Reilly Especially
Mood:  cool
Topic: behave!
More experience with the promising shelter dog, Mitchell, showed Laura that he did indeed pass several tests. She got him to sit and to let her handle his paws and so forth. Time spent with him pointed all signs to GO. Her husband Scott agreed to allow a foster dog in the house after all, and this experience revealed things that could only be known by trying it. Playing outside in the yard with Cody and Cleo- A+ wonderful! Going inside, OK! introduction of nylabones - Cody gives Mitch 2 Dewclaws down due to Devil Dog object guarding. Like Kaylee (whom it now occurs to me as I write we called "Kaylee Ann Mitchell" because her foster mother's last name was Mitchell) this guy acted out in the presence of treasure. Laura sensibly and disappointedly brought him and the information that he would transition most successfully to a home with no other dogs back to the shelter. She is going through the same rollercoaster of questions and emotions that I went through around Kaylee, except in a very concentrated amount of time.

There are some things you just can't tell until they are tried. It may be that Mitch will win some dogless person's heart and having only to adjust to indoor family life he can gain confidence and gradually learn his other graces, like sharing. Since his reaction was so similar to Kaylee's, I think this may be common with dogs who spend developmental puppy months in the shelter. The behaviorist I spoke with in the Kaylee Days said that these dogs are not used to having resources at leisure and they guard them and react pretty fiercely- it takes a special kind of effort to rehabilitate them. Project dogs. No matter how well intended your heart may be, your family home may not be the right enviroment to conduct this rehab. Laura has two happy dogs and a home clicking nicely along, I have a dog and a soon-to be 7 year old girl. Both of us are knowledgeable and caring and want to do right things, but we do not have the ideal situations for rehabbing dogs with behavior issues.

So in a way it is disappointing but in another way I feel relief and extra value for the good things I have. I had some important conversations with Jeff, and I do not have to make wild fluctuation from my current Life O' Reilly. I still think 2 dogs could be fun but given the family I already have and love, I think our best odds for success would be by adding a baby puppy rather than a dog with history to this mix. I have promised Jeff that we will not upend our life with more pets for the rest of 2006. We may revisit in spring of 2007. maybe.

It is fun to have Cody and Cleo over, or Scout, and to visit dog friends. It is fun to take Rei everywhere, stores, bank, mom's house for holidays. She can be my sidekick and have lots of fun and privelige. Robin to my Batman. Is it Chrystal and Reilly or Chrys and her dogs? Just thinking.