco side across the water which was cool. Kaya and Norman got in the spirit and put on their glow necklaces.
As soon as the fireworks started on our side, I realized I had very little to worry about with the dogs being bothered by the fireworks. Kaya passed out with her head on my legs and Norman passed the time by playing with the ball, sitting on our laps getting his butt scratched and giving us kisses. He even watched a little bit of the display. After it was over, Kaya was happy to chase her ball again back across the park.
The walk back to the car was pretty entertaining. Some people set up a large drum circle in the middle of the blocked off road and there were tons of people weirdly dancing to it. It was quite the range from little kids(one was an amazing break-dancer!) to washed-up hippies flailing their arms around to bootie-shakin' ladies and some awkward college guys sort of club dancing. We watched for a few minutes and we had our fill.
Overall, I think the event was a bit of a let down for the dogs. After having gone to SF Pride a few days earlier where they were spoiled with so much attention, this time they only had a couple people come up to pet them. Norman was certainly miffed and confused. Though Kaya had one guy memorized by her knack for catching tennis balls in the air. But at least I know they don't mind fireworks!
 |
| Norman wants to know where the love is :-( |
What did you do to celebrate? How did your dogs handle the fireworks?
Related Posts:
Happy 4th of July!!!
Kaya & Norman Do San Francisco Pride!
Wordless Wednesday: Happy New Year!
Thanksgiving: Kaya & Norman Style
How We Do Labor Day
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
Thursday, July 4, 2013
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Friday, June 21, 2013
THE PERFECT DOG
As some of you may have read last week, I've been struggling to work with my friend on acclimating Sophie to our house. It's really a combination of her strong instincts, my sensitive kitty, our changing living situation and trying to get my friend to do the things she needs to with Sophie that's not working. So I had to come to a very difficult decision last week that it just wasn't working out. Though she was behaving fairly well on her tie-down, I felt that her prey drive was just too strong to trust around Gina in the long run. I think even if we got them to the point that they could co-exist, what about the day that Gina would play with her toy or chase a shadow across the room and Sophie would go right back to her instincts and Gina would be right back at square one. More likely, since she is an indoor/outdoor kitty, she'd just become a permanent resident of the neighbor's bushes to avoid all contact. This is basically what she has done in the weeks since Sophie's arrival. Even with Sophie in the crate, I have to carry Gina across the room to her food dish and she often comes meowing at the door but leaves before I get the chance to open it.
We tried giving her food and treats to reward her for being around Sophie but her nerves took over and she threw them up right away on several occasions. I try to remember that cats are a lot more primal than dogs and you can't really reason with them the way that you can with dogs. If her survival instinct is telling her to run and hide, that's what she's going to do. And there are so many big changes coming up for her. We are going to my parent's house for a month and then to our new house. Both places will be new and exciting for her and I'd hate for her to start out in total fear. It breaks my heart to watch my happy outgoing kitty that I have carefully raised from 5 weeks old to be social, friendly and loving to be in a constant state of wide-eyed panic.
But it also breaks my heart to ask my friend to let go of her dog. I know she's only had her for a few months but it's easy to become attached to a dog overnight. As I mentioned at the end of my last post, my friend said that she had been living with her friend and her friend's young son for a month before she left Colorado. When it was time for her to leave, they were desperate for her to leave Sophie with them. The little boy adored running around the house with Sophie joyfully jogging along behind him and my friend said that she never saw Sophie so happy and carefree. My friend was really on the fence about it but ultimately decided to bring Sophie with her. Though I had told her from the first day she brought Sophie home that it would be a gamble bringing her so far and if it didn't work out for everyone, Gina included, we would have to come up with another option. She agreed and said it was worth a shot.
It took me a week to get up the courage to talk to my friend about it. Of course, it was one of the worst conversations I have ever had, but I tried to tell her that she did an amazing thing rescuing this dog and she would have a long happy life with her friend and she could always check in on her this way. I also explained that as much as it wasn't fair to Gina, it wasn't fair to Sophie either to always be on her case about something that is so natural to her.
