My name is Sadie, now, although that was not my real name. I’m about two or three years old. I can’t remember how old I am for sure, since everyone knows that dogs have a poor sense of time. Five minutes seems like five days to us! I am a very pretty girl, if I do say so myself. I am a beagle mix and my coat is snow white, sable brown and midnight black with just a hint of auburn thrown in for good luck! My markings and face look like a beagle, but I have feathering in my coat (not like bird feathers though!) but like you might see on a springer spaniel. Yes, maybe it is springer spaniel, since I have so much 'bounce' in my jumps! When I walk, though, I 'waddle' like beagles do. I'm a medium sized dog but I have a gigantic heart!

My other family left me outside a humane shelter this summer. I have no clue why they did this. I gave them love and tried to do what I thought they wanted me to do, but one day, for reasons I'll never understand they just got rid of me. Let me tell you, being abandoned was a real bummer. My family took pretty good care of me. They had me spayed (they said it was the responsible thing to do). They fed & groomed me. They taught me some manners. I thought they would love me forever. I will never understand humans. How could they just dump me like a used newspaper?

Well, anyway, the people at the shelter took me inside. I thought, "Well, this wasn’t so bad. I already have a new family," but then they put me in a cement kennel/run. It wasn’t very big, but there was a spare room that I used for a "potty place" since I didn’t have access to the outside for that function. My new "home" wasn’t soft and comfy like I was used to and the cement walls and fence gates on the front and back confined me. I could hear and smell the other doggies, but I couldn’t socialize with them. This really frustrated me. I hated this cell!

Now I know I shouldn’t be complaining. A lot of animals are forced to live on the streets. I had a clean, warm, dry place to sleep; my own blanket; food, water and a toy, but I was so lonesome. I missed my walks outside, chasing squirrels. I missed the softness of carpet and furniture to lay on. What I missed most, though, was the love and petting I was used to. Not that the people there weren’t nice to me. They would say sweet things to me and pat me on the head, but there were just so animals that needed attention.

The nights were the worst part. In the semi-darkness, I would sleep fitfully and have nightmares worrying whether my family was going to come for me or if someone else would eventually take me home or if something worse would happen to me. I was so frightened, but there was nobody I could confide in. I had learned a new scent in this place—the smell of death. I knew I had to be as cute as I could possibly be so that someone, anyone, would rescue me because I wasn’t ready to go to "The Rainbow Bridge" yet.

I had been in this prison cell a couple of days, I think, when I saw a new face. Since my wiles hadn’t worked on anyone else and I had given up on ever going back to my first home, I decided I would try real hard to get this lady's attention. So I made the saddest face I could. I let my lower eyelids droop a little, kind of like a cocker’s eyes, and then locked my big, brown, sad eyes onto hers. Then I dropped my head a little and let my ears hang limp so that I would look forlorn. Then for the clincher, I wagged my long, bushy tail with all my energy. "Hey, lady, come look at me! I need a home, I don't have one anymore!" It worked! She came over and talked to me and scratched my head through the fence door. I was so happy, but then she walked away. I knew I would spend another night by myself.

After I had been at the shelter for about five days I think, a shelter worker came and got me one morning. I heard them say that I was no longer a stray, I could go to the adoptable side. "Oh, boy! I’m going to a new home!" I thought. But that isn’t what it felt like. Then I got really scared. Maybe I wasn’t going anywhere that I would walk out on my own four legs! I was put in another kennel in a different section, and it was better because there were lots of people walking down the aisle all day. They would talk to me and scratch my head, and now sometimes, someone would put me on a leash and take me outside for a walk, but I was still so lonesome. Then I saw that lady again.

I tried again with all of my might to get her attention. It worked! She came over and began talking to me. I could tell she was really "sizing me up". She said she would come back tomorrow with her husband. Oh, please, hurry up tomorrow!

Going Home

The next day I waited and waited. Finally I saw her. She picked up a leash and opened the gate to my kennel. "Oh, lady, I don’t know who you are yet, but you are my hero!" I thought. We went outside. I showed them that I was housebroken. Then we went in a room. They got down on the floor with me and talked to me and petted me. I don’t think any petting had ever felt so wonderful before! I could tell they liked me. And I knew I liked them. Yippee! I am going to get a new home!

