CSI: A Lamb Goes Down

 I turned the corner, and this is the crime scene I saw. A pile of scattered stuffing and one very unstuffed lamby.

 He even looks a little desperate in this photo

And there is our cute perp. Oh, Angel. Sometimes I wonder about you....

Tear Licker

Angel met some new kids on Friday and she did way better than I expected her to do! She settled down much faster than normal....oh, is there hope in sight? Maybe!!

She's loving the colder weather, but I'm afraid our bed isn't big enough for the three of us. Sorry, Steve, but you'll have to take the couch! Oh, that was Angel talking...not me. :)

I am very excited for some snow to come, as Angel just loves to play in snow. I will be sure to take some video and post that later on. She's pretty entertaining.

Natalie shared a dream she had the other night. She came downstairs teary-eyed and tried to tell us her dream. It didn't take me long to figure out what/who it was about. She had dreamed that our dear Sophie was still with us, running, jumping, and playing. It just broke her heart and it made her cry all over again. Yes, over 2 years later and the loss of Sophie is still hard to take.

And this is where sweet Angel comes in...I told Nat that Angel was the best tear-licker I'd ever met. She senses sadness, and she will plant herself in your lap when you're having one of those days. She has those eyes..those big almond-shaped milk dud eyes, that just look right through your soul. You can't help but be happy when she licks your face and climbs right up your chest. And that was just what she did when I placed her on Natalie's lap that morning.

There are so many ways an animal can heal your heart. They really deserve the best of us. Angel will always get the best of me and our family. She's just that special. Every day with her is a gift and we are so grateful for the many ways she loves us.

Doubts!

I've been doing a bit of thinking about this Angel and Angelbabies reunion I've proposed. Angel has issues, as you know. She is not just timid around people, she is downright loud. She does not warm up to people quickly at all. She is overwhelmed easily. She cannot be approached by strangers or it's mayhem! We can't invite friends over who have small children because she tends to scare them. She has never tried to bite anyone, but her growl is so fierce....I keep her at a distance just to ease their minds. Once she can smell someone on her own time, you'd think it would make it better, but she'll sniff, then jump back and begin barking all over again. Any quick movements really set her off. She does not like boys or men very much, except for the men in our lives. It really puts her through a lot of stress when anyone stops by, unless she's familiar with them. It IS possible for her to get used to people and love on them. It just takes many visits with her, which obviously doesn't happen with everyone we know.  She shakes terribly when she visits anywhere, even my parents home, because she's afraid of their dog, and probably afraid of being left there. She's a complicated sweetheart.

So, I can't really afford special training and I've been trying to manage it on my own. I think she's somewhat better than when we first got her, and I know she's capable of change, it's just a lot slower process than I had hoped to achieve.  I think I am more nervous about her reactions than the rest of you. I spend more time trying to hush her and get her under control than I do being able to visit when someone stops by. I've tried putting her in our room when she won't settle down, but she slams against the door and barks continually. It depends on who is here, but if we let her freely move around, she tends to settle down faster than if we restrained her. If kids are here, we can't do that, although she was great with my great-nieces, ages 3 and 5, so I don't think she wants to hurt the kids. I think she is afraid of them in general. I love kids and would never want them to feel afraid in my home. Kind of disappointing, because I would love to babysit. I'm a mother at heart. Maybe why I love Angel so much too!

Whoever had this dog in the early years of her life clearly did not socialize her. I knew this when we got her, had compassion for her, and took her on anyway. It has been a challenge, as we can't go on vacation unless we can find house sitters or take her with us. 

While this meeting in a way is very exciting, I am afraid of how she would react to a bunch of new people and her own puppies all at once. My new thinking is that maybe she could meet with them one at a time. Maybe the puppies could meet without her at some time as well. That would give us a bit more time to work with her and hope she outgrows some of this behavior. If I could find an affordable trainer that I trust, it would be worth giving up something else in order to get that help. I am truly nervous that she won't approach the puppies because there are people attached that she doesn't know! :)

This dear girl came into our lives for a reason. Last night she climbed right up in my face and gave me kisses. She then crawled right over to Steve and gave him some too. I said to her, "Did Sophie tell you to do that? Because you are taking such good care of us." And that's what it has been like. Our old dog's spirit is in Angel. Maybe not literally...but she's definitely got her sweet loving personality. I really hope you all get a chance to see the good side of her. I hope this meeting will actually take place. I'll keep working on it!