Introducing Rheagan!

Since Ezra has become a part-time foster, and we have a long list of "urgent" status dogs waiting in shelters, we have taken another foster dog. 

My only request was that he or she be physically healthy.  My reason for this, believe it or not, is not that I am totally exhausted from the extreme cases we've had recently, but because hiking season is right around the corner!  We are planning several over-nights this fall and we can't afford to be boarding a dog every weekend.  Ideally we'll have an adoption by then, but as we all know, it doesn't always pan out that way.  

Last weekend, Bonni and Chris visited us (Thanks again for coming Bons!) so Bonni was actually with me when I picked Rheagan up from the vet where she was being held.  Paralyzed in fear, she had to be pried off the parking lot and placed into the car. 

Her background is that she had belonged to a back yard "breeder" and was never inside.   She is only a year and a half old and has had three litters already, her last being in May.  Clearly, this means that she was only a pup herself when her first litter was born.  She definitely grew up too fast. 

Bonni and I did the "pack walk" when we first brought her home.  It's nice to finally be able to do that again.  It's been so long since we could actually walk on the pavement without scorching their paws!  Things were fine and she was thrown in full force to the experience of what a dog's life can be.  I say that, because we had great weather, so we all spent the majority of Friday, Sat, and Sunday outside having fun.  We played yard games, grilled, swam, and relaxed.  All the while, she learned to interact with us and the other dogs.  She was overwhelmed at times, but in a good way.  She didn't know what to make of all the fun going on around her. 

She did have a minor set back with Jonathon her very first night here.  She was standing behind him and when he turned around, she accidentally backed up into the pool.  He was right there so he quickly pulled her out.  She couldn't have been in the water for more than a second, but she totally blamed him.  She ran away from him so fast only to turn around and give him the evil eye.  She honestly wouldn't go near him all weekend!  In fact, she still hesitates to approach him.  The only exception is when he is petting one of the other dogs, in which case her jealousy outweighs her fear.  I Guess that's one of the down sides of having an in-ground pool.  They all fall in at some point, but she is the first one to hold such a grudge!


This little dog is young, healthy and cute.  She is also AKC registered.  She should be a fairly quick adoption (knocking on wood right now) if I can work out her minor issues.  These issues are 1) Potty and crate training.   Having never been in a house, she has no experience with either.  2) Walking on a leash.  She must have had only bad experiences going places because unlike my other dogs, who go crazy with excitement at the mere sight of a leash, she runs away from it.  I have to literally drag her out of the house.  3) Learning to trust people.  She is pretty shy, almost fearful.  I would bet anything that she has been hit in the past because she cowers pretty badly when you reach out to pet her.   Enter Dixie and Jax! Teaching other dogs that life isn't scary is their specialty:-)

Doesn't she look like Bindi? Apparently I think so, cause I spent the first several days calling her that!