Some thing I forgot to mention yesterday: the girls stand next to each other all the time… and lick each other. Totally weird. Delilah is particularly fond of licking Bailey… licking her ears, licking her face, licking her eyes, licking her back… but Bailey has started licking Delilah too. We’ve got a pack of weirdos.
Accomplishment of the day: Today we took the girls to the bank (through the ATM), to Petsmart and we waited in the car for Mike to drop some drycleaning off. At Petsmart, Bailey and Delilah did AWESOME (minus Delilah peeing on the floor AGAIN). There were quite a few people around (the checkout worker, another worker walked up, 2 sets of people behind us and people walked in) and she didn’t growl once! Now, her tail was totally tucked and you could tell she was terrified, but she took treats and really did well (I think). It’s progress and I was proud of her. Delilah did wonderful of course, the fella right behind is in line commented that she gets along pretty well for only 3 legs… we responded that he had no idea, it’s getting her to stay still that’s the problem! Unless it’s snuggle time of course.
We didn’t do anything crazy special for Bailey’s birthday. When it gets a little warmer, we’ll take her for an ice cream cone or something. I know, I should have celebrated!
Girls hanging out with Mike after work, lots of sniffing, lots of kissesThe pups looking expectantly up at Mike… “hey dad! do something crazy!”Delilah likes to nudge Bailey with her nose when she wants to play. Bailey hasn’t figured out what it means yet, but it sure is funny.Delilah smiles so much when she gets to give Mike snuggles. At least it looks like smiling to me anyway.Some wolfpack snuggling going on. Bailey likes to use us as pillows. Very happy with how comfortable the girls are getting with each other.I forgot to upload this picture yesterday! Obviously it’s not from today, the high was only like 10 degrees today and the ground is covered with snow. Just wanted to share it anyway, because the girls are doing so much more together.Another picture that clearly isn’t from today. That’s my swampy backyard and why we’ve done so much paw wiping.The gals just love the Olympics. Except Delilah keeps rooting Germany… we had to break it to her that although she’s a German Shepherd, she’s never set foot in Germany.Birthday girl getting some gator snuggles. She likes to go upstairs and climb on the bed to escape Delilah sometimes – and to have maniac time without worrying about her sister.D says “Watching the Olympics is exhausting, I think I’ll make a snuggle on mom’s pillow”
So it has been far too long since my last blog post! I’ll summarize the developments and bombard you with photos 🙂
– Delilah used to be very scared of the steps in our house… now she goes up AND DOWN them mostly without a hitch. Mike still needs to get a nonslip runner for the steps.
– Bailey and Delilah are getting along much better! Coexist very peacefully, no issues around each other, only get snippy when they’re being possessive over toys and beds. Nylabones are a hot commodity in this house, even though there’s like 4.
– The weather has been too gross to walk… (or run, which is driving me and Bailey BONKERS). Either it’s super cold where the girls start nursing their paws after minutes or the sidewalks are too snow-covered and sloppy for walking. It’s a bummer because the girls need it. And me! Who knew St. Louis weather could be this wintery!?
– Bailey and Delilah do not seem too interested in the Olympics, but the Puppy Bowl… that’s a different story.
– The majority of the pictures we take seem to be on the couch… I promise we do more than that, but that’s when my hands are free.
– We’ve taken the pups into the world a couple times, but not quite enough probably.
Bailey LOVES water bottles… Great when you want to give her a cheap toy to play with, unfortunate when you want to drink it.Me and Delilah kicking it on the couch. It’s a little unusual for me to get Delilah snuggles, usually she’s snuggling Mike!Delilah finding space inbetween Mike and the couch to wiggle into.Delilah looking super cute. What a good looking dog 🙂Me and Bailey snuggling. Don’t judge me for the sweat pants, I was sick and it was Sunday morning snuggletime!Bailey taught Delilah how to try to climb trees to find squirrels. It’s very possible Delilah knew before she moved in, but Bailey also has a knack for teaching bad habits.The girls looking outside waiting for Mike to come inside.Delilah just gets SO happy whenever Mike comes home. That’s pure love there 🙂D may be sleepy, but she’s watching you!Delilah trying to find the puppies when we watched the puppy bowlShe’s always so happy!Yet again waiting at the door. I just think it’s cute, so I always take pictures. It’s cheesy but so heartwarming to see how excited your dog(s) is(are) each and every time you come home. Even when you only went outside to scrape off the car.Enjoying some head scratches so much her lil tongue lolls outCaught a pic of Bailey running in snowGirls chasing each other in the snowD says: “oh hello! come get me!”Sleepy girls! Getting closer to each other!My name is Bailey and I love being upside down!
