Snugglebug

I LOVE LOVE LOVE that she is a snuggler!

We had 6 other people over for Thanksgiving. Jenny was VERY shy around them all, so we didn't push her. We just let Jenny do her thing and I told guests to just let her observe and see that nobody is a threat. She eventually accepted treats from Sara and Nancy, but spent most of the night here:

At the end of the night John did try to sit by her and pet her but you could tell she was uncomfortable :(

We had a fun walk on the dog path (Greenbelt) in Hermosa Beach today. Jenny needs a little coaxing to get walking, but once she does, she enjoys it! She has a habit of stopping to "yield" to runners on the path, though. So needless to say, we stop a lot on our walk on the dog path!

I was so excited to bring her there. Ever since I moved to CA in 2003, I have always wanted to bring a dog to the dog path for walks.

"I just LOVE to SNIFF!"

"So much better than the shelter...."

Autumn leaves in SoCal

Cats and Dogs

 Jenny and Béla have been peacefully coexisting, which is all I ever asked for from Béla. She has been the queen of the house for the last 6 years, so I wasn't expecting her to want to be best friends with Jenny right away. 

Béla will sometimes still swat at Jenny if she gets to close, but luckily it is nothing that makes Jenny yelp or anything. It almost seems like more of a playful swat without claws.

Béla is starting to spend more time downstairs with Jenny, which is great! I feel terrible because Jenny has taken over 2 of her favorite spots- the kitchen rug and the top of the couch. I am hoping that in time, Béla starts to use those spots more if they are unoccupied. 

Jenny is definitely intimidated by Béla a bit. If Béla is blocking her pathway (especially in the hallway or on the stairs) Jenny will whine to get help passing.

We still keep them separated when we are not at home using a baby gate on the stairs....just to be safe. 

"No matter what, this is STILL my castle!"

The closest pic I could get of the 2 of them together

Today Jenny met my friend Amber's dog Moose. Her dog, Moose, is bigger and a bit more aggressive so we had to watch them carefully when they were outside off leash. I don't think Jenny enjoys playing with dogs who are larger than her, though. It must feel threatening from her point of view to have a larger dog want to play, so I am not going to push her into it if I see she in uncomfortable. She did sit on the couch with me while the grown-ups watched the USC game. Moose behaved inside like a gentleman!

Jenny and Aunt Amber

Terry and Nancy also brought Maybe over yesterday. Another bigger dog, which I think Jenny has problems with. Perhaps she was beaten up on the streets by an older dog and is very careful? She is also very cautious with guys so we wonder if she was abused by a man in her past? We kept a close eye on Maybe and Jenny. They got into one little scuffle outside (Jenny got scared and growled at Maybe and they had to be separated) but when we were inside Jenny stayed on the couch with me and things were better. Maybe is used to playing rough with a pitbull mix friend, so I am not quite sure she will be a good playmate for Jenny off leash, but you never know!

Only pic I could get of the 2 of them...

Playdate!

Jenny had her first playdate today! We went next door to Edith's house to hang out with Molly. Jenny did AWESOME! They ran around the yard and played like buddies!

Edith and the girls...

Jenny and her new buddy, Molly!

Checkup time

First Vet visit today! Dr Hutson REALLY took her time with Jenny to make her feel comfortable. Everything went well and Jenny was a trooper!

On the way...

"Where are we?"

Today Jenny also walked with me and Craig to have lunch at The Source! She did great although she is still quite shy around new people, especially men. She let a woman come close to her, but not her husband.  She did make some doxie friends, though!

Doxie friend!

THIS makes me so happy....LOVE!

Bathtime!

Today Jenny had her first bath! I brought her into the tub without water at first to give her treats and show her it is a "safe place" and then BELA jumped in!!!!! It was crazy! Bela stood right next to her and just sniffed around, like she didn't want to miss anything. It was super cute but sadly my camera was not nearby.

I just made the bath a positive experience for Jenny even though I could tell she wasn't enjoying it. I'm glad I got her used to the hair dryer this week while I was drying my hair - she let me dry her hair, too! It is incredible the amount of trust she has with me.

I wish I would have gotten pictures, but I was too worried about making sure she wasn't scared in the tub - I wanted it to be as positive as possible for her so I couldn't stop to snap pictures. Maybe next time!

Post bath sulking. Béla even felt bad for her and was there to comfort her.

Today we took Jenny to happy hour with us! I was SO nervous that she would whine by the fence that separates us sitting from where the dogs can be tied up, even though it would be right next to our table. Luckily she observed the pier sights for awhile, then laid down. Eventually she crawled under the fence and layed by my feet. Luckily, our waiter said that was fine and he said to make sure we bring her back! She also did great on the long walk - lots of energy for walking up the hill back. We even got to see some K9 Police Dog training on the way home! We watched a dog attack a guy in a truck (I guess simulating someone who wouldn't get out of a car.) Very cool!

at medeterreneo

I am sorry to anyone I ever said "I will NEVER put my dog in clothes" to.
Today I caved and bought Jenny a Giants shirt.
I'm so embarrassed, but strangely excited ;)

 

 

I am thankful...

~that she is SO LOVING

~that she curls up next to us on the couch and puts her head on our laps

~that she has learned her schedule to go pee and poop outside 

and has not had an accident in the house since Day 2!

~that she has chosen the farthest corner of the yard to do her business

~that she does not beg at the table for food

~that she does not try to run out the front door when we come in

~that she lays in my lap

~that she is good with Bela so far. She tries to play chase with her sometimes, 

but Bela is quick to put her in her place

~that she is good with other dogs we encounter on walks, even though she is shy

~that she does not pull on the leash

~that she is not reactive to other dogs/kids/skateboards/sounds

~that she sleeps next to me on the bed through the whole night 

without getting up to roam or bark

 

~that she does not chew things in the house when we are gone or bark 

when we leave for hours like some dogs

~that she barely barks

 

Pier Day

I took Jenny to the Pier in Hermosa Beach for the first time today. She did AWESOME in the car and equally great on the pier. There were lots of new people and noises (skateboards, bikes, etc) that she was unsure of there, but overall she braved it well!

 She even pooped in front of Sharkey's so she must have been at least a little comfy!

In the car...

"It's a big, scary world out there!"

With mom hanging out

"This isn't so bad!"