I was so anxious to go to my new home, but first the lady, my new "mommy" said I had to have a bath. UGH! It was worth it, though, because those darned fleas were making me itch like crazy! Then she brushed me and trimmed my matted hair, and we were finally out of there. Little trooper that I was, I jumped right up in that big truck, and sat there on that soft seat like a little angel. I heard them say that I sure rode nicely in the vehicle. Then they talked about how cute and sweet I was. Oh how happy I was to have a family again!

I can’t tell you how excited I was when I got to my new home. I had a big fenced in back yard with a huge drinking bowl! I leaned over to get a drink and fell right in that water thing. This was unlike any water bowl I had ever seen before! Since I don’t like to get my paws wet, I avoid that bowl and use the small one in the kitchen now! Mom called me out to the yard. "Here No Name, come!" she said. The concrete ended and I stepped onto another surface, which I had never felt before. It tickled my feet and I wasn’t real sure I liked the feel of it. It is even worse when it is wet. Ick! I don’t like having my feet tickled or wet! I will have to say, now, though, that this stuff they call grass is ok and since so much else is "right" in my life, getting my paws wet doesn’t bother me nearly as much as it used to! I went back to the cement and pottied. My mom thought this was strange. She thought all dogs knew about grass. I now go potty in the grass and wonder why I never had access to it before.

The first few days in my new home were wonderful! My new mom and dad spoiled me rotten! Whatever I wanted, I got. If I wanted to be petted, I just went over to them and rooted their hand with my nose and Viola! I got a long, loving petting. Mom took me to the "doggie store" and let me pick out some treats and sniff other dog butts. (Sniffing many dog butts is one of the highlights in my life!) She also took me to meet her friends and they, also, found me irresistible and felt sorry for me, and over-indulged me with attention. The only event in these few days that I could have done without was the trip to the veterinarian. While he was a nice enough guy, those people always seem to be bent on giving shots, and that is not something that I enjoy.

Then I finally got a real name. I didn't like being called "no name" because I had a name, I just couldn't figure out how to tell mom what it was. Mom and dad began calling me "Sadie". They said being that I was such a backward acting dog, my name needed to be soft and easy sounding. Also, that when I wanted to, I could make my eyes look ‘so sad’, thus Sadie. It wasn’t long before I couldn’t even remember my original name and I decided that I liked that name. Sadie. I was now Sadie.

Troubles Develop

After just getting used to my new, wonderful home and family, something awful happened. One morning, my humans left without me. I freaked! "NO, NO!" my psyche screamed. "Don’t leave me. The last time someone left me I ended up in that awful shelter!" By the time mom came home I had worked myself up into a real frenzy and was panting like I had just run a race (which actually I had)! I guess I went sort of crazy. I was so overjoyed that she was home that I jumped so high I kissed her on the face. I spun around in circles, dancing with glee. She hugged me. My eyes pleaded with her, "Never, ever, leave me again. I almost went nuts!" Why was this happening to me? I was trying to be a good girl so that I didn't have to find another home, but I was thinking I must be doing something really awful otherwise they wouldn't leave me alone when it made me feel so scared. Then they left me again.

This time I think they were beginning to figure out that there might be a problem when they left me because they set up a video camera before they left me. When they got home I found out I was a "movie star". Imagine me, a lowly mutt, being the star of my own video, just like Lassie! My dad was very upset about the scratches I had left on the woodwork around the doors, but my mom was more worried about my body language, which she said showed that I was in a panic. We all watched the video. There I was running from door to door, jumping and scratching, thinking that I might be able to get out of the house and follow them. I jumped so high that I left my slobber marks three-quarters of the way up on the glass of the front door. Then I heard my howling and whining. I remember doing that hoping that someone would hear my distress call. After watching how I reacted to being home alone, I heard my mom phone a dog behaviorist. Mom told dad they were going to have to put me in a crate. What's a crate, I wondered? I heard her tell my daddy that I must have Separation Anxiety because I didn’t behave that way when they were home. I don't know about this Separation Anxiety stuffy, but I know that I sure get scared when they leave me!

The crate was the awful. Although my mom tried to make it a "nice" place by putting treats in it and feeding me in it, the thing reminded me of the prison cell at the shelter. I was so emotionally upset that my stomach was so awfully jittery that I vomited in the house. I was so sorry that I made a mess, but I just couldn’t help it. And where was this new attitude they had developed coming from? If I would go over to them and nudge their hand with my nose, they would ignore me! My demands for attention were useless! This had never happened before! It was as if I didn’t even exist! It was making me physically ill.

