AN ADOPTION, A MEET AND GREET AND TWO REUNIONS

Wholy moly...I need to blog more often.  I almost have too many things to share at once. 


The biggest way that Mattisue corrupted Rona in their five days together.
Until Mattisue came to town, Rona was not a couch dog!

This has been a big week.  Rona met with one of the many applicants on Sunday and that went really well.  We had actually met them down on the beach the previous week and Rona got along well with their dog, so we went to meet hubby and see the office Rona will get to go to.   After the meet and greet I took Rona and Mattisue to the beach.  Rona knew the ropes already but Mattisue was hesitant about new dogs coming up to us.  She really relaxed about it by the end of our walk, but I noticed that she is very in tune with the dogs approach and their energy.  She put out a low growl if the dog came right up to her face.  If they greeted her appropriately she was fine and she especially had less concern if the dog was her size.  

Rona has been soliciting Mattisue to play all week and after a day or two Mattisue was starting to play back.  Rona is much more exuberant that Mattisue but she would tell her off if she got too rowdy.   Mattisue still has the momma dog attitude in her and is very appropriate in putting other dogs in their place if need be.

During the week Mattisue had her first day at daycare and did well.  She was a bit playful with the staff but if anyone new tried to enter the game she'd stop.  She's just not sure about the rules. I keep trying to tell her the only rule for her is to have fun and loosen up!  At first she would crouch when you reach down to pet her and she wasn't sure if she could take treats from hand, but she is gettting past that.  If she crouched submissively I would not pet her until she sat back up again.  She is getting the hang of it.  She will dance around playfully if I try to play with her and she picked up a toy today and shook the heck out of it.  She is bouncy when walking along side me but sticks very close by.  She has the sweetest personality and solicits lots of attention.   I can only imagine the dog she will be once she bonds with some lucky person in her forever home.   She is awesome and will only get better in time with more love and affection.

On Wednesday night we went to McDonald Beach for a special dual purpose.  We met up with Rona's sister Robin.  Her adopters have renamed her Luka and they were in town so we took the opportunity to get the two sisters together.  It wasn't the reunion we thought it would be which was funny.  I thought they would be so excited to see each other.  Rona is still coming out of her shell but Luka is already there and was happily running around meeting all the dogs.   We were also at the beach to meet Rona's new mom Gianna.  Rona's new mom and dad actually have quite a bit in common with Luka's mom and dad...and there I am playing dog and friend matchmaker.  I hope they will get the dogs together again so Luka and Rona can play together once she's settled and more confident in every way.  

In the two and a half weeks that Rona was with me she came a long way with the vehicle (walking right up and jumping right on in, with little or no drooling) and also in her confidence in general.  Even the people at the beach that saw her from day to day could see the difference.  I was worried that she might regress a bit once in a new home with new people and new vehicle, but the picture I received today tells me she is doing well.  She had a new puggle sister (Olivia aka Ollie) and two great people to help guide her along.  Yup...another great match!    Rona's new name is Lux and a quick update tells me that Lux and Ollie are playing non-stop.

Lux and Ollie

So here's a situation where having two fosters pays off.  I still have one left.  Mattisue and I went for a walk on the beach after Rona left.  On Thursday we had a meet and greet for Mattisue, which went really well and then into Vancouver for Mattisue's reunion.  Here's a clip of the blog that I sent to Turtle Gardens (I love cut and paste):

Last night Foster Mom Gloria and I got Mattisue, Mitchell and Milah together. 

Milah and Mitchell

Mattisue is by no means afraid of vehicles or people, although she is a little timid, but when Gloria drove into a parking spot at the park Mattisue went right up to the vehicle and towards the drivers side.  She followed Gloria around to the back passenger door and whined at the door before Gloria had even opened it up.  SHE KNEW her pups were in that vehicle.  Whether she remembered Gloria's vehicle from the dog run from when I had her on the back bumper to visit her pups before they were driven away, or if she could smell her pups, I have no idea, but she definitely knew.  Once those pups were put on the ground next to her she gave them a full once over.  Satisfied that Gloria had been taking good care of them she also greeted Gloria.  

We went over to the baseball field with Mattisue going back to round her pups up over and over, and sat down to 'watch' the game...or rather watch pups and mom together. You can just tell that Mattisue was a good mom to her pups.  She played with Mitchell the most because he was more responsive to his mom.  

At one point a little Chihuahua came running playfully at one of the pups.  It was a dog that Mattisue had already met before we sat down, and had liked, but when this guy started to move towards her pup the momma bear in her came out and she moved fast to get between the Chi and her pup and she growled at him.  She also put out a warning to a guy walking past that reached out to one pup.  She is protective in the most appropriate way and the protectiveness she showed over them was heartwarming.  As we were leaving the park the pups were on a long line together and I let Mattisue off leash.  She did some zoomies and then did a run-by and bowled Mitchell down.  She was having so much fun opening up and playing with familiar dogs.  I'm used to seeing moms put their pups in line when they were being too playful but she seemed to be teaching them to play.  Her pups were running after her trying to keep up...it was so adorable.  If I could, I'd have all three forever!

You gotta love puppies...a few minutes of playing and it's nap-time.

'thanks for bringing my mom to see me'