But You Eat Chicken, Right?

Well, today is day four. Annie did great in the crate downstairs, but we decided that yesterday was the day to get her ready to introduce to everyone else in the house.

The first step was the cat test. We took one of the cats to the basement to meet her on Monday night. She was on a leash, and she did great. She was curious and wanted to play, but when she realized that Linus wasn’t interested, she found something else to amuse herself.

Step two, probably the most important step, was to clean her up. I put her in my next door neighbor’s basement shower, and disaster ensued as her hair clogged the drain, the water rose, and I ended up just as wet and soapy as she did. But it was worth it, because now she is soft, fluffy, and smells like Mandarin oranges. Meanwhile, I just ended up smelling like a wet dog. After we came back home, I put her in her crate with her dinner so she could air dry and relax.

A few hours later, we brought her upstairs to meet Pub. He is very tempermental, and I was concerned about how he would react to her. They sniffed each other (well, he sniffed her butt and he went ballistic when she returned the favor), and she tried to play with him, but he wasn’t interested. In fact, he’s still not interested. He has been avoiding her at all costs, and he is seriously angry about the situation. When she gets too close, his lips pull back in a smile and he groans. We’ll see.

Within a half an hour, we were alerted to the fact that she is in no way potty trained. We decided that she should spend nights in the crate downstairs (and when we aren’t home.) I think she is catching on quickly, because she whimpered at the door last night to go out. She didn’t quite make it, but she did try. She’ll learn.

Today was our trip to the vet. She weighs 43 pounds, and she is about one year old. She was given a rabies shot, which she didn’t seem to mind at all. The bad news is that she is not spayed, and she is ready to go into heat. The vet said it could be tomorrow or it could be three months, but I don’t want her bleeding out in my house, so we are going to put a rush order on the operation.

She is an absolutely wonderful dog. She is gentle, sweet, affectionate, and eager to please. She doesn’t jump and she isn’t overbearing; still, we are trying to find her another home. We are still hoping that my mother-in-law takes her. They would be wonderful companions for each other, I have no doubt. No matter what, she will live here until we find a suitable home.

For now, she’s all spiffed up with a shampoo, new collar, and shiny rabies tag. Annie is living the good life.