Being sick was actually a blessing in disguise. Mom figured out that I couldn’t take all these changes happening so suddenly, and she started backing off on the ignoring thing. I had a feeling that other changes were in my future. But then they left me alone again.

The Times They Are A Changin'

Too much had changed too quickly and I was scared. Scared of losing my new home and frightened of being left alone. This time on top of clawing at the doors and woodwork and running through the house like a "mad dog", my nerves were so bad that I needed to go to potty RIGHT NOW. But, of course, there was no one home to let me out and once it started it just kept coming and I couldn't make it stop! When mom came home and saw all the messes, bless her heart, she didn’t scold me. She didn’t make a big deal of it; she just cleaned it up. Then she got me some medicine to make my tummy feel better.

I was certainly right about things changing, though. We started working on something they called obedience training. I was learning "sit", "down", "stay", and "come". "Sit" I had learned before, but this "stay" thing was the worst. They actually expected me to stay where I was until they told me I could move! What did they expect? After all, I'm only canine! We worked on these procedures two times per day, for about five to ten minutes at a time. It wasn’t so bad because I got treats!

We also started practicing "Nothing In Life Is Free" (NILIF). What this meant was that I had to "earn" everything I wanted. I had to "sit" to be let out, "sit" to be let in, "sit" to be fed, called over to them and "sit" if I were to receive any petting. Jeez! Now I understood how mom felt about having to work to "earning a living"! But at least they were now acknowledging that I was there. I wasn’t being ignored any longer. But I was also no longer in charge. But the simple fact that they were acknowledging my presence reduced some of the anxiety I was feeling. I no longer felt compelled to lick myself obsessively for comfort.

They also started pretending like they were going to leave me but they didn’t. I would get myself all worked up when mom picked up her purse and keys, and I would head for the door, thinking she was leaving, but to my surprise, she would just go sit down on the couch. Then just about the time I thought that she was settled in, she would get up again, pick up her purse and keys and just sit back down. This really confused me, but, needless to say, over time, it didn’t bother me so much when she got her purse or keys because it didn’t necessarily mean that she was leaving.

Mom and dad were really on a fitness kick during all this. They would go out one door and then come in another. Then out a different one and back in the first. I couldn’t figure out which door to wait by. I think the neighbors probably thought they were nuts. I know that is what I thought! I didn't need any part of this fitness thing. I was already getting plenty of exercise because I worked out like crazy when they were gone! But amazingly enough, eventually I kind of lost interest in trying to figure out what they were doing and the feeling that I needed to try to beat them to the door decreased.

Dad installed baby gates at the top of the stairs to the basement, between the dining room and living room, and at the entrance to the hall. I didn’t much care for this because it stopped me from constantly following them everywhere they went, and being a "Velcroä dog", I didn’t understand why I couldn’t always be with them. Again, I think this was part of their fitness training because they really had to lift their legs high to climb over the gates. Of course, they were a breeze for me to jump!

Another thing I began to notice is that when they did leave me, they didn’t pay any attention to me for about 20 minutes before they left, but they did give me a "special" toy, a Kong stuffed with goodies and peanut butter. I was still too anxious to eat the goodies in it, but I knew that when they came home, mom would pick it up and put it away. If I wanted those goodies I would eventually have to get to the point that I could focus on the Kong while they were gone. They also started ignoring all of my jumping up on them and my excitement when they came home. Again, it was about 20 minutes before they would call me over to be petted. I began to wonder if aliens had adopted me!

I also had to start taking two pills a day. Something to calm my nerves. I think they called it Clomicalmä . It really wasn’t a bother, though, because my mom just opened my mouth, put the pill in the back of my throat, then closed my mouth and naturally I swallowed. After about three weeks I noticed that I did in fact feel less anxious when then would leave me. I don’t know if I was feeling less anxious because of the medicine or because of all the crazy routines we went through daily, but I was beginning to feel a little calmer.

A Silver Lining

Just so that I don’t give the wrong impression, not everything about this change was bad. I started getting to go for two 30-minute walks a day. I watched squirrels, smelled lots of new things, and got to meet new doggie friends. I felt better physically and mentally. I was actually tired after the exercise, so I wasn’t quite as anxious all the time. And since I was getting all pooped out by walking, I didn't have as much energy to burn when they left me alone.

