We have a new family member! I hadn't realized what a funk we had gotten in since losing Sophie (the Lodge dog) last November. We continued on with life-as-normal (as much as possible) - or so we thought. Lots of comments along this time about needing a dog; the place just didn't seem right. So about three weeks ago, we started the "looking" process. We had made a list of specifics, of course:
1) must be 'user friendly' to guests; 2) younger so as to last longer; 3) mid-size, in the 50# range when full grown so as to be good outside; 4) enough hair to tolerate cold without having to 'put on a coat' every time it needed to go outside - 'cause we have more cold weather than warm up here; 5) Bill prefers female dogs, but not a necessity (he says females "pee all at once"); and last but not least 6) couldn't look too pit-bullish. NO, we have nothing against pit bull and crosses; even have one in the family that is a great dog. However, many guests can be cautious of dogs anyway, but way more so when they have 'the look'.
Last week, we visited the Humane Society in a local town and found a 'good' dog. As we took her to the adoption desk, a man walked in with two grade school age girls and looked shocked to see us with the dog. Turned out he had been in earlier with a younger child, loved the dog and went home to get the other kids to see what they thought. He had failed to put a 'hold' on the dog, so they let us take her out for a time. After hearing the story we opted to let them have the dog, believing that there are too many animals that need homes to argue over this one. We believed there would be another dog we would like.
A couple days ago, Bill spotted one on the Society's website that he took an interest in: a lab/boxer cross named Truffles (of all things). No picture yet as she was still being processed. Today was our first chance to go take a look. It turned out she looked like full-blooded pit bull. How that happened with that mixture, I don't know, but another family was interested in her also (turned out she did get adopted today also). As we looked at the rest of the dogs, I noticed a cute little thing sitting and watching us very quietly as we walked along the cages - just like Sophie had done! I kept going back to her so we took her out for a walk and took to her very quickly. She was smaller than anticipated, but not so small as to be a deal breaker, so meet Reba.
They called her Della, but as I was reading the relinquish report on her, I found she had only been at the previous home for a little over two months and was given up for being 'too energetic'. Her name prior to that was Reba and she answers very well to that name, which I definitely like better.
Obviously, she can handle Bill's 'rough treatment'; those belly rubs are pretty OK!
Right now she weighs in a tad over 33 pounds, is about 4.5 hands high at the withers. She is a little over two years old and seems to have had some good training, although maybe she had some rough handling early in her life because things raised over her head tend to make her cower. She is a 'cattle-dog/cross' and said to be good with livestock. We will learn about that when the horses come home. I do know her tail wags so fast you can't see it in the above picture! So far, she is way more than expected and fitting in well. Time will tell. Stay tuned.....
Bionic Cowgirl