It’s been too long! Saturday was busy, Sunday was beautiful and today was a Monday (need I say more?). Nonetheless, time to document some memories!
Things have been pretty good on the pup front, they are getting used to each other and getting along very well. We have a few bouts of possessiveness – it can be almost funny though. Bailey will be playing with a toy, then drop it because she gets distracted. Delilah, who has never shown an interest in the toy will run over to get it and shake it around. She leaves the toy for some reason (if I had to guess, to get Mike snuggles) and Bailey (who has been creeper staring from around the corner will slouch out ever so sneakily to steal the toy back). I don’t get it. It’s like kids.
We’ve been letting them be around each other without leashes on… and I have to say, the tension and snippyness has actually decreased. Bailey and Delilah both kick it on the couch with us now… I mean, they’re not snuggling or anything, but tolerant of each other.
That makes it sound like it has all been sunshine and roses, which isn’t the case either. They still have their snippy moments, usually because Bailey is being possessive of something irrational or one of them is a little too much in the other’s face wanting to play.
One funny thing is that in the backyard when Delilah goes to chase Bailey, they are real excited and D chases her and Bailey keeps running until D barks. Then Bailey stops, I think because she thinks she did something wrong, but Delilah just makes a lot of noise…
We’re back to super cold weather again, so unfortunately there was no playing outside today, but I’ve saved some pictures for you!
Bailey making snuggles on Saturday. What a cutie.Delilah finally decided it was time to join the wolfpack on the couch on Sunday. She seems pretty happy about it, if you ask me. Funny that she finally decides to join us on the couch and she picks a spot right on top of Mike.D says “Human! I’m waiting for you to do something awesome”“Maybe I’ll just rest my head. It seems like it may be a minute or two before you do anything awesome”Always looking happy. 🙂“Maybe I’m a little sleepy. I love snuggling with my human”75% of the wolfpack, kicking it on the couch. Mike couldn’t ask for a better way to spend a hungover Sunday.Bailey trying to help the melting process along by trying to eat the ice. She loves ice. Since it was 50* outside, we were trying to leave it open so the ice could melt (everything had gotten frozen into a block in there)Bailey and Delilah sitting in a tree… S-N-I-FF-I-N-GBailey and Delilah waiting at the door for Mike to come back outside.Bailey showed Delilah how cool ice is. Then when we closed the cooler to keep them out of it, they kept trying to open it with their noses.Just pointing out how muddy it was! this is a Delilah print. Or a wolf print, I’m just not sure.Bailey Buggles enjoying some sunshine.Bailey and Mike playing in the yard. the game was “escape the muddy paws!” Bailey won.Bailey sniffing out the spot where Delilah’s scar is. I don’t know if it smells different or if Bailey even notices.It almost looks like Delilah is singing loud and Bailey is like “oh for real, tone it down!”Again, happy Delilah, just being her delightful self.She loves the snow AND the sunshine 🙂Keeping a lookout for bees. Yep, you heard me, bees. She ate two on Sunday. We freaked out, naturally, so we googled it. Evidently other dogs do this too, we watched to see if she had a reaction (she didn’t). MAN her chompers move really quick when she’s getting one. We didn’t think to stop her from trying because it seems like a bee would fly away before a dog could chase it down AND sink their chompers in. Not the case, in case you were curious.Delilah decided she likes Bailey’s crate. So she randomly hopped in their and laid down. Bailey likes Delilah’s crate too. What a bunch of weirdos.
This post is for yesterday and will not have quite as many pictures as normal, but there was something that I want to remember.
Yesterday was a normal work day and since it was in the 30’s, we took Bailey & Delilah for a walk when we got home. We’re trotting along and when we get a couple blocks away, there’s a mom putting her two toddlers into the van. She got the second one loaded as neared and she stopped what she was doing to ask us if we could stay here for a minute. Then she proceeded to tell us that her niece was inside and had been upset because her dog was actually in the hospital that day, getting a leg removed. She wanted to know if her niece could see Delilah and watch her walk around so that she would know that it was going to be okay. Obviously, we said yes. She jogged to the door and yelled inside for her niece to come out, there was something she wanted her to see. The girl came out, she was 11-13ish (if I were to guess… and my guesses on children’s ages are usually wildly inaccurate, so she was probably either 9 or 16). Mike paraded Delilah around for the girl to see and then the girl got to give Delilah some pets.
