A New Addition

It's been almost thirteen years, but I'm once again a dog owner. This weekend, I adopted Rosie (full name Rosie Petal - no, I didn't pick it) from PAWS, a group in New England that works with a shelter in Tennessee, placing animals from down there up here. She's about 2 or 3 years old.

Growing up, I had a Golden Retriever for almost eleven years, so I'm definitely a larger dog person. Rosie is a great size - about 50 pounds and already fully-grown (we think...that is unless I get her fat).

During the ride back from North Andover, Rosie started in the hatchback of my Jeep, and eventually found her way toward the front, ending up with her head and much of her front on my lap, under the steering wheel. We're going to have to practice riding.

Her demeanor is perfect - very affectionate, loves attention and staring out the window, and punctuates periods of dedicated chewie and ball playing with longer periods of laying around or stretching.

I'm going to see how she does by herself for a few hours today while I'm at work. I skipped the crate and baby gate because she seems to be OK to have the run of the place. Nonetheless, I'm coming home for lunch to give her a walk and check things out.

When I went to Petco, I bought a variety of toys. Who would have known that her rawhide bone isn't just her favorite, but it's like her cocaine! After a while of chewing on Saturday, I went to take the bone away a couple times, a motion that Rosie responded to with a menacing look and by shifting position, maintaining full grasp of the bone. When I went for it with more authority, she growled and barked, the only time I have heard her do that. I figured out that she can chew on it for a while, and I'm able to take it away and hide it by distracting her with a treat.

And while she loves her dog bed in the living room, her favorite spot to spend the night is on my bedroom floor.