Wordless Wednesday

Happy....

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Happy... (and shaved!)

Grumpy.

Foster Updates; Introducing Teddy

I've been very busy the past few weeks, so now I have a lot to share!  In no particular order, here are some recent happenings:

* Harry the American Bulldog/Lab mix went to a foster-to-adopt home.  This is a great option for someone who is not sure if they're ready for a dog or who wants some time to make sure the dog will work with their household.  They foster the dog, and if it works well, they adopt the dog, and if it doesn't work well they either keep fostering until the dog is adopted or return the dog to his original foster home.  I am hopeful that Harry will do very well in his new foster home.

* Maddie the Australian Shepherd went to another foster home who fell in love with her when they saw her.  Maddie has had her surgery and is now recovering.  She was able to keep her leg (there was some concern that they may have to remove it) and will now be able to run and walk without being in pain.  She's doing great in her new foster home and quickly learning all about living in a home and being spoiled.

* All of the Beagle/Shih Tzu/Brussels Griffon puppies have been adopted.

* Roxy the pit bull has had two adoption applications on her this week.  One family lives in a city that requires a six foot fence for pit bulls, which they do not have.  The other lives in a city that doesn't allow pit bulls.  So Roxy is still stuck with me, but neither of us are complaining.  Today she takes her Canine Good Citizen test.

* Tulsa the deaf Australian Cattle Dog and Noelle, my deaf pit bull, have both started beginning agility class.  And Ziggy has started intermediate agility class.  Everyone seems to be enjoying themselves.

* Yesterday's adoption event was very slow so we packed up early and four of us went to a nearby shelter and pulled four dogs that were out of time.  They are all what we call "foo foo" dogs - small, fluffy, easily adoptable breeds.  We took a Shih Tzu, a Lhasa Apso, a Pekingese and a Poodle.  I got the Poodle.  At least I think it's a poodle.  You decide...

Poodle?

Or mop with a pink tongue?

He does have eyes under there, and he can see through all that hair, believe it or not.  I named him Teddy, and he fits right in here.  I say that, because he has separation anxiety just like Morgan, and he cries nonstop if I leave the room without him.  He also jumps in little circles when he is happy, and he seems to be housetrained, and he does great with the other dogs and the cats.

Bunny, Morgan and Teddy

The first thing I did when I got him home was to give him a bath, because he was rather smelly after being in the shelter for two weeks.  He will be groomed as soon as possible, and I think then he'll look like a whole different dog.  Although I have to admit I kind of like the "mop" look.

No More Cats

I prefer to foster dogs.  I've been trying for years to give up fostering cats and focus solely on dogs.  I would like to say that I've finally succeeded.  I would like to say that, but it's not true.  Because currently at my house are six foster cats who are pretty sure they own the place.  And although I don't talk about them much, I thought maybe if I wrote about them on my blog, someone out there would want to adopt one of these wonderful, fantastic, absolutely perfect cats.  Really, they are.

I've introduced Belle to you before.  She's a very sweet front declawed cat who does well with other cats and is a great companion.  She would love a quiet home with someone who would give her a lot of attention.   She's very calm and laid-back and loves to sit on laps and purr.

Next is Pogo, a five year old gray tabby cat.  He is very outgoing and loves everyone he meets.  He is great with other cats, and he loves dogs. I introduced him to Roxy, my foster pit bull, and he immediately walked up to her and started rubbing his head against her.  He does this all the time now, and she gives him baths with her tongue.  He would do great in an active, loud, noisy household with a lot going on.

Then there is Junior.  If anyone wants to adopt a cat that sneezes constantly, this is the cat for you.  Junior has some kind of sneezing issue.  He's been through every test known to veterinarians and no one can figure out what is up with him. He had his nose checked to see if something was stuck in it - nope.  He has been allergy tested and tried on different diets and different environmental factors with no luck. He's been on all sorts of medicines with no luck. So he's not really adoptable (unless you want a cat who sneezes a lot!) but he's staying here temporarily until he goes back to his other foster home.  He gets along well with other cats and with the dogs.  He's front declawed.  He's rather independent and doesn't seek out attention.  If you want a cat who you hardly notice except when you hear him sneezing, this is the cat for you.