It was one of those times when you find yourself in the right place at the right time, even though it was something small. I’m glad we could hopefully give her some peace of mind.
When we got back from the walk, I had to get going to one of my nieces 1st birthday parties and then to hang out with my mom for a bit because I didn’t see her on her birthday. Only my family has first birthday parties that last til after 10! Late night! Mike kicked it with his canine homies and all of the reports I received were positively glowing. From the sounds of it, they watched tv.
Delilah kicking it on the floor while I was out. Mike was sending me picture updates while I was gone. I was so glad our girls were behaving.Mike caved and let Bailey resume her snugglespot on the couch while I was gone.
Turns out all Bailey needed to totally relax around Delilah was a nap. on the couch. Maybe it wasn’t so bad that Mike bent the new rules.
This is what I was doing while Mike was at home. She’s a human, but I thought it was cute.
Today I expect some playing in the forecast. It’s 40*, just warm enough for the snow in the backyard to start melting and turn my backyard into a mudpit, so obviously today is the day that Bailey wants to play… which brings me to a question to the tripawd community! How do you wipe her paws when she comes inside? Bailey comes in and sits and gives me her front right paw, I wipe, front left, I wipe, she stands, back paw, wipe, other back paw, wipe, free! Delilah is proving to be a little more difficult. It may not have anything to do with the tripod thing and just with the fact that she doesn’t seem very comfortable with us wiping her paws OR she interprets it as an invitation to play and she jumps up on Mike and tries to get his face. It did take us a lot of treats to get Bailey to the paw routine we have now, but Delilah doesn’t seem to care for treats! She usually spits them out and Bailey eats them off the floor. Any suggestions? We thought about getting a BIG foot wipe-y mat and putting it in the kitchen so maybe she could just walk on it?
Delilah won’t put her back paws on the couch, but do you know what she will do? Put her front paw up on Mike (on the couch) and give him so many kisses and snuggles!This was funny because you can see Mike leaning his head back. Delilah is over the top with kisses! She also likes to make chomping sounds.
I didn’t get a chance to write yesterday, but it went pretty well! The thing I’ve learned about both dogs is that they can each be a little possessive. Mostly over bones and kongs. So weird, Bailey doesn’t want to chomp on a bone, but she doesn’t want Delilah to either. Bailey’s kong is readily available, but she wants Delilah’s. Delilah sees Bailey chomping, she waits for her chance to sneak the bone away so she can chomp on it and then guard it.
Yesterday was a little hectic and I had the dogs by myself for awhile, but I think it went okay. Bailey and Delilah played for a few seconds and then Delilah tried to mount Bailey and Bailey did not like that. Overall it went okay.
Oh! Another thing… Delilah gets RILED UP when we get home from work. Tail wagging like mad, barking, whining… she’s very vocal and very excitable. Bailey used to wait calmly in her crate until we let her out. Now she’s picking up on Delilah’s behavior. Not the worst thing, it’s pretty funny, definitely makes for a loud welcome when you get home!
Today we went to PetSmart so the girls could walk around and to get them out and experiencing the world. Plus, it was 8 degrees by the time we got home from work and Bailey’s paws don’t like the ground when it’s that cold. Delilah seems to do much better actually.
Enough chatter, let’s get to some pictures! Oh and Happy Birthday to my momma! Best momma in the world 🙂
While I was getting ready for work yesterday, I let Bailey get on the bed. This is Bailey’s “Is this okay mommy? I’m so sleepy, I just want my snuggles again” faceBailey lounging in bed while I got dressed and stuff. Mike and Delilah were hanging out downstairs.Delilah analyzing Mike in the kitchen. I’m pretty sure she’s thinking “That’s an interesting story, how did that make you feel?”Bailey and Delilah kicking it in the kitchen! Delilah always looks so happy. It was pretty funny because Delilah has embraced being a tripawd so fully that she likes to spend A LOT of her time with just two paws on the ground. So, she was up on Mike trying to give him kisses and he said “get down” and a couple feet away Bailey lays down (“Down” is her command to lay). I was impressed with her following directions, even though she looks so serious! And yes, I leave a lot of shoes in the kitchen!