Once a week I also got to go to a big indoor horse barn where there were all sorts of jumps, tunnels, and other pieces of equipment that I could play on. They called it "agility". I called it "showing off my stuff" because I could keep up with the best of the other dogs. Those silly little 12" jumps – heck I could easily clear three feet! The tunnels were a lot of fun, especially the collapsed chute tunnel. I love the A-frame. Zoom, zoom; up we go then down again. The weave polls are cool, too. The faster you weave the more fun it is. The thing they call the dog walk is my favorite. I speed across that just like I was chasing a squirrel. The only thing that was a little scary was the teeter-totter. At first I thought it was another dog walk, but about the time I got just half way across it the back end of it flew up and the front end went smashing down onto the ground. Hey! At least make this fair, give me something stable to work with.

Well, back to being left alone. I had gained a lot of respect for my mom and dad, because they seemed pretty intelligent. After all they had reversed the rolls of the household on me without me even realizing it. They were now the ones in charge, not me. But when they tried to confine me to just a certain area of the house when they left, I started wondering if they even had a clue about me. Why did they think those little gates were enough to keep me out of other rooms! When they were home, I didn’t care, I didn’t even try to jump them, but when they left me, I was so anxious that there was no way I was going to be denied access to other parts of the house.

First they tried confining me to the kitchen. They put the gate so that I couldn’t crawl under it, but even I will admit that it was a bit intimidating for me to consider going over it either. Well, the first time I was confined to the kitchen, I studied the gate situation quite fervently. After realizing that I couldn’t get out either over or under the gate, I started assessing my options. The next time I was confined to the kitchen, I put my plan into action. Using the handles on the cabinet drawers as a stepladder, I scaled up onto the counter. Now I was queen of the kitchen. From there all I had to do was jump down to the floor in the dining room. Free at last!

Next they tried confining me to the living room. Even though the gate was pretty high, I had plenty of room to get a running start, and whoosh, I was over that obstacle. Back and forth I went between the kitchen/dining room and the living room. This whole issue of being confined was becoming quite fun for me!

They were still using a gate at the hallway to keep me out of the back area of the house where the bedrooms were, but I really didn’t care that much. I was so anxious when they were gone that I had to keep checking both doors. Since they never left from any door down that hallway, I had no reason to want down there just yet.

Gradually, I started feeling more secure in my home and less anxious about being left alone. The fears of my family never returning were fading. I started lying down by the doors for brief periods of time. I tried to enjoy the stuffed Kong that my mom left me, but I was still a little too nervous to tackle it. Let’s face it, if I got all absorbed in that Kong, I might miss out on something or not know the instant they came home!

Finally, after about six weeks or so, mom quit using the gate at the hall. She told daddy that I had learned everything they had tried to teach me and I still tried to follow them everywhere they went. She said that since I could do a 30-minute stay with them not in my sight that my following them must just be my nature and she thought that I should be allowed to follow, just not rewarded in any shape or form. So now I finally had free reign of the whole house!

Funny, I didn’t think I really cared about being able to go back to the bedrooms when they were gone, but now that I could, that became my favorite place to go when left alone. I still couldn’t stay back there for long because I couldn’t keep an eye on the doors from there, but I began going back and laying down on the bed for five minutes or so, then coming out and checking to make sure they had not come home.

I was starting to feel a little independent. One morning I totally freaked my mom out. She got up and I wasn’t in the bedroom. She checked in the other bedroom. I wasn’t there either. Do you know where she found me? I was out in the living room on the couch all by myself! That was a big step for me. Up until now it had been so important that I try to Velcroä myself to my mom and dad anytime I could. I was starting to trust what my mom kept telling me, that I was part of their family forever now and that they would never desert me. So, this particular night I just didn’t feel like sleeping on my blanket in the bedroom. I felt like the comfort of a soft couch.

Because I no longer felt quite as anxious when they left me, I started relaxing more and the strangest thing happened. The more I relaxed, the easier it was to relax. Gradually the images I had in my head of jumping, running, and howling were replaced with calm images of me laying down and feeling ok. So the more I laid down, the more I wanted to lay down and the easier it was to just close my eyes and think happy thoughts of my new mommy and daddy and my wonderful new life.