This is Thomas.  He was at a local shelter and tested positive for FIV, just like Belle, so I brought him home.  He's a very friendly cat.  He's great with the other cats and he is very, very affectionate.  He also has a giant head.  I'm still learning more about how he is with dogs and what kind of home would be best for him, but if you want a rather large cat with a big head and a squeaky voice, he's your guy.

This is Kona. Or Kimba. I can't tell them apart.  I originally had them when they were kittens, and they were adopted out together.  The family who adopted them decided they couldn't keep them, and they gave them away to someone else.  Those people either lost them or gave them away or something, because they were turned in to a shelter today by someone who said they found them.  So now they're safely back home with me, and we'll try to find them better families this time!  Kona and Kimba are very sweet and affectionate.  They're typical kittens (around five months old) and love to play.  If you want to add a cute and loving kitten to your home, Kona or Kimba might be a perfect fit!


So that's it for my foster cats.  Which one would you like?

Introducing Morgan

I walked into the animal shelter with plans to talk to one of the workers about a cat, and then get out.  I had six foster dogs at home, and no interest in adding to that number.  But of course it's very difficult, if not impossible, for a dog rescuer to enter an animal shelter and NOT look at the dogs.  So I decided to just walk through and say hi to them - nothing more.  There was a beautiful red pit bull there, appropriately named "Red".  He lay by the door, looking quietly at me.  He looked sad, and he didn't get up or bark or do anything but look at me with big eyes that looked hopeless.  I had just found out that my work was going to be laying off people at the end of the year, and I was one of the people who would be cut, so I was just as sad as he was.  His family had gone to a homeless shelter and had to turn him in to the animal shelter.  He felt even more lost than I did at that moment.  So I felt an instant connection to him.  Still, I have Ziggy and Roxy, both pit bull fosters, and it would be very tough to bring in another big dog right now, so I kept walking and greeting all the dogs.  Then I stopped back by the office and let them know that if Red ran out of time, to please contact me first.  Like most shelters and rescues in the area (and all over the country), pit bulls are very difficult to adopt out.  I don't know if I'll be able to save Red even if they contact me, but I couldn't just leave him there without doing something.  If Roxy or Ziggy (ha) gets adopted then Red will be the first pit bull I will try to save.  As it was, as I talked to the manager about Red, she told me about another dog that was out of time right then.  This dog was a puggle. Puggles are a designer mix of a Pug and a Beagle.  They're not my favorite breeds, and our group already had two Puggles available for adoption, so I immediately thought I'd be able to say no.  I wasn't looking for a new foster dog, and especially not another problem dog.  As sad as it was that this dog was out of options, I have to say no to dogs that are out of options every day, so this one would be no different.  Then she showed me the puggle.  And I sighed.  Because the puggle was so extraordinarily cute and happy to see us.  She jumped in the air, and ran in circles, and smiled a giant smile.  And she cheered me up and made me forget all my problems.  And I couldn't walk away.  I asked about the reason she was out of time, and they explained that she had separation anxiety.  Many dogs have this to some degree, including my foster dog Roxy, so I wasn't too concerned.  But the reason they weren't making her available for adoption anymore was because she'd already been adopted and returned.  And adopted again and returned.  Then a third time.  And a fourth.  After the fourth return, they said they couldn't keep doing that to her.  Obviously her separation anxiety issues were pretty severe, and not something they were able to work with in a shelter environment.  But the only complaint the last owners had made when they returned her was that she barked nonstop when they left and the neighbors had complained.  I live in the country and have no close neighbors, so I said okay, I'll take her and see what I can do.  

I took her to my mom's house and kid-tested her with my young niece and nephews.  She did great!  Then I took her home and cat tested her - passed with flying colors.  Then a slower introduction to the other dogs, and again, she was perfect.  Then after she was settled in and comfortable, we performed the first test of her separation anxiety.  I put her in a wire crate with a bed, some water, and a couple of toys.  I sat down on the couch in the next room where she could still see me, and I ignored her as she barked and cried.  This went on for awhile, and I wasn't looking at her because I didn't want to encourage the barking.  Suddenly I realized the barking sounded closer.  I looked over, and she was out of her crate and standing behind the baby gate, still trying to get to me.  So I investigated and this is what I found:

 Somehow she'd managed to bend out the wires in the top of the crate and crawl out.  I was amazed.  She then proceeded to jump over the three foot high baby gate to get to me.  I was even more amazed.  So I named her Morgan after the famous female escape artist.  Because if the human Morgan ever needs an assistant, I think puggle Morgan is the one for her!

