Run free, Darlin' girl, until we meet again.

It is with deep sadness and heartache that I write this update. Darlin' crossed over Rainbow Bridge Jan. 29, 2015 at 4:58 pm in our home. One of the the most painfully sad days of my life. My vet was there to assist her. I did not want her last half hour to be terrifying in the car. It was not how her story was suppose to end. Not in my mind anyway. In six weeks she would have lived with us for six years. I fed her six months on the streets before trapping her on March 11, 2009. One of the happiest days of my life. A day I will always cherish. Darlin' was estimated to be 9-11 years old. She has started showing her age. She's left all of her fears behind and she took with her all the love any dog could ever want, and then some. "You're my Darlin' girl." " I love you, Darlin' Girl" Those words made her happy. I will think on those words every time I think of my sweet girl. Thank you to Darlin's readers and followers. I'm going to honor her memory by finishing her story through this blog or in a book after I work through the pain. Most recent picture of Darlin, as beautiful as ever.

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge. When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable. All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind. They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster. You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart. Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together.... Author unknown...

That Barking Dog!

I’ve been more active in animal rescue over the last six months, which is why I haven’t been posting. I’ve been promising my family and my dogs that I would take a break. I had a rescue in June that nearly did me in emotionally. Check out our Dog Blog for Five Dogs for the story of Earl – coming soon.

Darlin’ has been living in our home almost 16 months. She seems like a normal dog when no one is around, but she still has many fear issues. We have two problems that must be corrected or I’m going to have to think of an alternative solution for her.

Fighting with Bonnie

Last year we had a terrible dog fight here between Darlin’ and Bonnie, our Jack Russell Terrier. I rotated them and kept them separated for several weeks. I introduced them slowly in the house, eventually allowing them time out in the yard together. Both dogs are dominant females, but they were back to sharing food and resting together so I thought we had everything worked out. Not so.



One afternoon in May I had the dogs out back. I was throwing the ball for Gizmo, a recent rescue and foster. Bonnie looked bored so I decided to throw the Frisbee for her and the ball for Gizmo. In this video you will hear me telling Gizmo, “No!” She was another dominant female, a senior that lived to play ball, but she wasn’t possessive. I knew if Gizmo grabbed the Frisbee, that Bonnie might start something. Bonnie and Gizmo got along fine, but they were not playmates. Darlin’ has some pushy behavior with a few of the dogs except with Bonnie. The dogs usually ignore her and look at me when Darlin’ pushes past them. She and Bonnie know that they are a threat to the other. Darlin’ treats Toby like her puppy. She doesn’t pay much attention to Chloe at all. Chloe usually runs after Darlin’ to mark Darlin’s spots out in the yard or vice versa. Darlin’ didn’t pay any attention to Gizmo. Gizmo seemed well respected within the pack.



In the video below you’ll see that Darlin’ got pushy with Chloe. She has head-butted her before which was similar behavior that particular day. I stopped the video a second before a terrible fight broke out. I thought that Darlin’ head-butted Bonnie. I remember Bonnie looking stunned for a split second, and then they turned on each other. It was the following day that I realized I had what happened on video. I slowed the video down and saw that Darlin’ grabbed Bonnie by the neck and flipped her. If you hold the play button down and scroll through the last two seconds slowly, you will see what I mean.

When Bonnie landed on her feet she was stunned and the fight broke out. I managed to get Bonnie off the ground immediately, but Darlin’ continued to lunge for her in my arms! At one point Darlin’ grabbed Bonnie’s back leg and I heard her squeal. I had to hit her so she would let go! She acts like a wild dog during a fight! She doesn’t hear me or see me, all she cares about is getting to Bonnie! I grabbed the outdoor broom and used it to keep her away from me so I could get up the stairs and put Bonnie in the house! When I closed the door Darlin’ was there head-butting the door wanting inside!

I'll try the video tonight, it would not upload.

I kept them separated for two weeks, rotating them out in the yard and in different rooms in the house. Dr. Ian Dunbar says that most dogs will forget a fight right away. He was right in saying most and not all because Bonnie and Darlin’ do not forget. If my husband walks through the room carrying Bonnie and she sees Darlin’, she will growl and threaten, sometimes acting like a devil dog. If Darlin’ goes in the bedroom after Bonnie has been there, she smells everything like she is hunting. She does not do that when any of the other dogs have been in a room.