I'm Really Getting Better

So one day when they left me, they set up the video camera. Less than a minute after they left, I just went back to the bedroom and slept. I did come out once to check the door because I thought I heard something, but then I went back to the bed to sleep some more. I was also finding that that Kong with all the goodies and peanut butter in it was pretty tempting, so when they would first leave, I would attack my Kong. It helped to relieve the anxiety that was always the greatest in the first 15 minutes that they were gone.

During this time, with all the NILIF and obedience training, I was becoming quite a well-mannered dog. Plus, since I was so insecure, I listened to my mom and dad with great intensity and tried my hardest to do what I thought they were asking me to do. Now that I was developing some self-confidence, though, what they told me wasn't quite as interesting, especially if there were other distractions around. Before, I really hadn't noticed all the things my world had to offer. Mom was starting to get a little frustrated with me because I wasn't paying as close of attention to her. She said I acted like I was going through adolescence. I don't know what adolescence is, but I sure know I felt like a puppy again!

A funny thing happened about this time. My anxiety level was now manageable and I started to feel really happy. All those neat toys they had bought me that had been untouched in the toy basket now looked pretty interesting to me. Playing ball was the best! Who could ask for more than to have a ball thrown so that you could go chase it! Bring it back and voila! humans would throw it again. Repeatedly, until I was too worn out to chase it any longer. My tug rope was pretty cool, too. I always won, of course! Oh, the fun things in that basket. Why had it taken me so long to check it out?

With my anxiety of being deserted greatly diminished, I was also able to let my true personality start to emerge. Under that shy, introverted exterior was "wild dog Sadie". I just felt so good that I had an unbelievable amount of energy! I wanted to run and frolic. I wanted to play with other dogs! I wanted to finally "just be a dog". Now, I was doing so well that mom started weaning me off of my medication. Gradually, I no longer had to take pills!

Needless to say, I have been on quite an emotional roller coaster. I went from being loved, to being deserted, to finding a new family that I think is terrific! (Pause one moment, please, for a brief pity party for me!) But now that my tail is in full swing again, I want to share with you my newly found happiness!

One of the neatest things my humans do with me is something they call "clicker training". I just love learning new tricks! I can sit, stay, down, sit up, dance, roll over, get shot and play dead, high five, shake, crawl, do a circle, and ring a bell. But my favorite trick is 'itch my nose'. Everyone makes such a big fuss when I do that. Mom will say, "Sadie, does your nose itch?" to which I lay down and take my paws and pretend like I am scratching my nose. I think that the silliest things amuse humans!

Regression

Remember I told you I no longer have to take those pills? Well, let me tell you, once they got out of my system, there was a period of time when I thought anxiety was going to run my life again! When mom and dad would leave me, I started feeling panicky again. I hadn't felt this way for a long time, why was it bothering me now? I started jumping on the doors again, but at least I didn't feel so anxious that I had to howl, whine, and scratch. Good old mom picked up on this, so guess what? We had to start doing those 30-minute stays again. I can tell you that after having to stay in one place for that long, their leaving seemed like nothing! Plus I was having a hard time concentrating on my Kong, so mom started putting some lunchmeat in it with the doggie treats. Now I can hold out with the best of them for a plain old dog bone, but that lunch meat…that was just too much! When she would start stuffing the Kong before they left I would be like "hurry up and leave so I can have my Kong!" It takes me about 15 minutes to get all the goodies out of the Kong and by then I have kind of forgotten that I don't like it when I'm left alone.

The other thing that really bothers me is when they both leave together. It is easiest for me if mom leaves, like when she goes to that place she calls work (where she says she goes to get money to buy doggie treats), then later dad leaves. Because they leave one at a time, it just doesn't feel so 'permanent' to me. Well mom must have figured that out because they quit leaving at the same time. Mom would leave, then about five minutes later dad would leave and I was ok with that.

After a few weeks of being off the medication and those few changes, I am feeling like I can handle it when I'm left alone. Now don't get me wrong. If I were president, I would make a law that humans had to take their pets everywhere with them! But since I don't always get to go, I guess I'm getting independent enough that I can stay by myself. I like to think of myself as Scarlett O'Hara…."I'll think about that tomorrow!"