The hardest part was that my friend was really sure that it would be easier and better once we got to my parent's house because Gina will have to stay inside and this would, in a way, force her to get used to Sophie. I told her that it would actually be so so much worse because Gina has been there before and being kept indoors, she spends much of the day chasing her toys, frantically sprinting around the house and dive-bombing into boxes and paper bags to keep herself busy. Plus the whole living space is open plan and so there would be no way to separate them unless one was in a bedroom. With bad separation anxiety, I don't think Sophie would cope well with that. She doesn't even like being on the other side of an open door from you. And in all reality I think Gina would just choose to spend the whole time under a bed or in a corner anyways. Maybe if Gina was a tougher cat and would just turn around and swat at Sophie instead of running away, things would turn around, but that's just not her.
After all that, we were quiet for a while as I let her think things over. After a few minutes, she looked up at me in tears and said that her friend had responded to her text asking if she'd still want Sophie and she replied that she'd be more than happy to take her. After the initial shock of it all, I think my friend handled it really well and although the next couple days were bittersweet, I think she felt too that it was the right thing to do for all of us. I could be all wrong, but I feel like at least subconsciously, her resistance to committing to a training and exercise schedule with Sophie was her way of dealing with being overwhelmed by the whole thing including financially, time-wise once she would be working full time and trying to get her behavior to change so drastically to live with a cat. I really think she loved the idea of having a dog, of getting kisses and cuddles(which Sophie was not actually into), of being greeted when she got home and of going on a nice bike ride or hike once in a while, but was not ready for the actual day in and day out responsibility.
I also know that she loves this dog and wants only the best for her and I know that feeling of wanting so badly to save a dog and make sure every day that they are safe and happy. It really reminds me of my experience with Shaka. I wanted so desperately to keep her forever and once that dream was crushed, I was devastated. I felt like I had failed her and she would never feel confident in another home. But once I found her forever momma, it was such an amazing feeling. I watched with pride as she walked away, knowing that she was on her way to a lifetime of happiness and I had a hand in that. I also felt relief that the time, expense and worry that she brought me every day was lifted. In my heart I wanted to keep her but in my mind I knew it was too much for us. I told my friend the whole story and I think it really rang true with her.
So even though I offered to make airplane arrangements to fly Sophie back to Colorado, my friend took the initiative and found her a ride with a friend of a friend driving back there 2 days later. And once Sophie was there with her new family, I saw this most tear-jerking post on my friend's facebook wall by Sophie's new momma:
Ashley: Meet Sophie the Adventure Dog! The newest member of our little family ❤ My heart is happy.
John: Is she Hyper?
Ashley: No John, she is perfect! So well behaved, very chill, but happy to run around the yard and play with Trevor. She's a dream :)
Jen: This made me cry. Black lab mixes are my weakness. ❤
Ashley: Well I'll bring her over so you can meet her Jen :) you will fall in love.
Bret: Aw she looks just like my pointer!
Ashley: We should introduce them so they can be friends
Bret: Come play sweet pup!
John: The reason I ask is that I had a friend who had a small lab, & she was really full of energy!
Ashley: John, I had a yellow lab years ago who was also FULL of energy. Sophie knows when to play and when to chill. I'm tellin' ya, she is the perfect doggie.
This conversation really made me think, as much as we want to believe we can train each and every dog to be the dog we want them to be or even need them to be for our situation, sometimes it's unfair to ask them to live a life of feeling like the are always doing the wrong thing for following their instincts. Every dog is the perfect dog for someone. Sophie will always be a good girl now and that little boy will grow up loving a dog and as for my friend, she is doing very well with it all. It helps that she truly loves the company of Kaya and Norman, soaking up their daily doses of kisses and cuddles.