We used the box from Delilah’s crate to block the kitchen from the house so that one dog could be on each side so Mike and I could clean up without having to put the gals in their crates. This is how it worked.Another kitchen block picSorry for the numerous pictures, but I was really tickled.
While we were making dinner, we put the girls in their crates (because we were advised not to let them roam around unsupervised). Cute part is that they were laying in the exact same position only mirrored from each other. Well, I thought it was cute anyway.
The girls are getting more comfortable with each other!Getting some living room sniffs!
Mike went back to work today, so it was our first morning where we both had to get out the door. I have to say it went well, not super stressful, reasonably productive. We need to try to be more of morning people though!!!
Today was our first time watching Delilah in the snow. She loves to eat it 🙂
Delilah loves to eat the snow!
After work, we took the girls out on leashes at the same time and they almost played! I think we were supposed to take it slow and wait about a week from bringing her home to let them play… fortunately there was still some hesitation so we bought a little time. We were also supposed to wait a week for the first nose-to-nose. WHOOPS! 3 nose to noses today and guess what? Went just fine. Went better than fine… tails wagging… Sniffed each other and then went on with their business. Also, seems like they’re both getting their personalities back. They bounced around in the snow. They were way more playful.
Delilah is such a happy girl 🙂
Also, Delilah can really MOVE! Playful Delilah likes to jump and try to get your face to give you kisses. Not my face so much, but Mike’s. Man, is she super connected to Mike! It’s pretty cute how much she adores him and it’s only been a couple days. She likes me okay, but not nearly the same.
Tonight, we took another step down the journey toward socialization too. We went to Bass Pro Shop and it was a GREAT experience. We did two laps around the store. Delilah got a lot of attention. Helps that she’s so sweet and lets people greet her. We did two laps (Delilah was looking pretty tired) and Bailey did very well too!
After dinner when we went outside and were talking to the neighbor, Bailey and Delilah were sniffing each other and Bailey got her first Delilah kiss!!!
Anyway, I wanted to post that things went well today! That’s very, very encouraging 🙂 And it was so awesome watching my pups jump around.
Thus far I have tried to stick to facts as emotionless as possible. Today I’ll deviate a little bit because maybe someone will read this and have some insight into how to turn things around.
I’m trying to be optimistic, but this is actually really difficult. Is that normal? I think Delilah and Mike are doing great, Bailey and I… not so much. I realize I may have a weird obsession with my dog… but one of my favorite sights in the world is Bailey’s face when she’s running real fast and excited. One of my favorite sounds is her paws coming up the steps to come get in bed for snuggle time. Now I just see her sulking around and the sound I hear the most is her whining because she’s in her crate. How do you get to the part where everyone loves each other and is happy?
What if we go through this and I lose my Bailey? I know she is nervous in new situations and isn’t super fond of strangers, but guess what? I love her the way she is and I think she’s a great dog.
What if Bailey harbors resentment against me/Mike for changing the rules on her? Or against Delilah? We’ve monitored their interactions so much, to keep Bailey from snapping at her, that now Bailey is always trying to avoid her. How can Bailey learn to love her?
We’ve been trying to do as much scent transferring as much as possible, to get Bailey used to her smell. We go on lots of short walks together. We keep them on the leash around each other in the house. We stop during the walk to just be around each other. We stand in the yard so they can be around each other (I sure wish the ground would dry up so the backyard isn’t so icky). When we’re in the living room together, I just don’t know what to DO other than sit there. Mike and I had kicked our sedentary lifestyles and now we’re moving backward! When we need to get things done, we have to put one or both dogs in their crate(s). I hate that the most I think. I get that we should watch their interactions unless we can actively supervise, but I feel awful about putting them in their crates while we’re here… especially since they’re sleeping in there too.
Oh and the sleeping went awful last night. At about 2 AM Bailey started whining, then whining louder and then pawing against the crate or slamming against it or something. We waited until she quieted down and then Mike & I finished out the night sleeping on the couch. Tonight we’ll try putting them in the bedroom..