Reflections

You know, I was thinking the other day and I realized I really hardly remember anything now about my life before I came to live at my new house. It almost seems to me like I didn't even exist until I got my new mommy and daddy. Once in a while something will happen that will cause me to have a flashback. Like the other day when dad was using the snow shovel. It scared me. I don't remember why, but I saw a brief picture in my minds' eye that made me remember I am scared of snow shovels. I can't remember it clearly enough to know why, just that I know in my past something happened with a snow shovel that frightened me. Which in itself is kind of odd because I am a pretty brave girl. There isn't much that scares me. I'm not even scared of "Jaws", that thing mom runs around over the carpet to pick up the dirt. Heck, I even let her put the attachment on it and let "Jaws" brush me!

Anyway, back to my reflections. I was having a 'spiritual' moment and thinking back to when I first came to live at my new house. I was really a silly goose. I didn't like grass, now I love my yard! I absolutely detested going out in the grass when it was wet because my feet got wet. Now I like to run and play in the rain. It was like pulling teeth to get me to go out and potty unless I was on a leash going for a walk. Now when mom or dad tells me to go out and go potty, I just trot right out in the yard and get on with it. I don't even do a bunch of sniffing if they tell me I need to 'hurry'.

Doggie Games

Obviously, the best thing in my life is having a family that loves me and cares for my needs. Second to that, though, the next best thing in life is a squirrel! Oh, boy, what I wouldn't give to be able to walk on fences and wires like they can! When we walk, I get so excited when I see a squirrel, but my humans make me sit and the walk stops until I quit pulling, so I have learned to "leave it" when we walk. Occasionally, though, I get to chase a squirrel in my back yard. I can't figure out how they scamper up the telephone poll so quickly. I tried to do just that, but I can't seem to get a grip so that I can climb the pole. But I can sure jump. One time I had my front feet on the top of the 6 1/2' privacy fence we have around my back yard. Boy, was mom shocked when I did that! Anyway, I am so obsessed by squirrels that every time mom says something that I don't understand, I assume she is telling me there is a squirrel in my back yard so I go to the window to look. She asks me where my dad is and I go look out the window. After all, since squirrels are so important to me, I figure that they are to her and so she must talk about them as much as I think about them. One of these days I am going to catch me a squirrel. Oh, but I wouldn't have a clue what to do with it if that ever did happen!

I have also learned how to entertain myself some times, since I don't need mom and dad for everything anymore! I wish I had a "doggie sister or brother" to play with. Mom says she does too, so maybe this spring, when it is warmer, we will find me one. Anyway, I made up a game I call "Chase Me, Invisible Dog". Now here is how I play it:

First, I run through the house a couple of times real fast. You know, tuck your tail down so you don't get wind resistance and really zip! I do this to get 'invisible dog' interested in me. Then I go get a toy and zoom, I crawl under the bed. I hope I don't get any bigger cause if I do I won't be able to get under, or for that fact, out from under the bed anymore! Now I hide real quiet, waiting to see if 'invisible dog' can find me. Sure enough, after a couple of minutes he does! So now, thump, thump, thump, I crawl out from under the bed, and chase 'invisible dog'. It is now his turn to hide. Of course, he has no imagination, so he gets under the bed just like I did and I go find him. I get so excited upon finding him that I have to run a few laps to work off the excitement. Sometimes mom wants to join in. I think she is jealous that I have found a new playmate. She is a much better seeker than 'invisible dog' is. She always seems to know exactly where I have hidden!

Snow Dog

Ah, the first snow of the season! Wow, what fun! Look at me! I am a snowplow! See me plow the snow with my nose! Look, see me run real fast, slip, and fall and roll in this soft, white fluff! Please throw some snowballs for me to try to catch because I love to eat snow! Now look at me, I AM a snowball! I'm Frosty the Snowdog!

More snow and more snow! Now the snow is so deep that some of the drifts are taller than I am. I don't know why my daddy shovels the yard but all the snow he is piling up from the shoveling sure makes a nice place to climb up on and potty on. I think daddy is saying bad words! What does he mean, he shoveled the place in the yard so I would have a place to go potty? Why would I want to go someplace where I didn't have to leap through mounds of snow? It is way more fun to romp in my winter wonderland! Then when I come in, I get all dried off with a nice soft towel and mommy picks the snow out from between the pads of my feet. Now I can get up on the sofa in my blankie and cuddle up and get all warm and fuzzy feeling.

I really like the snow, but it is sure hard to have relay races in and I am here to tell you, I am way overdue for a good run. We have had so much snow and it has been so bitterly cold for so long that I am feeling pretty cooped up! I'll bet that when it gets warmer I will have to have about a 30-minute marathon in my back yard!