Another way I knew that I made the right decision was when I had to go out for a few hours after Sophie left and when I returned, Gina sat on the fence meowing away to say hello. At that moment I realized that she had not done that once in all the time that Sophie was here. And there were so many little things that came rushing back to me as soon as I walked up the steps and she reminded me that she had stopped doing. She gave me her trademark greeting by stretching up my leg(no claws) and tapping her paws as high as she could reach 'til I picked her up and gave her a pet, some scratching and a kiss while her kitty motorboat turned on all the way up. I put her down and she pranced through the door and jumped onto Norman, purring away and once again attempting to nurse from his lips. Then she jumped down, rubbed back and forth on my leg, begged for some snacks and darted across the room after her toy. Once I sat down, she planted herself on my lap, purring away and got lots of face scratching in. After that, she must have slept for a least a day in her favorite spot curled up between Kaya and Norman. And so now that Gina is back to her old self, my friend is getting to know her really well and is getting a huge kick out of her silly ways. Gina also now gives my friend her trademark greeting:)
It is such a nice feeling to know that my friend is not going to hold any of this against me, the dogs or Gina. I know now that our friendship is strong enough to overcome a difficult situation like this and I really value that. And thanks for all the great advice and support you guys gave me in my previous posts. Even though it didn't work for Sophie to stay in our home, she really learned a lot in a short time and I think it'll really stick with her. I learned so much and I'll definitely refer to your suggestions for future dogs we might have in the house!
Related Posts:
Sophie Girl
Do I Take You for Granted?
Wordless Wednesday: At the Park with Sophie
 |
| She tries to relax but she always leaves after a minute or two:( |
We tried giving her food and treats to reward her for being around Sophie but her nerves took over and she threw them up right away on several occasions. I try to remember that cats are a lot more primal than dogs and you can't really reason with them the way that you can with dogs. If her survival instinct is telling her to run and hide, that's what she's going to do. And there are so many big changes coming up for her. We are going to my parent's house for a month and then to our new house. Both places will be new and exciting for her and I'd hate for her to start out in total fear. It breaks my heart to watch my happy outgoing kitty that I have carefully raised from 5 weeks old to be social, friendly and loving to be in a constant state of wide-eyed panic.
 |
| Gina's first day with us :-) |
But it also breaks my heart to ask my friend to let go of her dog. I know she's only had her for a few months but it's easy to become attached to a dog overnight. As I mentioned at the end of my last post, my friend said that she had been living with her friend and her friend's young son for a month before she left Colorado. When it was time for her to leave, they were desperate for her to leave Sophie with them. The little boy adored running around the house with Sophie joyfully jogging along behind him and my friend said that she never saw Sophie so happy and carefree. My friend was really on the fence about it but ultimately decided to bring Sophie with her. Though I had told her from the first day she brought Sophie home that it would be a gamble bringing her so far and if it didn't work out for everyone, Gina included, we would have to come up with another option. She agreed and said it was worth a shot.
It took me a week to get up the courage to talk to my friend about it. Of course, it was one of the worst conversations I have ever had, but I tried to tell her that she did an amazing thing rescuing this dog and she would have a long happy life with her friend and she could always check in on her this way. I also explained that as much as it wasn't fair to Gina, it wasn't fair to Sophie either to always be on her case about something that is so natural to her.
The hardest part was that my friend was really sure that it would be easier and better once we got to my parent's house because Gina will have to stay inside and this would, in a way, force her to get used to Sophie. I told her that it would actually be so so much worse because Gina has been there before and being kept indoors, she spends much of the day chasing her toys, frantically sprinting around the house and dive-bombing into boxes and paper bags to keep herself busy. Plus the whole living space is open plan and so there would be no way to separate them unless one was in a bedroom. With bad separation anxiety, I don't think Sophie would cope well with that. She doesn't even like being on the other side of an open door from you. And in all reality I think Gina would just choose to spend the whole time under a bed or in a corner anyways. Maybe if Gina was a tougher cat and would just turn around and swat at Sophie instead of running away, things would turn around, but that's just not her.
 |
| Gina @ Tahoe last year |
After all that, we were quiet for a while as I let her think things over. After a few minutes, she looked up at me in tears and said that her friend had responded to her text asking if she'd still want Sophie and she replied that she'd be more than happy to take her. After the initial shock of it all, I think my friend handled it really well and although the next couple days were bittersweet, I think she felt too that it was the right thing to do for all of us. I could be all wrong, but I feel like at least subconsciously, her resistance to committing to a training and exercise schedule with Sophie was her way of dealing with being overwhelmed by the whole thing including financially, time-wise once she would be working full time and trying to get her behavior to change so drastically to live with a cat. I really think she loved the idea of having a dog, of getting kisses and cuddles(which Sophie was not actually into), of being greeted when she got home and of going on a nice bike ride or hike once in a while, but was not ready for the actual day in and day out responsibility.
