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!

I think I'm gonna like it here!

First family photo for the Poodle Rescue VT adoption website!

The end of last week and into the weekend Ash seemed to really hit his first turning point. He now confidently bounds down the street, excited to be out on a walk and experiencing new things. He is not as easily startled in the house, and approaches his food dish much less timidly. He loves to cuddle any time, and particularly enjoys playing with us when he wakes up in the morning. We both think Ash is just adorable! He is so much fun to have around. 

On Friday David taught Ash to sit using a little bit of our left over hamburger (cooked) as an enticing treat. He learned sit within 15 minutes! He has successfully sat for us inside, outside, with distractions, and in response to either/or the word "sit" and our chosen hand gesture (a fist). Today I taught him down, though we are still working on solidifying that cue.  When we went outside to play he opened up and chased the tennis ball around the yard (see video at the end of this post). 

Over the weekend we took him on a few different car rides, and while a little unsure of the situation on ride #1 he quickly settled in and decided it was a great opportunity to cuddle and take a nap. On Saturday we visited my cousins house, and determined that children are still quite scary and overwhelming to him so we are going to have to go very easy in that category to help socialize him to kids. Sunday we tried another visit, this time to my grandparents house. He was very happy to roam around at their place and sniff out all the new smells, and after the first 5 minutes or so didn't seem to be a drop overwhelmed. It's so great to see him coming out of his shell and enjoying life! 

We ordered an ID tag for him, and today Ash and I took a trip to city hall to get  his dog license for Somerville. 

When working outside or leaving the house we tried gating him into one room. He didn't like that so much and did his best to stay part of the action and see what we were up to. It didn't take long for him to figure out his escape route... we came back inside to see him confidently seated on the futon (in the other room). 

What is that black rectangular box you are pointing at me? 

Whatever it is, it is kind of boring. This grass is way more exciting. 

Welcoming Ash

For quite awhile now David and I have been somewhat casually considering getting a dog. We would talk about what type and size dog we would want, and I spent a lot of time searching Petfinder and Pet Harbor looking for puppies. A couple of weeks ago it hit me that it would be a good time to start considering getting a dog more seriously since with the upcoming holidays David will be home quite a bit and I don't have too much travel planned. This would give us a lot of time to devote to helping a dog settle in, and getting to know each other. When I'm in Boston working from home a dog would provide nice company, and in turn I would be able to interact with the dog a lot more than I might in years to come.

So, two weekends ago, David and I searched online together to settle on the type of dog we wanted. While searching, we came across Ash - a miniature poodle mix in a foster home through Poodle Rescue VT. He is between 1 and 2 years old, was rescued from a puppy mill in VA, has had no formal training and weighs about 15 lbs. His foster family did a great job providing pictures, videos and background to portray Ash's personality and history, and we both thought he seemed like he would be an awesome dog and we wanted to give him a home. We decided the time was right, and we sent in our application. After John, Ash's foster dad, checked our references and conducted a home visit where we got to meet Ash, we took a trip to the pet store and built a gate to our fenced in yard to prepare for Ash's arrival. On Monday afternoon John and Traci dropped Ash off and we set about making him feel safe and comfortable in his new home. We are now proud dog parents, and really excited about all the years to come!

Meet Ash

He seems to love to be picked up like this

What's going on?

I can see!

Super dog

Doesn't everyone like to eat grass?

I love to cuddle :)

His first day with us Ash was very timid, and we had to be very patient and kind to make sure we did not scare him. He is not only in a new place with new people, but his only real experience living with a family was his last month when he was fostered by John and Traci. His second day he was definitely bolder and more energetic, but still very timid around us. Today (day 3) he seemed to make a lot of progress - he was happy and playful all day! I've outlined some of the highlights below:

DAY ONE
Challenges: didn't like being approached, would only allow you to pet him when sitting on the futon, wasn't sure about going to the bathroom on a leash outside, had one accident in the house, was scared to drink water from his water bowl, required lots of coaxing to approach and eat from his food bowl
Good things: discovered he loves cheese and will eat it from our hand, was willing to chase us around the yard at a slow trot

DAY TWO
Challenges: more timid about having you approach him to put the leash on, still didn't want to be touched unless he was on the futon, was more hesitant than the day before to jump up on the futon
Good things: no accidents, went to the bathroom outside, seemed to have more courage and energy, slept in bed with us, barked at a few dogs outside (not necessarily a good habit, but showed some life!), ran very quickly around in the yard if we ran with him

DAY THREE
Challenges: easily startled, still a bit timid about being touched when walking around the house
Good things: was very playful when he woke up in our bed, ate both breakfast and dinner from his bowl without any coaxing (but still approached the bowl very cautiously), went to the bathroom just fine on his leash, went on his first walk around the block, played with almost all of his toys and two pairs of my shoes, napped very calmly on the couch (he seems exhausted after all the excitement!)

Stay tuned for more tales and photos of Ash to come! David and I are both hooked, Ash is so sweet and adorable! If you'd like to read more about Ash's history (from his foster parents blog), click here: http://ourfosters.shutterfly.com/ash