My First Sleepover

One evening mom's friend, Pat, came and asked me if I wanted to go home with her. Of course, I like Pat and I like to go places so I was so excited they couldn't get the door open quickly enough to suit me! Mom put my bed, food, toys and treats in Pat's car and of course, I hurried into the back seat so the wouldn't forget me. Then mom shut the door and we started driving away. "Wait a minute!" I thought. "Why isn't my mommy coming, too?" As I looked back, there stood my mom on the front step, tears rolling down her cheeks. I was a little scared. Was I being 'dumped' again?

Well we got to Pat's house in short order and I checked it out pretty thoroughly. There were no boogiemen under the beds and Pat got me a nice fresh dish of water. One time when I came here to visit with mom there was a silly cat. I was kinda looking forward to tormenting her again, but she wasn't here this time. Pat was just letting me do my own thing and I decided if this was a new home, I could be happy here.

While I was staying here this mini-person came to visit, too. They called him a toddler. I called him 'just the right size for me'. I thought his face looked like it could use a washin' so I took right to that job! Now I've never been around these toddlers before, but he had the cutest little laugh when I would wash his face. And he was the most giving thing! He would come over to me and try to wash my face for me! We had such fun. Then Pat got kinda upset with him because he was trying to push buttons on this thing under the television. She was gonna slap his hand I think, but I put a stop to that short order. He was my buddy, wasn't nobody gonna mess with him. I'm not the aggressive type, you know, so I just sorta stood there between him and her and that ended that business right then.

Other people came and went and they loved on me and played with me and I just had a grand old time! On top of that, these people didn't do that NILIF stuff all the time, so I was getting a real vacation.

On the third morning there, I had an odd feeling. I knew that my mom and dad were going to come and get me that day. Now don't ask me how I knew, I just did. I had been pretty calm up to this point, but now I was listening for car doors and watching the door. Sure enough, that evening my mom came to take me home. I have to tell you that it was fun and I hope I get to go back again, but I did miss my own home and even my mom and dad.

My How Time Flies

I have been at my new home 18 months now. It seems like I have always lived here. I wanna tell you about all that my new life has given me!

'Member that separation anxiety problem I had? Well, boy was I a silly goose to be so paranoid. I know that my mommy & daddy are always going to come home to me. And I know that if something happens that they can't, one of my human friends will make sure I have another wonderful home to live in. I don't have that separation anxiety anymore! Boy have I been blessed!

I have LOTS of doggie friends, and I get to play with my two 'special' friends, Gabby & Teddy quite often. We have such fun!

Mom takes me to some places with lots of dogs & some judges. Some of those places she calls 'Obedience Trials'. When we go to those, I haffa be really well behaved & walk right close to my mom & watch what she is doing & try to 'mimic' her. During all of this a human with a clipboard walks around, watches me, & makes marks on a paper. I'm not sure what that is all about. Mom said I came close to 'qualifying' but I gotta learn to 'heel' better. What's heel? I thought that's what I used to try to bite, the back of my humans' feet, when I was a puppy! I used to get in trouble for doing that! I sure wish these bipeds would make up their minds!

We also go to something mom calls 'Agility Trials'. Now those are fun! I getta run all over & go through tunnels, over jumps, across planks, & weave through some poles. What more could a dog ask for! Mom says I do well in agility 'cause I have three legs -- two in UKC & another in USDAA. I don't know where she learned to count 'cause I know that if I didn't have four legs I couldn't do all that running! But I do know I have a bunch of ribbons. One even is blue & has a rosette!

Oh, and I now have initials, just like those 'uptown' dogs. I am officially, Sadie CGC/TDI. That stands for Canine Good Citizen/Therapy Dogs International. I got $1,000,000 of insurance on me when I go visit the nursing homes! Ain't I important??? I even got to go to a school where little kids are & be a part of a demonstration on children & dog safety. I know I shouldn't brag, but I had such a low self-esteem problem a while back & I just feel so good about myself now!

My mommy now teaches doggie classes. Sometimes I go with her & show all the other doggies what they are going to learn. I like doing anything where I get to show off! I love to perform! I especially like to 'itch my nose' & leave the treats on my paws that mom puts there & tells me not to touch for a bit. The other doggies can't believe I can restrain myself that well!