I have had to leave Morgan a couple of times since she arrived, and have found a plastic crate that so far she has not figured out how to escape from.  She does continue to bark while I'm gone, but I've received some helpful advice from some Facebook friends and I don't think her separation anxiety is anything too serious.  We'll keep working on it and I'll try to find her a permanent home with someone who is able to also work with her, and is home most of the time to make it as easy on her as possible.  Until then, I guess she's my therapy dog, because it's hard to be sad when you have a dog who looks at you like this:

Introducing Harry

Harry before rescue

When Harry first came into rescue, he was a very sad sight.  He
was very skinny, and he'd lost all of his hair due to bacterial and fungal infections.  His ears were infected, his skin was awful, and he was a miserable guy.  But his foster mom took him in and nursed him back to health. She named him Harry in hopes that someday he would become hairy again, and she fattened him up and took care of all the infections with medicine and special baths.  It was a lot of work, but by the time she was done with him, he no longer looked like the same dog.

Harry 

He's now gained 30 pounds, grown out all his hair, and is feeling great.  He's good with kids, ignores cats, and is fine with calm dogs.  Unfortunately his foster home has a foster dog named Toby.  It's the same Toby that visits here periodically.  Toby is anything but calm.  And Harry had a hard time adjusting to Toby's energy level, so it was decided that perhaps one of them should be moved to a different foster home.  I immediately volunteered to take Harry, because my foster dogs are so very calm and laid back.  Stop laughing.  I wasn't talking about Ziggy.  Or Roxy.  Or Tulsa. I was talking about my OTHER foster dogs.  Okay fine, my foster dogs aren't calm and laid back, but no one else had room for Harry, so I brought him home anyway.  And although he hasn't met Ziggy yet, he's doing great with the rest of the crew.  He has picked out his favorite spot on the couch.  Fortunately this is not the same couch that is usually occupied by me, Roxy, Tulsa, and one or more cats.  Because it's really getting crowded on this couch.  

Harry is an American Bulldog/Labrador Retriever mix.  He's four years old, and he loves to play fetch.  He also enjoys playing tug with Roxy, and letting Tulsa herd him.  Even though he towers over the other dogs (he weighs 91 pounds), he is very gentle with the little dogs, and never chases the cats.   I think he's going to fit in fine around here!

Ziggy Redecorates

I had such good intentions.  Ziggy spends most of his time in his crate, because he can't be trusted alone with other pets.  I can't leave him alone in the house even when there are no other pets, because he has a history of chewing boxes, breaking glass, counter surfing, and helping with chores.  Since Ziggy does not like to be outside alone, I decided to give him his own room in the house.  A room that had been stripped of all decorations, furniture, and even most of the baseboards.  Surely this would be a safe place for Ziggy to hang out and have a little bit more room.  I originally had used the room for foster cats, so my husband had put down a vinyl floor for easy cleaning, and I'd filled the room with cat trees, toys, litter boxes, and everything a cat could want.  Except it wasn't everything a cat could want.  I currently have four cats living in my house, and all four have migrated from the cat room into my bedroom.  No matter how many times I put them back in the cat room, they insist on jumping the baby gate and immediately returning to my bedroom.  I finally gave up and moved their stuff to the small office next to my bedroom so they no longer had to run the gauntlet of dogs in the living room/kitchen area each time I tried to relocate them.  This meant the old cat room was available to become Ziggy's room.  And to be on the safe side, I put in toys, chew bones, and even a cow hoof, one of Ziggy's favorite items to chew.  I left his crate door open and settled down in the living room with one ear tuned to any suspicious sounds coming from the room.  It didn't take long for him to finish the food in his Kong Wobbler, and soon the noises of him playing with the dog toy changed.  It took me a few minutes to realize it and go investigate.

Oh, hi mom!

I've been doing some redecorating. 

Do you like it?

I'll be finished up in just another hour or two.

At that point I had to intervene and tell Ziggy that as proud as he was of his redecorating.. and even though I DID tell him it was his very own room... he still was not allowed to tear out the entire floor and remove the remaining baseboards.  So Ziggy is back to living in his crate and hoping to be adopted by someone who will appreciate his redecorating talents.

