Adoption Update: Tess

 Tess is doing great in her new home. Even though she isn't interested in balls or toys right now, she is definately warming up. She is truly Lois' girl! She's met my sister's wiener dog and has met a few of the neighborhood dogs on our nightly walks (and she lets me know when it's time for her walk). We start our 8 week obedience class on September 25 and we're really looking forward to it. Thanks again for all that you guys do for these beautiful dogs and thanks for the wonderful addition to our family.

Kevin & Lois

Meet Tess!

Tess is charming and made herself at home in her new foster home immediately. She has excellent house manners, which encouraged me to try giving her some freedom at night. Since she's crated while I'm at work, I thought that I would put up the baby gate and let her sleep loose in the kitchen. It worked the first night, but then the next night I woke up in the morning to three bodies curled up in bed - Brewster, Ember...and Tess! She jumped the gate and slipped quietly into bed. She didn't even wake me up! Since this isn't something she can necessarily do in her new home, she had to go back to sleeping in the crate at night.

I took her to tracking class with me on Saturday and she was so well behaved. Although slightly shy with new people, she warms up quickly. She walked very well on a leash, but that could be because she wants to be right by my side. She does love the car, and I have to be careful to open the crate door before giving her too much lead since she will try to jump in, even with the door closed. After tracking, a group of us went to lunch and the cars were lined up in the parking lot with the backs open. I could watch her as she sat quietly in the crate watching the restaurant the entire time. She never took her eyes off until I came back.

She is OK with cats, but I wouldn't put her in a home with a cat unless it was a pretty bombproof cat that doesn't 'run'. She is pretty good on the whole, but likes them to run so she can chase them. He doesn't run, so they just have a standoff going on.  

She goes right in her crate, and she's learning some self control as I make her wait calmly before letting her out. She is a nice mix of energy and calmness. She never stops wagging her tail and is a very happy girl. You can tell that she would love to have a person to be "all hers".

Adoption Update: Tess

Hi Katy,
The open house sounds like fun, but we won't be able to attend because we'll be at my family reunion this weekend. Tess is going with us, and she will be meeting my family for the first time. We're all very excited about making this trip together, as Tess loves to ride in the truck.

I've been meaning to write and tell you Tess is doing great -- she feels very close to us, and she smiles all the time now. Our girl loves to dig, and while we have been working in our gardens she has dug some quite impressive holes (in an out-of-the way place, of course). She loves it now that school is out and she gets to spend all day with us, and she especially is enjoying going on longer walks in the early morning when it is cool.

On a recent walk she found a puppy who had gotten away from her owner, and Tess was really concerned until we had picked up the leash and returned the pup to where she belonged. Tess is such an amazing dog, and it is so much fun getting to know her.
Thanks for the invitation, and we hope the open house goes well!
Love,
Teri

Adoption update: Tess

Hi Katy,

Just wanted to say hi, and to tell you that Tess is doing great. It's hard to believe we're marking our two-month anniversary already today! Now that spring is here, she is excited about the many changes she sees in the yard as the flowers and plants sprout up. She also likes to watch "Dancing With the Stars" (maybe Gin will have some competition). Every day we grow closer to this marvelous girl, and she has brought us so much joy.

All the best,

Teri

P.S. The chipmunk continues to thrive and has not needed one repair!

Adoption Update: Tess

Hi Katy,

Tess seems very happy in her new home! We both are amazed at how quickly she has bonded with us, and how comfortable she is in her new surroundings. She truly belongs here with us.

She now is lying in a patch of sunlight, working on a soup bone. She slept for most of the ride home yesterday, but as soon as we were done with interstate driving, her head popped up. She is eager to explore our yard and woods, but because everything is still coated in an inch of ice, she has to settle for the driveway. She's really excited about seeing the squirrels and sniffing all the places where they've been, and she stops to listen when she hears different bird calls. (This morning she heard a hawk, a pileated woodpecker and a red-bellied woodpecker when we were out for her walk.)

Tess also is anxious to meet our neighbor dog Sam, a rottie mix whose family rescued him about a year ago. She was very playful yesterday and spent hours engaging us in playing games with her new toys. I'm happy to report that the AKC chipmunk made it through the day with all his stuffing intact, but not because Tess didn't try to rip him apart!

Tess slept well last night, and she woke up eager and curious about what we'd be doing today. She's eating pretty well and had a few accidents yesterday, but we think she might not feel comfortable going in the driveway (the yard still is iced over, but when it warms up today we're going to hack open a grassy patch for her). Tonight we'll find out if she is a Steelers fan, as she'll be watching the big game with us.

We are thrilled with Tess, and she is the dog we prayed we'd be lucky enough to find. Thanks so much for taking such good care of her. It was so great to meet you guys, and we'll keep you updated on Tess's new life!

All the best,
Teri