I gotta tell all of you how incredibly happy I am! Even at those trials, people are all the time telling my mom what a happy dog I am. Oh, I truly am! I am so lucky to have found a home where my family loves me & cares for me & lets me do so many fun things!

If I could have one wish, it would be for all of the doggies in the world to have a loving family that cares for them. After all, without love, what are any of us?

Copyright ã 2002 by Karen Sollars. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by an information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author.

Once you have purchased your adorable little puppy. it is unfair to even consider giving it away, just because you cannot handle it. what you should do before buying one,is sit down, awed with a piece of paper and a pen, write down everything you want from the dog, everything you can offer, how your daily lifestyle will need to alter; can you adjust to this change? you may not have a family now, but In the not too distant future you may, do you still want this dog? Once you have listed all these, talk to people who understand dogs, discuss the pros and cons of the breeds that you like and want, does It fit the bill? Do you suit the dog? Once all this has been talked through logically and sensibly you can go to several places to get your dog. A reputable Breeder, Dogs Home, or a Rescue Society specialising In the dog you want. There are plenty of these due to unsuspecting would be owners not planning their purchase as thoroughly as I hope you will plan yours It is far nicer to give a dog a home that really needs one, but the decision is yours.

You now have your pup or dog at home. Think of it as a child and treat It with the same consideration. It needs love, affection, plenty of exercise and it needs discipline. A well trained dog is a pleasure to own, and hopefully, you will realise this. It is not a sin to get in touch with a Dog Trainer for advice and even basic training. They will do the basic groundwork: then you will have to follow up this at home yourself Most trainers will do house visits and check that you are both getting on Well, usually putting things right that are not quite clicking into place But remember, the dog has to learn or re-learn commands, If it is a pup its period of concentration will be limited. It will want to play, it wiill need plenty of sleep. Use all these natural Instincts to your advantage, as the trainer will explain. Spilt your dogs day into PLAYTIME, REST TIME, AND WORKTIME.

Playtime and work time can often be combined, but rest time is important for both you and your dog. It has to learn that you are not them for it to play with always, It must learn to live alone for short periods, without doing a demolition job on your home. Whilst this sod of behaviour is natural to the dog, it is not amusing to the owner. All this energy needs to be diverted into worthwhile causes. Some dogs do have behavioural problems and there are many reasons for this, sadly, it is usually the environment It lives in or the way it Is handled. This is not to say the owner isn't kind, the owner just doesn't understand the dog. Each Breed Is individual as is each dog, and you must learn as much as you can about both. Again, a good trainer will understand most problems In your dog and with patience and time, providing you love the dog enough, most problems can be sorted out. Occasionally there can be a rogue dog and whilst some Rescue Societies may try to help you re-home it, perhaps it has an illness that you know nothing about Once you have cleared with your Vet that the dog is not ill, you have few choices left. Depending on how bad, or dangerous the dog is, will affect what happens to it However, this Is a rare problem, but must be borne in mind. Quite often a change in your circumstances which ultimately affects the dog causes behaviour problems, but once re-homed in the correct environment, the dog can continue to lead a happy and normal life. This is a sad fact, but has to be faced. People say that certain dogs are one owner dogs and in many cases this is true. However, there are always exceptions to the rule, the situation just needs careful and knowledgeable handling. Do not try and sod things out alone, get proper help. Talk to a Trainer, a Breeder or the Rescue Society, even if you didn't obtain the dog through one, all these people will be happy to help and advise you through any bad situation.

The up side to owning a dog is that you will always have a companion who will give you love and affection, and a great deal of pleasure. No matter how inconvenient things may appear at the start, with the right handling and training, things can only get better. If you start training your puppy from the day you get it home, you will end up with a very obedient adult dog which is what we all strive for. Put another way, do you want to take your dog for a walk, or does he want to take you? I know which I would prefer! The dog has a language which you can understand If you try to. it wants to please, it wants to be good, but It needs guidelines so it knows exactly what is required of it. Rules must be made and adhered to on both sides to avoid any confusion. Kindness, consideration, discipline, time and love will always ensure you get the best out of your chosen dog.

If you do your best to re-search the breed or breeds you like, make sure they fit in with your family and lifestyle, they will not end up being re-homed. Make certain you have the time to train a dog yourself or take it to training school, iron out problems as soon as they appear. Don’t put any more work on the many re-homing organisations.

They have enough to do already!

Copyright 1999 AHH

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