Willow

6/5/2011

Hi – it’s me again, Willow! Here is my latest news:

I’ve been with my Foster Family for one month now (my how time flies!) and am very comfortable, healthy and happy here. I have become quite confident and even more playful over the last few weeks. My FF gets a big kick out of the way I “pogo stick” whenever I’m really happy to see someone, or we’re about to go outside to play. I can hop straight up in the air about 4 feet! I also have fun spinning around and catching the end of my tail when I’m happy and excited! I’ve been teaching my fur-sister Sally how to do these tricks, too, but she’s going to need to practice a bit more to be as good as me!

Some of my favorite games are: tug-of-war with the tug toy; catch-the-tennis-ball, catch the flying disc; playing keep-away with the squeaky toy with Sally; and running really, Really, REALLY fast around the back yard – just for the fun of it! My FF has been teaching me to “drop” the ball or disc after I retrieve it, and I’m becoming much more consistent with this command. Other words I respond to: “sit”, “lie down”, “come Willow”, and “up” (when my FF wants me to put my paws on their laps). I really am a very polite young lady, except….

Something that my FF has noticed recently is that I have become interested in food that is left out on the kitchen counter (ooooh, it just smells so good – especially meat!), and food that is on a dining table. And since I have such long legs, my nose can reach the edge of tables. So….. they have been keeping a sharp eye on me and whenever I even look in the direction of the counter or table, I am told to “lie down” or redirected to another room. I think I’m getting the picture now – no Lab-girls allowed near the counters or dining tables. BUT, after the people are finished eating, they give me a yummy doggy treat! I guess I can live with this rule, after all!

I’m feeling so at home now, that whenever my FF’s neighbors come near “our” property, I run right up to them barking and wagging my tail. FM doesn’t like this behavior particularly, but FD says I am just trying to protect my FM! Once I understand that the neighbors are friends of my FF, I will settle down and gradually make friends with them.

Remember that interesting creature called a Cat that lives here? Well, I’ve been trying hard to listen to my FF when they say “no kitty”, and I have even had a good sniff or two of him, but he doesn’t seem to like me. His hair all stands up on end and he moves very slowly like he’s trying to hide from me. When he runs, I am off like a shot after him – and then he either runs and hides in the basement, or under a car, or under a shrub, or jumps up on something higher than I can reach. Hey, that’s not fair! I just think it’s so much fun to run after fast-moving animals and wonder why they don’t think its fun to be chased after!?

Other than that, I’m really obedient and well-behaved. I still haven’t had any accidents in the house (and I’ve even “held it” for up to 6 hours one time!), and I show my FF I need to go outside by standing in front of the sliding door and circling a couple of times. I have never been crated here, and I don’t remember if I’ve ever been crated, but my FF trusts me to be alone in the house with Sally, as I have never chewed on or touched anything that isn’t for dogs. I am also allowed to sleep on beds and couches. Sometimes I sleep on FM and FD’s bed and sometimes I sleep on a spare bed – it just depends if I feel like I need to stretch out a little more!

My FM has taken me in the car with her and Sally a couple of times. While Sally likes to lie down on the back seat and lounge, I really like to sit up and have the back window open just enough so that I can put my nose out and smell all the interesting smells there are, as we drive around. Riding in cars is so much fun!

Also, my FF opened their pool last weekend, and Sally eventually walked in and swam over to retrieve a tennis ball that was floating near the steps – but I was not sure whether I wanted to get my paws wet. Even though my FF was encouraging me to walk into the pool, with them standing in it, I just don’t know how I feel about water. It sure looked like Sally was enjoying it! Hmm, maybe I’ll try it on the next hot day we have.

So that’s my news for now – and I am still hoping to meet my furever family soon!

Love,
Willow

5/19/2011

Hi everyone, my name is Willow and I’d like to tell you all about myself, ‘cause I’m really hoping that I will find my furever home really, really soon!

A nice volunteer from Brookline spotted me at an animal shelter in Chambersburg at the beginning of May, where my former people left me overnight while the shelter was closed.  So while I can’t tell you anything about my early days, I can tell you about my current self!

I am a petite, slender, 50 pound, spayed, Labrador and Greyhound mix, with a tucked up abdomen, loonnggg legs and a sprinkling of grey around my muzzle – although I am only approximately 4 years old. – and soft, sleek black fur.  When I first came to my Foster parents’ home, I was very timid and unsure about everything, and jumped at every sudden sound and movement.  I was kind of reserved in my demeanor, ‘cause I wasn’t really sure if these people were going to be nice to me or not. 

Over the last two weeks, my foster parents and foster brother and fur-sister named Sally have been super nice to me, and I have been showing them what a happy, friendly, playful girl I am.  I now wag my tail, instead of keeping it tucked between my legs, I greet my foster family happily when they come in the door, and I LOVE to play tag and wrestle with Sally.  I never touch anything in the house that is not for dogs, and I have never had an accident in the house.  I also hardly ever bark (my FM thought I didn’t have a bark for awhile there!).  I also listen and obey when my FM tells me to stay out of the garden beds, and when she calls my name I come (cause I know she’s going to give me something good to eat!).  I also like to follow my FM wherever she goes in the house. 

I also love to wrestle with my big stuffed animal, and to chase and catch tennis balls and squeaky toys (I’m still learning how to bring them back and drop them when asked), and to run like the wind around and around my backyard!   When its time to take a nap, I like to curl up on couches, chairs and beds – which my FM is okay with – and I hope my furever family is too – because I also love to snuggle with people when they are sitting on the couch, sometimes draping my whole torso across their laps.  You wouldn’t have known it two weeks ago, but I am a real snuggle-bunny! 

The only thing I do that my FM doesn’t like and corrects me for is this: there is also a CAT living here, and every time I see him I want to chase him and maybe just maybe, catch him!  My FM thinks I probably have a high prey drive (whatever that means!).  All I know is I really want to catch that cat but I’m not sure what I’d do with him if I did!  My Foster parents are continuing to correct me about this, but I just wanted to be perfectly honest with you, my furever family! 

Do you know what a pogo stick is?  My FM says I have pogo sticks for legs!  I think she says this because every time she takes out the leash before a walk, I start bouncing straight up and down in the air because I’m so excited to go for a walk!  After my leash is clipped on, I’m quiet again, although I do want to be out ahead of everybody when we first set off.  I’m learning how to walk beside my people and Sally and not do that. 

I would love to be a part of a family that likes to walk, hike or run because I’m quite athletic  (although I can also be a couch potato), and it would be great if there were another dog too, because having another dog to play with is so much fun and helps me burn off energy!   If you bring me home, I promise I’ll be your Best Girl Ever!

Love,

Willow