Miss Audrey got to do some exploring this weekend. She is done with her rest period and can now get back to a normal activity level. You'll read in prior blog posts that Audrey came to the rescue heartworm positive. She's been treated for the heart worms, completed her rest period after the treatment and now has a new "leash" on life. All she needs is a monthly heart worm preventative (you know, an inexpensive chewable tablet like Heartgard Plus).
Audrey went on a walk with my dog Holly and my daughter, Paige. She did very well. She walks nicely on a leash. We didn't go far, just around the block including one of the cul-de-sacs. We passed other dogs (they were on the other side of the street) and runners and cars and Audrey was fine with it all. No reactions to the normal sights on a walk through the neighborhood. Good girl.
I needed some dog food (she's been eating Taste of the Wild Lamb kibble) so Paige and I decided to bring Audrey to the pet store with us. I had to lift Audrey into the car (at 32 pounds it was easy) but once she was in there she sat nicely on the seat for our drive. I'm guessing riding in a car is not something she's done a lot of but she did well. We got to the store and I walked in and she kinda looked at me like "Me? Go in THERE?" I told her it was okay and she followed me through the door. Once we were in there she did well. Lots of new sights and smells for her I'm sure.
Audrey loves people. My daughters have had friends over and Audrey has done well with all of them. We also had our exchange student come back and visit us for several days recently and Audrey was very sweet with her too. Our exchange student lived with us several years ago while she attended high school and she's now graduated from college and living in LA.
Audrey loves my sheltie mix Holly. Audrey tries to play with Holly and will play bow in front of her or go grab a toy and dangle it in front of her as if to say..."grab it and we'll play tug." But, Holly is about 15 and not really interested. That's okay though and Audrey will play with a toy by herself for a few minutes and then settle in for a nap in the sun or on one of the dog beds. She's really got a nice energy in my opinion. She's content to play a little, cuddle a little and sleep a little. She doesn't bark in the house from what I've seen. She is very good about going in the crate when we leave the house. She goes in nicely with a treat and does not fuss at all. She settles in and naps.
Before Audrey came to Fluffy Dog Rescue she was fostered in Alabama for a few weeks (almost all Fluffy Dogs come from kill shelters in Alabama). She got along well with the fosters two 20 pound female dogs. In fact, the foster says Audrey loved them. I tried introducing Audrey to my male, Miles, and he did not like Audrey. Miles is a dominant male and didn't like the way Audrey greeted him. So, no problem, I'll just continue to keep Miles separate. I have a standard poodle Missy and I haven't introduced Audrey to her either and I probably won't. Missy can be a little high strung sometimes and I'm not sure her energy would blend with Audrey's. If you have another dog I think Audrey would do best with any easy going medium energy dog. If you don't have a dog no problem, Audrey's first love is people in my opinion.
Audrey has settled in nicely to enjoying the comforts of a home. I'm not sure what her situation was previously but I'm pretty sure she didn't know a dog bed...now she loves the comfort of them and I'm pretty sure she didn't know the joys of sitting in someone's lap. She is a little big to be a lap dog but still I've coaxed her into my lap a few times while I was on the sofa. At first she was still and stiff like "this is awkward." Recently though she came up to me, looked at me and hopped up on her own. I pet her for a few minutes and then she hopped back down and over to one of the dog beds. Good girl.
She has never had an accident in the house. She's been very good about that. She is good about playing with the dog toys but has grabbed a couple things (like some yarn and a pen) that she shouldn't have. I think she's still figuring out what's what and a ball of yarn is darn similar to a soft plush toy and a pen on the coffee table is kinda like a bone or a stick in the yard.
She's done with her treatment and ready to move onto her forever home. She'll just need, like any dog, her monthly heartworm pill to make sure those nasty heart worms don't come back. From her treatment she's got a walnut sized lump (nodule) on her back. It's a common side effect of the injection they give to the dogs. It's not painful. It's not limiting to her in any way. Just a cosmetic thing that's not even noticable unless you're looking for it. It might go away in a few months or might just last. It's a small reminder of the life she's left behind for good.
Thanks for reading about this sweet soul and thanks for thinking about a rescue dog.
Be sure to see the pictures and video below and to read prior blog posts!
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| She always looks so sweet when she's sleeping |
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| There's a head tilt! Finally a picture where she didn't shy away from the camera |
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| Again...a head tilt. Gorgeous girl. |
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| Audrey enjoys napping in the sunny spots. But, here she's chosen a dog bed that is a little too small |
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| Enjoying a romp in the yard |
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| Getting ready for a walk |
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| Sitting nicely in the car on the way to the pet store |
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| She did well in the store |