The start of week 4...already?!

I had a pretty easy and fun (as always) morning. I was at Maggie's, which is always great. The dogs there are just so much fun. I fed everyone in the run and then sat with Jingles while she ate her food. She has really bonded to me, which is good and bad. Good because I love her and it's awesome to get shyer dogs socialized, but bad because I really, really don't want to leave her. I went in her kennel and she was way at the back of her outside run and as soon as she saw me she came running up to me. She's such a doll. She also comes right away when I call. Seriously, I wish I could adopt her. I took her on an outing to the Best Friend's Welcome Center so she could socialize with people. She was so well behaved! She greeted everyone so nicely! I sat on the ground with her and she laid down next to me. A fellow Badger (of the 70s) noticed my Badger sweatshirt and came over to talk to me. He says he meets Badgers all over the world and it's just such a special bond we all have. He's right, it was great taking to him and Jingles laid there patiently. She's so great. Jingles' issue is that she doesn't get along with most dogs. There are some dogs she gets along with, but she chooses her canine friends very carefully. She's five years old and has been at Best Friends for 3 years in December. She was found as a stray, clearly having had puppies before being found. She really is a sweetheart.

Sherlock has almost claimed me. It's cute. I was in with Jingles and he has the run next to her. He just comes up to the fence, doesn't bark, but gives me this disapproving look as if to say, "how dare you!" It's really very cute. He knows what my car looks like so when I barked in the back of Maggie's to pick up Jingles, he saw me. When I walked into the kennel, he was like scrunched up behind his door - not really sitting but not laying down either. He really wanted to go for an outing and made a GIGANTIC fuss when I grabbed Jingles' harness off her kennel. I came back for him later though.

Sherlock and I took another car ride outing because that's what he enjoys. He was great, of course.


After lunch, I was at the Fairway. They have two new caregivers starting, so it was a pretty easy day. I walked some dogs and then spent some time with Raisin, the shy dog I worked with on Friday. I walked Raisin before working with her and she was just as shy as ever. Back to square one, which is fine. I sat on the floor of her run and read. She came over to me on her own time and once again, kept offering her paws. If she left my side and I called her over, she'd come. At one point she even laid down next to me! That's huge. Laying down can be a sign of comfort : ) She also let me pet her a bit without seeming too stressed (mouth stayed slightly open, not closed). I'd say she's starting to get used to me at her level. When I'm standing it's a completely different story, but all in good time.

I did a bit of cleaning and more walking. Shauna, one of the new caregivers invited me out to dinner with her; one of the volunteers from the Fairway, Chris; and Andrea, the volunteer coordinator at DogTown Head Quarters. We went to the Rocking V Cafe. It was really, really good. Shauna just started fostering a little chihuahua today, who she has fallen in love with and pretty much already decided to adopt. He's real cute. It was a good night!