I also know that she loves this dog and wants only the best for her and I know that feeling of wanting so badly to save a dog and make sure every day that they are safe and happy. It really reminds me of my experience with Shaka. I wanted so desperately to keep her forever and once that dream was crushed, I was devastated. I felt like I had failed her and she would never feel confident in another home. But once I found her forever momma, it was such an amazing feeling. I watched with pride as she walked away, knowing that she was on her way to a lifetime of happiness and I had a hand in that. I also felt relief that the time, expense and worry that she brought me every day was lifted. In my heart I wanted to keep her but in my mind I knew it was too much for us. I told my friend the whole story and I think it really rang true with her.
 |
| Shaka was so attached to Kaya & Norman, I worried that she would never be okay without them. |
 |
| This was after she spent 2 weeks with her new momma...now that's a happy dog! |
So even though I offered to make airplane arrangements to fly Sophie back to Colorado, my friend took the initiative and found her a ride with a friend of a friend driving back there 2 days later. And once Sophie was there with her new family, I saw this most tear-jerking post on my friend's facebook wall by Sophie's new momma:
Ashley: Meet Sophie the Adventure Dog! The newest member of our little family ❤ My heart is happy.
John: Is she Hyper?
Ashley: No John, she is perfect! So well behaved, very chill, but happy to run around the yard and play with Trevor. She's a dream :)
Jen: This made me cry. Black lab mixes are my weakness. ❤
Ashley: Well I'll bring her over so you can meet her Jen :) you will fall in love.
Bret: Aw she looks just like my pointer!
Ashley: We should introduce them so they can be friends
Bret: Come play sweet pup!
John: The reason I ask is that I had a friend who had a small lab, & she was really full of energy!
Ashley: John, I had a yellow lab years ago who was also FULL of energy. Sophie knows when to play and when to chill. I'm tellin' ya, she is the perfect doggie.
This conversation really made me think, as much as we want to believe we can train each and every dog to be the dog we want them to be or even need them to be for our situation, sometimes it's unfair to ask them to live a life of feeling like the are always doing the wrong thing for following their instincts. Every dog is the perfect dog for someone. Sophie will always be a good girl now and that little boy will grow up loving a dog and as for my friend, she is doing very well with it all. It helps that she truly loves the company of Kaya and Norman, soaking up their daily doses of kisses and cuddles.
Another way I knew that I made the right decision was when I had to go out for a few hours after Sophie left and when I returned, Gina sat on the fence meowing away to say hello. At that moment I realized that she had not done that once in all the time that Sophie was here. And there were so many little things that came rushing back to me as soon as I walked up the steps and she reminded me that she had stopped doing. She gave me her trademark greeting by stretching up my leg(no claws) and tapping her paws as high as she could reach 'til I picked her up and gave her a pet, some scratching and a kiss while her kitty motorboat turned on all the way up. I put her down and she pranced through the door and jumped onto Norman, purring away and once again attempting to nurse from his lips. Then she jumped down, rubbed back and forth on my leg, begged for some snacks and darted across the room after her toy. Once I sat down, she planted herself on my lap, purring away and got lots of face scratching in. After that, she must have slept for a least a day in her favorite spot curled up between Kaya and Norman. And so now that Gina is back to her old self, my friend is getting to know her really well and is getting a huge kick out of her silly ways. Gina also now gives my friend her trademark greeting:)
 |
| I took this picture right when I got home, she was so relaxed and happy! |
 |
| It doesn't matter if you've been gone 5 minute or 5 hours, this is how Gina says hello :-) |
It is such a nice feeling to know that my friend is not going to hold any of this against me, the dogs or Gina. I know now that our friendship is strong enough to overcome a difficult situation like this and I really value that. And thanks for all the great advice and support you guys gave me in my previous posts. Even though it didn't work for Sophie to stay in our home, she really learned a lot in a short time and I think it'll really stick with her. I learned so much and I'll definitely refer to your suggestions for future dogs we might have in the house!
Related Posts:
Sophie Girl
Do I Take You for Granted?
Wordless Wednesday: At the Park with Sophie
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)