We have fostered our second pup for a month.
She is solid black with a small white spot on her chest and the
fluffiest, softest fur. When we picked her up we were told she was 8
to 9 weeks old and a german shepard/lab mix.
I had the honor of naming her, and after much thought, chose Bella which
is the Italian word for beautiful. She
is a true beauty. Someone later thought I
had named her after Bella of the Twilight phenom. I hadn’t thought about that Bella but the
name still fits…beautiful, mysterious, smart.
Her forever family will probably change her name but for now she is mi
Bella, my beauty.
She
still isn’t housetrained but that’s probably my fault. Being gone from 7:30 to 5:30 makes it
difficult. I can say she has done very
well this weekend. She didn’t mess in her
crate last night and only two accidents today.
Being a puppy she is very rambunctious.
She and Kirbs can wear each other out!
I am amused by Kirby’s jealousy when it comes to his toys. He has certain favorites which he keeps
putting on the couch since he knows she can’t jump up there. Too bad I keep putting them back in his toy
box. It’s a vicious cycle.
Bella
was smaller than Kirby when she came to stay with us but has quickly outsized him. It’s rather amusing that she weighs less than
him yet towers over him! She has become
quite attached to him and has always been gentle. She can push him around though when she
wants. If he is drinking water and she
wants some, Bella simply pushes him out of her way. Kirby, being the little gentleman, waits.
Kirby
eats a dehydrated food while Bella eats puppy chow so I was concerned about how
to handle that. However, mealtimes
haven’t been a problem because (don’t laugh) I feed Kirby at my dining
table. She eats very quickly where Kirbs
eats much slower. This just eliminates
any possible food fights and ensures that Kirby gets his food.
There
are things her forever family needs to know about her. They need to know she is very loving and
gentle. She loves to get up in the
recliner with Kirby and I. She is
content to snuggle next to me and, when Kirby allows, likes to lay her head on
him. Other times, she lies down under
the footrest. She’s sleeping there now
as I write this.
They
need to know she is crate trained. She
and Kirby each stay in crates set side by side in my home office while I am at
work. She doesn’t like when I leave for
work and starts crying the second I return home. At night I move her crate next to my
bed. Our night time ritual involves
turning off lights and final playtime in my bedroom. When I say bedtime Bella will go into her
crate and lay down. I then shut the
crate door, get in bed, and turn off the light.
She goes to sleep and remains quiet until I get up in the morning. She does, however, want her breakfast
immediately. She can be very vocal which is a little hard to
take before that first cup of coffee!
They
need to know how smart she is. She has
learned the rules very quickly and is very good about only playing with the dog
toys. She doesn’t get into the garbage
cans or touch anything on the coffee table.
She knows sit! Kirby has a few
interactive treat toys which Bella figured out very quickly. She is observant and has learned so much
simply by watching Kirby.
They
need to know she loves treats and anxiously watches me whenever I am in the
kitchen baking. I wish I had thought to
take that picture of her and Kirby actually sitting side by side facing the
oven while their peanut butter paws baked. She
also loves rawhide chews. She and Kirby
have a game where they take each others chews, back and forth, back and
forth.
They
need to know that when I take a bath Kirby always waits on my bed. Bella prefers to stay in the bathroom with me
sprawled out on the rug. Is she assuming
her position as watch dog? Could
be. Alas, she doesn’t really like her
baths and worries when Kirby has his, watching and barking in a concerned sort
of way.
They
need to know she travels well in the car.
I usually place her crate in the backseat but one trip I didn’t have
it. Bella stayed in the backseat. Whenever I looked back to check she would
lift up her head to look at me. She also
enjoys going to the dog park. At first she
was timid around the larger dogs and tended to follow Kirby wherever he went. She has become a little braver each time we
visit.
They
need to know we have two cats which Bella is very curious about. Chelsea has made her cry a time or two with a
swat when she got too close. Our other
cat, Kaitlyn, just looks at her and walks right past her. Bella has never shown any aggression toward
either one.
I
find myself falling in love with this sweet girl. A part of me wants to keep her so I’ll know
she is safe. She and Kirby have bonded
so I worry that they will miss each other.
I worry that I will miss her. I worry
that she will feel afraid and alone when I send her away because she thinks she
has a home with us. A
part of me knows she needs a home with a big fenced yard to give her room to
run. My prayer is that she has a forever
family who will love her and provide her a safe, happy home filled with toys,
treats, and lots of fun.
December
11, 2010. That’s the day Bella will
travel north to the family who has adopted her. I’m sending them my name, email address, and
home address. I know she will become
their dog but I do hope they update me every now and then with pictures and
stories. The tears will flow that
day. I will miss her. Kirby will miss her. Bella will always be one of our babies.
Originally posted December 7, 2010
Originally posted December 7, 2010
