Monday, March 3, 2008

Update on Selena, Tulsa and Koda

Selena and Tulsa spent the day at PetSmart hoping to get adopted on Saturday. Although no one picked them to take home, we (Heartland) did get three puppies and one other dog adopted, so it was a very good day! And I didn't mind taking them back home with me - things are starting to settle down as the dogs get used to their new routine. I've heard how important routines are for dogs, and now I can attest to it myself. They are much calmer and quieter now that they know what to expect - when they get to eat, and when they get to go outside - and when playtime starts and ends. It definitely helps with the house-training too. As soon as I get them to quit chasing the poor cat, we'll be all set. ;-)

Selena is doing better every day. She's settled in quickly, and is very smart! At first she was always hyper and desparate for attention, but now she has calmed down quite a bit. She has almost completely quit jumping up on people, unless they aren't quick enough to pet her while she's sitting at their feet. :-) She listens very well and comes when called every time. We went for a hike and then to the dog park yesterday, and she had a great time with all of the other dogs. Selena is quickly becoming one of my favorites - she is very eager to please and gets along with other people and other dogs. I think she'll make a great and easy pet for someone.

Tulsa continues to be a source of entertainment and a challenge! She gets a lot of attention when we're out, due to her unique look and coloring. She looks a bit like a fox, and sometimes when she's playing, she'll get a sneaky look on her face and "stalk" her prey (one of the other dogs). Of course, as soon as she "catches" the other dog, she's ready to have them chase her! She loves to play tag, and its a lot of fun to watch. The challenge comes in due to her wanting to bark a lot -- she's very loud for such a little dog. :-) We're still working on that and she's starting to improve. I was a little worried on the hike yesterday, since she would bark at any dog that she saw. I wasn't sure how she'd do at the dog park -- barking dogs create "instability" and can precipitate dog fights. But when we got to the dog park area, she did great - no barking at all! I was very happy about that.

Koda made her first appearance at PetSmart on Saturday too. She's not ready to be adopted yet - she still needs to be spayed and get her second round of shots. But my husband brought her up for a short amount of time so I could introduce her to the other volunteers. Several people asked about her, so I hope that is a sign she will be adopted quickly when she is ready. I want her to find a great home before my husband and I decide we can't part with her! She is so cute, and loves to cuddle. My favorite thing with Koda is to watch her get stuck in our fence. Okay, I know, that's probably not something I should share - but its so darn cute!! I thought she was too big to fit through the fence, but a few days ago when I was in the garage and all the dogs were in the backyard, all of a sudden she appeared in front of me in the garage. That's how I learned she could in fact wriggle through the slats in the fence. So now she isn't in the backyard unless my husband or I am back there with her. Yesterday we spent several hours in the back yard enjoying the beautiful weather, and there were two occasions where she decided to stick her head through the slats -- and then couldn't go forward or backward! I helped her once I stopped laughing - next time I'll get a picture. :-)

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