Thanksgiving in VT: new places, new people, snow, and dogs!

Ash and I left for Thanksgiving in VT at my mom's new house in Burke a little early (David came a day later) to give Ash a couple of days to settle in. Cruising up I-93 in the backseat of Grandpa John's truck was a good excuse for Ash to take a long nap, and for Grammy Pat, Grandpa John and I to grab lunch at the Tilton Diner. We arrived at the Burke house while Mom and three labs were out for a bit, so Ash got to sniff everything out in advance. We were a bit worried about how he'd respond when the dogs got back, so we introduced them outside one at a time. Ash acted a little timid around them and was trembling some, but that didn't stop him from approaching the dogs and sniffing them all out. It didn't take long for him to calm down and for his curiosity to take over. I left to have dinner out with my dad, and returned to learn that Ash and Stella had become best buds and spent the whole night playing with each other (see video below).

The next day we woke up to 6-12 inches of snow. We don't know for sure if Ash has ever seen snow before since he grew up in VA inside a windowless barn. Overall he didn't seem to mind, but he was hilarious to watch ! He hopped through the snow at full speed (bunny rabbit style), and his hops were so long he'd often reach the end of his leash before we could catch up and he'd fall back into a fluff of white.  He and Stella continued to play even outside, and while Ash dominated the relationship inside, Stella's size and excitement resulted in Ash getting knocked down a few times. He didn't seem to mind at all, even though his coat was covered in snow!! In the afternoon he joined Mom, Grammy Pat and the other dogs (now totaling 5, including Ash) for a snow shoe. He came home shivering and Mom said she had to carry him a large part of the way because he just got too cold. David and I have since invested in a nice winter coat for Ash!

Once Uncle Dan and Purvi arrived with the kids, and the rest of the commotion picked up, Ash wasn't quite as comfortable because there were lots of voices, noises, and unexpected movements. However, he took refuge in Mom's bedroom and seemed very happy to nap in there. He did fine with the kids as long as they visited him quietly in his safe spot, but he wasn't so sure about them when they were running around and squealing excitedly. He also learned to like hanging out (at his own free will) in his crate (he chose Neo's over his since it was bigger, but since coming home he has taken several naps in his crate), and survived several teeth brushings. Overall, the trip really helped him come out of his shell and get comfortable around strangers and other dogs! He'll be going back to VT for a few days next week while I take a trip to IL for an experiment, hopefully he does as well without David and I there!