Ziggy on Pitter Patter

One of my favorite blogs is Pitter Patter, the fun site that takes reader photos of pit bulls and adds funny captions.  Ziggy and my own dog Noelle were featured on the site yesterday - here is their picture:

And for any Ziggy fans out there, here are a few other times he's been featured on Pitter Patter this summer:

http://pbrcpitterpatter.blogspot.com/2011/07/here-kitty-kitty.html

http://pbrcpitterpatter.blogspot.com/2011/06/ok-maybe-some-kittehs.html

http://pbrcpitterpatter.blogspot.com/2011/06/team-huddle.html

http://pbrcpitterpatter.blogspot.com/2011/06/playing-it-cool.html

http://pbrcpitterpatter.blogspot.com/2011/05/cable-guy.html

Noelle has also been on Pitter Patter twice this summer!

http://pbrcpitterpatter.blogspot.com/2011/06/scaredy-cat.html

http://pbrcpitterpatter.blogspot.com/2011/05/tender-ears.html

I'd like to think that my dogs have been featured so many times because I take such excellent pictures.  But I know better.  The real reason is because my dogs are usually into so much trouble that I'm constantly taking their pictures.  Check back tomorrow for a new Ziggy photo that is likely to end up on Pitter Patter sometime in the future and you'll understand what I mean.  But in the meantime, enjoy the laughs offered by this great PBRC website and if you have a pit bull or pit bull mix, make sure to send in a few photos of your own!

Sunday Scoop: Why I Won't Rescue Your Dog

So many times people have to give up a pet (sometimes for very good reason) and think they'll just contact a no kill shelter.  So they look up the shelters closest to them, and the rescue groups, and they start making calls or sending e-mails.  They very quickly get frustrated.  Usually they don't hear anything back, and even when they do get a real person to respond, it's only to hear "sorry, we're full".  They think they're trying to do the right thing by getting their pet somewhere safe, and no one will help them.  And yet they know there are plenty of rescue groups and shelters doing adoptions, and space opens every day, so why can't anyone help them?

This is a very good question, and it's one reason I hate telling people I'm full.  I usually offer to put them on a "waiting list" but most people can't wait that long when I tell them it could be several months.  This is because most people do not want to turn in a puppy or a fluffy small breed dog that is house-trained and good with dogs, cats and kids.  And sadly, this is what most adopters are looking to adopt!  Puppies are out of here quickly.  So are almost all small breed dogs.  Purebred dogs have a better shot, unless they're a bully breed.  But give me a large mixed-breed dog or a bully breed and it's a whole different story.  This is why I have to turn away the lady who found the American Bulldog mix, and yet I can say yes to the lady with the Shih Tzu/Beagle mix puppies.  The puppies are out of here in less than two weeks, while the last pit bull I took in (Roxy), although she's house-trained and good with dogs, cats, and kids, and the sweetest dog you'll ever meet, is here going on two months now.  We're not even talking about dogs with issues - dogs that won't get along with some other dogs, or dogs that have some behavior problems or some physical problems.  I help whenever I can, as do all other rescue people, but sadly there are too many dogs and cats needing help and not enough rescuers and adopters wanting these dogs.  So this is why if you ever ask a rescue or shelter for help in placing your dog, you're likely to hear "sorry, we're full".

Here are some suggestions on what to do if you do need to rehome your dog or cat:

* Take two pictures - a good full body shot and a good face close-up.  This will help more than anything in getting someone to say "yes" because it's much harder to turn away a pet needing help once you've seen a picture!
* E-mail the pictures and relevant info to every shelter and rescue group you can find.  Include physical characteristics (size, weight, age, sex) as well as health status (if spayed/neutered, any health issues or special needs) and information such as if they're good with male and/or female dogs, cats, children, house-trained or not, any special behavioral problems such as separation anxiety, fear of a water bowl, guard their food or toys, or whatever.
* Tell the truth!  You'll make people very angry if you say a dog is healthy and they find out he or she is not.  Your dog may even end up being sent to a kill shelter or euthanized if the group who took them in can't handle whatever issue you lied about.  Also, you'd be surprised how many times that special need that you can't handle is what makes a rescue person help.  For example, tell me a dog can't hear and I'll generally jump at the chance to help.  Other rescuers specialize in senior dogs or cats, bully breeds, dogs with special needs, and so on.  So for the sake of the dog or cat, be honest.
* Think ahead.  Don't wait until a week before you're moving out of the country to start looking for someone to take your pet.  Be willing to help as much as possible.  Offer to foster the pet yourself if the group will put the pet on their website to help him or her get a home.
* Be patient.  Remember that the majority of rescuers and no-kill shelters are run entirely by volunteers.  These are people just like you who give up space in their homes and give up their time to take in unwanted pets.  They're not getting paid.  They spend their time caring for animals who come to them afraid and unsure, and after they give the pets love, affection, vet care, basic training, and anything else they need, they turn around and adopt them out to someone else.  Just so they can start all over again with another scared, needy animal.  They do it because they want to help the animals, and even if they can't help you, won't return your calls, or seem to be rude, remember that without them, a lot more animals would be suffering and dying.  So be patient.  And if they do offer to take in your pet, be thankful!  Shower them with appreciation, make a donation if possible, or bring them cookies.  Well, that's just my personal preference.  Just make sure you acknowledge the sacrifice they are making to take in your pet.  And then spread the word about the good work that animal rescuers are doing.  Encourage your friends to donate or adopt.  Because that is what makes animal rescue possible!
 

