We have had Duchess Isabella in our home for two days now and have had our first, adventure!

My daughter and I rounded up our furkids and packed their bag to go to Petco. It appears that I misjudged Bella's size the day before on her harness and a sweater, so we were going to get ones that fit her. Going there also exercises the little ones indoors, out of the inclimate weather. I also try to take Socrates there pretty frequently to help him be a more social little guy.

Well, anyway, we get ready to go home and everything seems fine. The furkids are in the back laying down and I'm about to leave Salem for the highway that takes me back home. I just get on the bridge out of Salem and my CAR STOPS DEAD in traffic.

That's right, I didn't know what I was going to do! I had the two little guys in my lap and my daughter and i were getting ready to try to bail out of the car with our little ones and their blankies (That's why I pack for them everytime I go somewhere.) when an officer comes up behind me. Thank God, I didn't have to get my daughter, who is generally useless in a crisis--she panics, the babies and myself out in traffic and try to walk back down to a phone.

The officer radioed for a tow truck for me and sat behind my car with his lights on until the town truck came so no one would run into the back of us.

Then we all got to ride in a tow truck the rest of the way home which was about 12 miles.

We were all very happy to be back home and the kids promptly found their favorite places and snoozed the rest of the day away, recovering from their adventure.

Oh, we also discovered on one of our walks outside today, that Bella is a chaser. Yep, she sees kitty cats and delights in making them run

More will be coming later
Angie, Socrates , Bella

Attached Images

socrates_180.jpg (18.7 KB, 145 views)

OMG :P I am so amazed at the giant leap in socializing that my Socrates has made since he has become buddies with Bella!

Socrates actually was playing in the doggie park with Bella and actually met without running away a silky terrier and a westy. The four of them played doggie-chase games for several minutes.

Socrates even went up and greeted the other dog's mommy!

He's sooo brave to be trying new things and making new friends.
He's going to miss her terribly if we find her owners. I'm contacting the local humane society tomorrow also to let them know that I've a lost doggy.

This is the hard part of rescuing/fostering dogs. You want to treat them like one of the family and make their lives as normal as possible all-the-while you are looking for the people who will take them away.

Angie, Socrates, and Duchess Isabella

Bella is not a happy pooch!

I've noticed her scratching and we occasionally find a flea on Socrates, but we keep a vigilant watch on him.

I put flea medicine on Duchess Isabela tonight as a preventative and she has sulked and pouted ever since. How long can a little dog stay upset!!

She was so funny, she acted like the drops weighed a ton on her back walking scrunched down and kept acting like she didn't know what to do...or should she roll or hide or what. She has been completely buried in one of her blankies ever since. She just looks at me when I talk to her like I have stuff on me and can't socialize.

Wow, we thought Socrates was a drama-king but he's a rookie compared to Bella!

Bella is liking me again
The way she carried on about the flea med last night, and for as long as she did..I was beginning to wonder if she was really alright or if she was really having problems with the stuff!
I've heard of dogs having allergic reactions to their flea med in rare cases before....but it seems she was just showing me her dramatic side

I called the humane society and let them know that I found her and gave them my information in case anyone calls them looking for a lost dog.

We also have a flyer up in Dr. Bob's office now and have an appoointment with Dr. Bob in three days for her to have her check-up.

The lost dog ad in the paper is in this mornings edition and will run for a week.

Dr. Bob scanned her for a micro-chip and found none and looked for tatto but I knew she didn't have one of those.

Bella weighs 11.5lbs and Socrates weighs 9.9lbs

Well, tomorrow will be a week that I've had Duchess Isabella and her and Socrates are just the best buds now. It thrills my soul to see Socrates learning to play with another little dog and having a companion.

She has helped him make huge progress in socializing wiht other dogs...and here I thought we were helping her

Bella is eating better now, but I still believe she was a off the table fed dog in her pryor home so it has been a difficult few days with feeding her.

Still no leads on where she came from which is really weird in my small town. Usually as soon as a dog is missing you start seeing flyers at the two grocery stores and all and my vet didn't recognize her as one of his patients.

Okay, couldn't wait til tomorrow for this because I would forget to record it. Bella is soo confused about my birds. They've been caged most of the time since Bella moved in but today I just had to let them out to fly and socialize. Bella keeps sniffing at them and backing away.

She is way confused why Tango, my conure is on HER mommy. And then my little Tango thinks he's the boss. He's convinced Socrates but Bella may put a fight up.

Thursday Dec. 1, 2005
Bella has been with us for a week! It already seems like she's always been here

There have been a few calls answering my ad but none of them are Bella, they range from brindle colored pit bull to little white fluff ball and almost all of them are from nearby towns but too far for such a little dog to roam. No one has identified a tri-color, smooth coat chi or even came close.

I'm also wondering about the running away part now because I walk her off lead all the time and she sticks closer to me than Socrates does Beginning to think she could have been dumped but she looked so clean and well cared for it's hard to imagine someone spending all the time to take care of her then dumping her!

I took her and Socrates to the park today and she noticed a black lab that I could tell she was interested in meeting but I also could tell that the lab's mommy didn't want him close to the little dogs. Well as things happen the dogs' curiosity got the better of both of them but the lab was acting a little aggessive so in her best "I'm just as big as you" way she came back at him. Luckily both dogs came back to their mommy's as soon as we called them Bella definitely has little dog syndrome---she must be thinking she's a Rottie or something!!!

Sunday Dec. 4, 2005
Bella and Socrates got baths last night. Bella did really well but I could tell she wasn't enjoying it and was looking for an opportunity to bolt She pouted for a little while after her bath but nothing like the other night with the flea treatment.

She has obviously never had her teeth brushed! That was a new experience for her, but we will work on it little by little.

Her and Socrates are doing very well together.

Socrates has gotten mixed up in his "tricks"/commands. He knows sit, shake, speak, lay down but he gets so excited about getting his treat that he doesn't listen for his cue...he just runs through every trick he knows making it one big trick and then expects his reward. I've started to work with Bella, she evidently had been taught to sit because she does this command very well. So when Socrates does his big combo of tricks and doesn't listen to the command I hide his treat and turn to Bella and give her the command to sit and reward her when she's done it, then all of a sudden Socrates is listening again and will do the command that I gave him so he can get his reward....I just hope I'm not encouraging jealousy by doing this.

Have to take the guys to the park for their walk, will come back later.