Worst part is that Bailey has been so lethargic. Lethargic and confused and unsure. It upsets me to see Bailey upset. I am trying to keep my emotions to a minimum in front of the gals because emotions are a sign of weakness or something like that. But I always want to make things better and I feel powerless.
At what point do you reach out for help getting your dogs socialized with one another? Or is this totally normal? I am not blessed with the patience that Mike has. I want to play with my pups!
I would say that not a lot about this adoption has gone the way I expected, with the exception of how sweet Delilah is. The adoption meeting itself was a little ruff (hehe)… I felt a lot that we were being judged for Bailey’s terrified behavior based on one meeting with her. I also felt like they had a lot of expectations that maybe weren’t communicated clearly enough prior to the meeting. We were very impressed with the diligence of their adoption process, truly demonstrating how much they care about the environment into which they adopt their dogs. And even throughout the adoption meeting, we knew they had the dogs’ best interest at heart and they both seemed . We felt like we had to answer a lot of questions that were covered in the application – what kind of food Bailey eats, where she sleeps… if one of those was going to be a problem, I think we could have been told in advance. They did let us know to bring a certain type of collar and a leash for Delilah, so we got the normal kind of leash they had at PetSmart… if we needed a leather lead, you could have told us before we bought the other one. If you expected us to have a crate ready at home ready for her, maybe let us know that expectation and the dimensions needed. If you haven’t met a dog, it’s hard to know precisely what they need. Most importantly, I felt a lot of condescension toward the way we handle Bailey and it has left me unsettled since. It’s probably the same way people feel when others criticize the way they raise their kids (only that Bailey is a dog, not a child)… it hurts even though they may have your best interest in mind.
Delilah likes to kick it on the sherpa. Instead of playing, she wants to snuggle with the sherpa.Mike stayed home with the pups today. Bailey was taking a turn at neighborhood watch from the floor.Bailey trying to ignore Delilah…Bailey trying to get as far away as possible…Even though Bailey is taking some time. Delilah likes to be close.
Daily totals:
Growl count- Bailey:2, Delilah:1
“What happened to her leg?”: 0
Walks: 1 separate, 1 wolfpack
Thing we learned about Delilah: she likes to watch people get out of cars, she has a BIG BARK, she will snuggle you so much.
Thing we learned about Bailey: her only issue with Delilah is when she gets in our faces. She’s getting better on the leash and with growling/barking at sounds outside every moment.
After I wrote earlier today, we took the girls for another walk and it went well. Then we had some hang out in the living room time all together. Bailey and Delilah haven’t had off-leash time yet, the folks from MOGS recommended spending a week with them constantly on leashes and after a week allowing them to be around each other supervised with leashes on but dangling for short periods of time.
We took Nancy (from MOGS) advice and took another step toward socialization today too. We visited our nearby Treats Unleashed store with both dogs to get the food Delilah had been eating at her foster home. Turns out there aren’t many places that sell Fromm around here. Also turns out that stuff is expensive. The dogs did great for the whole experience! I walked Bailey around the store (with a purpose) and had her practice various commands to earn part of the treats they gave us. Delilah did not seem to be interested in her treat, so Bailey got 1.5 treats. That may have been the moment Bailey decided having a sister may not be all that bad. We told their stories (as much as we know of them) to the girls working and they were very understanding of Bailey needing space and they thought Delilah was super super sweet (because she is). The girl we were talking to did make a comment that Bailey seemed like a good dog, even through the socialization, so that made me feel good after the confidence plummet of Delilah’s adoption. They also gave us some great ideas about some other places we could take the dogs to help them assimilate into society, so we’ll be hitting those this week!
When we got home, we went for yet another walk. It sounds like we’re walking a ton, but they’re all very short walks at this point. Delilah seems pretty tired after them, but we want to establish our pack so we are going on walks when we can to help with that. Bailey also got a walk alone because she’s used to a little more activity and I think it helps to calm her down.
All in all, I think it was a pretty successful day, apart from the neighbor dog, Murphy (Bailey’s bff) not seeming to get along with Delilah too well. It takes time to adapt for everyone. Bailey only growled at Delilah once-VERY early this morning and since then we’ve had some successful sniffs. We give Bailey lots of love when she lets Delilah sniff her and praise her when she sniffs Delilah too. We’re keeping them away from each others faces for now, MOGS said to wait for the nose to nose. Another thing we’re doing is lots of scent transferring; petting D and letting B sniff our hand, taking the blankets they’ve been laying on and switching them…
Day’s totals:
Growls: 1
Walks: 3.5
# of “What happened to your dog?”: 2
Things we’ve learned about Delilah: She must have lived in a house with stone steps in the front, because she wants to go up every stone staircase we pass. She has a similar fascination with dirty dishes in the dishwasher as Bailey. She loves the smell of chicken. She does not seem comfortable with us touching her front paw.