Ziggy Learns Agility

Ziggy just completed a six-week beginning agility class at Infinite Pawsibilities.  You may wonder how a deaf dog can do agility.  Ziggy is happy to demonstrate:

Here's Ziggy going up the A-Frame.  Many dogs find the A-frame a little bit scary at first, but not Ziggy.  This has been one of his favorite from the very beginning!

Then there's the dog walk.  Ziggy can walk just as well as any dog, and he's pretty much fearless, so he has no problem with this one either!

There are two different types of tunnels in agility.  Like most dogs, Ziggy loves the tunnels!

The hardest obstacle for Ziggy, other than the weave poles which he is still learning, are the jumps.  Because he is so intently focused on me he forgets to watch where he is going and sometimes runs into the jumps before realizing that they are there!

 Being deaf does not stop Ziggy from learning Agility.  I use a flashlight instead of a clicker to let him know when he's doing something right, and he's so food motivated that he will do anything to get me to "click".  We've started sequencing the obstacles together, and he's doing very well with that.  Being deaf does cause a bit more of a challenge, because I can't tell him where to go ahead of time (which obstacle to do next) with a voice command.  He has to be looking at me which distracts him from the obstacles.  So he may never be an agility champion, but we're having a great time together and that is what counts!  One of my good friends is also in the class with her Airedale Terrier, and it's a lot of fun to take the class together.  Next week we will start Intermediate Agility!

So if you ever see this dog:

Lexi

or this dog...

Ziggy

please make sure to congratulate them for their hard work in completing Beginning Agility!

Three Reasons For Hope

Reason #1: Bunny is Happier

Bunny, the Bichon Frise puppy mill survivor, is finally learning to trust me.  She doesn't run away from me as fast as she used to.  She will go in and out the door even when I'm standing nearby.  She barks when I leave the room and wags her tail when I come back in.  She seems more relaxed and happier - and I finally can see her starting to become a "real dog", and maybe someday have a real family of her own!

 Reason #2: Roxy is Smarter

Roxy has been attending Canine Good Citizen classes and has learned to sit on command, lie down on command, stay until released, and sit quietly while being petted.  She did jump on the UPS guy when he came to deliver packages, but I can't blame her.  I can barely contain my excitement everytime the UPS guy shows up too.  I am hopeful that she will pass her CGC test with no problems in just a few more weeks. 

Reason #3: Ziggy is Famouser...errr..More Famous
He's managed to make 99 friends on Facebook so far.  He's also been featured on the Facebook pages of  Shelter Pet Project, Echo the Deaf Pittie Mix, and may soon be featured by StubbyDog Project.  With so many wonderful people helping to spread the word about him, he may someday find his very own adoptive home! 

Daisy was adopted!

Daisy, the last puppy from the Donald Duck litter, has been adopted.  So many times people ask me how I can possibly let my fosters go.  But unless it's a dog that I've had for a long time, or very closely bonded with, I usually have no problem sending the dog into a new home.  I worry about them of course, and miss them a bit, but I'm mostly just happy they're in a good home. It means I have room to save more dogs.  And it helps that I have several other fosters here to keep me busy so I don't have too much time to miss the ones who are adopted.  Right now the Scouting litter of puppies are doing their best to keep me entertained (and they're doing a great job!)

