The next house guest was Dexter. He was close to perfect - mellow with Nikita, playful, outgoing. The catch was he was a fence hopper. Imagine my surprise when I was in the yard with him and he hopped the fence into the neighbor's yard right in front of me! He was adopted after about two weeks to a family who wanted to train him to be a PTSD service dog. Knowing his calm nature, I am sure he will excel.

When I saw Iggy's picture on Facebook, I couldn't say no. I mean come on, could you?? Those eyes.... Anyways, puppies are not my preference but he was so adorable I had to bring him home. As expected, he cried a lot. The rescue had a litter of puppies so we thought it was worth a try to get him a buddy, so along came Meiomi. What was the result? Double the crying. The two blondes were incredibly cuddley though and loved playing together, so it was easy to forgive. When a family came to meet Meiomi, Iggy put on the charm and the family had to have them both!

The number one question I get: Isn't it hard to give them up?

Not as much as you would think. I know they are going to a great home, I wouldn't have it any other way. It can be a relief to have a one dog household again, know that the destruction phase is over, training is (mostly) rock solid, etc. However, there have been two that really tore my heart out. 

Lady (left) was an owner surrender because the new baby was allergic. They had to keep her in a back room by herself so that the baby would not react. That is where the rescue steps in! She was a little bit nippy with strangers, which is something we worked on in our time together, but overall this "golden weiner" was very peppy and friendly. The way she interacted with Nikita made my heart melt! When you see a little nugget chase your 85lb shepherd around the kitchen island and backyard, it is impossible not to fall in love. When I drove to the rescue event that day, I had a pit in my stomach, knowing that it wasn't right and I almost texted to cancel. When I walked in the door, there was a couple there waiting to meet her. They had several other doxies and had recently lost one of their pups. When they met her, it was an instant connection and I knew she would be a loved and active member of this family - no more back room for her! It is a bittersweet feeling that only a dog rescuer can understand, and the most heartbreaking Valentine's Day. 

Toni (right) was another man that broke my heart! He was my first pick on my own to pull from the shelter, turned in because he killed poultry. He was very mellow, a little sad and devastatingly handsome. When he came home, he was very skittish and it was apparent that he had never been an inside dog. Walking in the doorway was an entirely new experience, tile floors freaked him out and the leash was a torture device in his mind. When we went to the vet, I questioned a very noticeable hard lump on his leg, concerned it was cancer. What we discovered was much more heartbreaking. The vet determined that Toni had broken his leg, and since he was never treated, it healed incorrectly. How someone could let this sweet boy be in pain, I will never understand. His sweet and affectionate nature made me committed to helping him become secure, but it was really Nikita who got him to open up. Out of all the pups, Toni is the one that Nikita played with the most and matched her play energy. He was adopted by a previous adopter so he has a new sister and big yard. Upon the home check, Toni celebrated his adoption by jumping into the swimming pool. That was him telling me he was home, and it was ok to say goodbye.