Things we’ve learned about Bailey: Turns out that having another dog may be good for reinforcing good behavior. She’s never walked so well on a leash as she did when she and I walked this evening.
“Just patiently waiting for mom to get done in the shower so I can rejoin my pack” (note: doesn’t her front paw position look so uncomfortable?!)
Bailey waiting outside the door for Mike and Delilah to come out. She was concerned and didn’t want to leave the door.
Another picture of Bailey waiting outside the door for Delilah to come out because I thought it was cute.
This is the closest they’ve gotten while sleeping. Both happily asleep most of the time. You know who else was happy? This girl.Delilah likes to be by Mike’s side. Particularly when there’s smell-good food in the kitchen.D says “I would like to lay on Bailey Buggles’ sherpa. It smells of Bailey Buggles and I’m patiently waiting for her to love me. Also, it’s lovely soft, I recommend getting another sherpa or two in this house”B says: “I suppose if Delilah is going to lay on my sherpa, perhaps I will make myself comfortable on dad’s Mizzou blanket, I do love those Tigers”
Guess who’s falling in love… She loves to give kisses and they are very wet! 🙂
We got through the first night! Can’t say it was the easiest thing in the world, we slept in the bedroom and let the dogs sleep in their crates at the bottom of the steps. Bailey whined a few times throughout the night for awhile. That was hard to listen to. BUT we made it through. Woke up earlier than we normally do on Sundays so I could let the girls out and then Mike and I took them for a walk and let them just be by each other outside of the house for awhile.
After we came back in and let them be around each other in the house, we had naptime again. I needed it. 3 hours of sleep last night wasn’t enough!
One thing I’m wondering about is whether we are doing the right thing as far as how we’re letting them interact. How much of Bailey’s weariness is because of Delilah and how much is because of her life change? Delilah is doing great and you can tell she wants to be Bailey’s friend. She loves snuggles and pets. I can’t wait to get to know her better so I can say more. It’s weird how living with a dog, you start to learn how they feel, what they need, what they’re thinking. So it’s easier to talk about Bailey because I know her better. I can say this is the weirdest dog introduction Bailey has been through and I know she’s confused. Normally we go from introduction to play pretty quick, with the dogs we’ve dog sat and the dogs we have puppy play dates with, and then usually they’re off leash in the house after a good play session outside. Now, is that necessarily the right way? I don’t know, but it’s always worked.
I only have a little bit of time before Delilah’s food should be all digested and we can go for a walk and have the girls spend some time together again, so I guess I’ll tell you a little more about our story and hope that I don’t make Mike mad by telling it.
Yesterday I told you that I would tell you about why Delilah’s story spoke to us so much. As you know from my post yesterday, Delilah has three legs. Her front right paw was amputated after animal control turned her over to MOGS. They didn’t really know what happened to her leg, but evidently it was hit by something and the bone fractured. The bone had healed by the time MOGS got her, but the splinter from the bone had fractured her nerve and caused the leg to curl back on itself and there was nothing that could be done to fix it.
That story is enough to pull at anyone’s heart strings.
So now for Mike’s story. On January 1, 2011 when leaving a bar with some friends, Mike was shot by a random stranger. He was shot once in the back and the bullet severed his jugular and he almost bled to death. As he was running away from the guy, he shot him in the elbow. That story is really condensed, there’s a lot more to it, but I think it Mike wants to tell you about it, he’ll comment. Ironically the life critical shot was in the back, but the shot in the elbow has given him the most trouble. He’s been through numerous surgeries trying to get functionality back. Because of the nerve damage, he will never have feeling back, but he does have a lot of functionality thanks to some great surgeons and patience on Mike’s part.