Brownie, Pixie and Cadette

Scout

Cubby

More Pups

These five puppies are half Beagle, a quarter Shih Tzu, and a quarter Brussels Griffon.  I know I've said it before... but this time I'm absolutely positive.  These are definitely the cutest puppies I've ever seen.  They're much cuter in person than they are in these pictures, but I hope this will give you some idea of how adorable they really are.

Pixie

Pixie is one of the smallest of the bunch, but don't let that fool you - she eats railroad ties for breakfast! 

Brownie

Brownie is another female, and is so sweet and cuddly.

Cadette

Then there's Cadette, the ringleader of the bunch.  She's found high ground to keep her troops in line. 

Scout

Scout is the happy-go-lucky male.  Nothing phases him!

Cubby

 And then there's Cubby.  He's..well, he's special.  He gets left behind sometimes because he can't quite figure out how to get through an open door.  He may face some extra challenges in life, but he does so with a lot of joy and enthusiasm!

Toby and the Water Bowl

I sent Toby back to his original foster home on Saturday.  That's because I have well water here, and I became concerned that if he stayed much longer, the well would dry up.  Really, it's true.  Toby has issues with water.  He has a lot of energy, and he seems to fuel all that energy by drinking a lot of water.  In fact, he drinks so much water that he starts out drinking while standing up....

And after twenty or thirty minutes*, his legs get so tired that he has to lay down while continuing to refuel.

In fact, he continues drinking even while he's in the process of lying down.  

He's not very neat about drinking either.  He sticks his entire nose in the bowl and tends to drip water all over the place.  I tried to point out the mess he was making...

But he tried to claim that the bowl had a hole in it.  And when I tried to tell him that he was drinking up all the water in the well, he just laughed at me.  Like he knew more than me about how wells work.  So that did it - I sent him back to his foster mom.

Where he's now happily running up her water bill!


*Twenty or thirty minutes might be a slight exaggeration. 

Introducing Maddie

This is Maddie.  She's a one year old purebred Australian Shepherd.  A very nice lady contacted the rescue community for help recently.  She had met Maddie at a breeder's facility and was able to get her released with the intention to find her a new home.  When a month went by and they still weren't able to find her a home, they asked for help.  

So here's the bad news about Maddie.  The breeder where she came from is an 85-year-old woman trying to take care of over 100 dogs by herself since her husband died.  The dogs are not getting the care they need.  Maddie has spent her entire life living outdoors with little to no socialization.  She's scared of everyone.  She has a problem with her back leg or hip that causes one leg to turn outward.  She was from a litter where both parents were merles (genetic color pattern).  They should never have been allowed to breed, because statistically 25% of the litter would be double merles.  Often double merles have hearing deficiencies and they may also have a variety of eye defects. Maddie is a double merle and appears to be partially deaf.  

But there's good news too.  The best news is Maddie was rescued from her living situation by the family who contacted rescue for help.  Maddie is still young and with some work I know she will  learn to enjoy being around people.  She still has partial hearing and in addition to being beautiful she is great with other dogs and fine with cats - all things that will help her to find just the right home.  She'll be spayed and vaccinated and get any needed medical care for her bad leg.  She'll be living indoors for the first time in her life, and learn all about being spoiled and sleeping on soft beds and eating chicken and special treats.  We'll work on house-training and positive reinforcement for every new experience.  And someday soon she'll find an adoptive home where she'll be spoiled rotten for the rest of her life.  In spite of her sad beginnings, Maddie is one of the lucky ones, because she made it into Rescue.

So far Maddie has not made a sound since I brought her home two days ago.  She found refuge on the fireplace hearth, and has chosen to sleep there since she arrived.  She doesn't leave the hearth unless I pick her up and carry her outside.  Then she walks around the yard, relieves herself and waits for me to come get her and carry her back in.   The first few times I had trouble catching her.  Then she let me come get her, and this morning she even came in the door herself!  She still ran straight to her fireplace refuge, but I'm happy with her progress.  I've provided food and water on the hearth and am giving her a lot of space while she gets accustomed to life in a home.  The TV was a new experience for her I believe - she looked quite confused by the box that suddenly had moving pictures on it.  She has never shown any signs of aggression, and since she doesn't move or make a sound, so far she's been much more of a household decoration than a living dog.  I do enjoy having such a beautiful decoration, but I am ready for her to transform into a real dog, because that's what she was made to be.