So their stories are similar… both have had serious nerve damage in their right arms and they both didn’t deserve it. Is a similar story enough of a reason to adopt a dog? Probably not. You know what else it is? The loyalty. Mike was looking at German Shepherds because of their loyalty. One of the best things about Mike is how much he loves and appreciates family. I don’t know if its because he understands how much it hurts to lose one of the people you care about most in the world, but I know that he is super loyal himself. Loyal and caring and patient. Sometimes more than you think you deserve, but it helps you find the best in you. He deserves a dog with those same characteristics.
As hard as the next month may be, getting these girls used to each other and integrated into our family will be worth it. We’re going to do what it takes to do this right because Delilah is part of our family now and we don’t give up on family.
First, I’ll start by saying I’ve never blogged before, so I don’t know how this works! If nothing else, I hope it serves as a way to remember how this goes.
Now for some introductions! B,C,D & the GSV; B=Bailey, C=me, D=Delilah and the GSV is my boyfriend, Mike. I contemplated the name “GSV, GSD, Bailey & me” but it was a little too long. So we’ll start with the human story first… Mike and I have been dating for almost two years. We met at work. I fell for him and asked him out ;-). We live together in a cute lil house in a cute lil town. I adopted Bailey (a 55 pound mix) about a year and a half ago when she was around 5-6 months old. Probably the best decision I ever made. We had some troubles starting out… fleas(x2), almost every kind of worms, mange and a severe aversion to humans/socialization issue. I can say she’s in great health now and she’s actually made a lot of progress on the socialization but we know we have a lot to work to do, just takes a LOT of patience.
So what am I missing from the introductions… oh! Delilah! Well, Delilah is the newest member of our family and she is a tripod. We adopted her today from MOGS. Mike read her story a few months back and fell in love with her… I knew he’d been wanting a dog and Delilah was the first dog that I even partially considered. It took awhile for me to be sold on the idea, but once I was sold, I was committed. I’ll write more about her story and why we were so drawn to her, but right now I’m going to focus on the events of the day.
Since Bailey has some socialization issues, we took her to our 6K race this morning and let me tell you, she did awesome!! No growling, no barking, a lot of tail wagging and giddy prancing. I love the giddy prancing. She ran very well too, one poo break but that’s it! After the race, we loaded her in the car and headed to Kansas City to meet Delilah. The drive there went well.
Showed up in Kansas City and Mike got to meet Delilah. Then Bailey and I chilled in the yard and waited for our turn! They had us introduce the dogs VERY slowly, which I think was confusing for Bailey. Normally we do the introduction process a lot faster and Bailey goes into play mode. I don’t know if it made a difference that Delilah was uphill from us too. That’s okay, we’ll take it slow :-). Good things are worth waiting for.
The car ride home went shockingly well. Bailey played co-pilot in the passenger seat and Delilah and I kicked it in the backseat. She is definitely a snuggler. Both dogs behaved very well, even when we stopped for gas. Want to know the most shocking part? We stopped at PetSmart to get Delilah a crate and see if they had the food she’s been eating and they both behaved like angels!! Got out of the car and they were excited to see each other and when we went to the grass so they could potty it went GREAT! Also, we went inside and took Nancy’s advice and walked like we had a purpose to the crates. Bailey did not growl at anyone, even though there were plenty of opportunities. So then we got home, did a few laps in front of the house, let the doggies stand around each other. They haven’t played yet, but they seem to be doing well in each others presence. Backyard test was a little harder because it’s muddy from the recent rain. In the house, I think Bailey’s just confused, but we’ve kept them on the leashes and they are actually both sleeping near our feet, so I’d say it’s going ok! Once they sleep off all the new experiences of the day, I’m sure we’ll have our work cut out for us.
I think that’s enough for today, it’s just about bed time and we all need our rest so we can have a good day tomorrow. We still haven’t decided the best place to put the crates for the pups to sleep in. That will be the hardest thing for me, I think, I’m very accustomed to Bailey snuggles at night. Oh, and I have to be ready to work on my “mom voice” (as Nancy from MOGS puts it) when saying no. Maybe I should practice by calling my mom and asking if I can get a tattoo. I’m 26, but I think her answer would be the same as ten years ago 🙂
Just another shot of them laying on the floor because it’s pretty cute.Bailey and Delilah laying on the floor, getting used to being around each other and just relaxing from the day.Bailey & Delilah in their crates calm and waiting for their turn to eat dinner.Bailey cruisin’ copilotDelilah making a donut in between snuggles in the car