Two weeks after the fight and now rotating, I was in my office one afternoon with a couple of the dogs lying in their beds. Darlin’ was lying in the floor not far from the door. I had the door open because it gets stuffy with the door closed so much. My husband is supposed to let me know when Bonnie comes inside so that I can close my door. He forgot. I looked up from my desk and Bonnie was standing in the doorway shaking her little butt and wagging her tail. She did not cross the threshold. She was saying “Hi Mom.” I said Hello and then knew what was about to happen. I saw Bonnie look at Darlin’ lying in the floor. I could not see Darlin’ but I knew where she was. Bonnie turned to leave and turned back around. Bonnie and Darlin’ made eye contact, Darlin’ jumped up and charged at the door and Bonnie turned back because she won’t walk away when challenged. This happened in a second and I didn’t make it around my desk before there was another fight in my office doorway! Again I was able to get Bonnie off the floor, but Darlin’ kept lunging for her in my arms. I also had all of the other dogs at my feet, all wanting to take part in the fight! Misplaced aggression! I pushed them back, Darlin’ lunged, and somehow I got tripped up on a rug in the hallway and fell backwards. It was about the same time Darlin’ bit my arm! I dropped Bonnie and the fight was on! My husband came running to help me. He did exactly what you shouldn’t do! He held Bonnie’s jaws until she let go of Darlin’s lip and it took a while with Darlin’ whimpering. As soon as Bonnie let go, Darlin’ ran under my desk because she’s still afraid of my husband.

Darlin’ had bites on the side of her mouth, one that bled until late in the night. The side of her face was swollen for several days. I can’t believe she lived on her own and came to me without any scars on her face, but in my home she’s had several bite marks! She still has one scar that’s missing hair, but in time the hair should come back. Hopefully! Bonnie had bite marks on her legs and limped for a day or so, but no bleeding. They were puncture wounds.

Two terrible dog fights in two weeks! I’ve heard of people that have kept dogs separated for years because of fighting. I simply cannot live that way. In addition, I can’t put that kind of responsibility on my husband and children. It’s not fair to my family, who have already sacrificed so much because of my dogs.



My arm hurt! It was swollen and infected over a week. My first and last bite wounds, I hope!



My husband and children cannot speak in the house without Darlin’ barking at them. I wrote a trainer and asked for help with Darlin’s issue of territorial barking. Her suggestion was to put Darlin’ away every time she barks. I can point my finger and tell her to “Go!” and she will run to our room, but seconds later she comes back growling and barking. I’ve closed the door, waited a minute and brought her back out – it’s the same every time. Yesterday I used a squirt bottle of water! The trainer said she is guarding her most valuable resource – me! She feels threatened by my husband and children. My kids are 17 and 21! They stay in their room when she is eating because she barks at them. When my daughter walks upstairs Darlin’ barks. When my son comes in from school at three o’clock she goes off. When my son opens his door to go to the bathroom she starts barking. If she hears my husband’s recliner downstairs she barks. She won’t bark if the mailman rings my doorbell, but let one of my family members make a noise and she barks her head off! It’s awful and no one should have to live in a home where they can’t speak because a dog is barking louder than they can talk!

Bark Off – As seen on TV

When I told my Dad about Darlin’s barking issue he sent me the link to Bark Off. I’ll try anything so I ordered it. I think we are the perfect household for testing this new method of stopping your dogs from barking. Does it work? Yes! Does it work for all of my dogs? No! I kept telling my husband that Chloe, our Eskie, is going deaf. Bark Off has proved me right! She doesn’t hear it. Bonnie (Jack Russell) never barks indoors so her barking was not an issue. Sam (blue heeler) is reactive to outside noise, but usually quiets down right away. Toby (Jack Russell) has dominance barking. He would bark when I came in the front door, jumping and barking all the way to the table until I put my groceries down. It’s his way of saying, “Pick me up, pick me up!” As soon as I reach for Toby he stops barking and melts in my arms. Toby also growls and barks during play with Bonnie or Darlin’. Not with the Bark Off on!

Sam stopped barking immediately. Bonnie doesn’t bark. Chloe continued to bark, she is usually first to start and last to finish. I still believe she is losing her hearing. Toby immediately quit barking. He still ran next to me, but not a sound out of his mouth! It actually scares him. I coughed one day and he jumped in my lap quivering. I knew then that Bark Off isn’t going to work if it scares one of my dogs. Toby has no phobias so I don’t want to give him any! Another day he quickly ran under the couch!

What about Darlin’? No! We think she is more afraid of my husband and kids than she is of the noise. If she would stop barking, we could live with Chloe’s barking because it isn’t nearly as loud as Darlin’.

My friend, also in rescue, offered me some advice. She suggested that I move Darlin’ to my husband’s side of the bed and that I rotate her (in a crate) in my kid’s bedrooms at night. She said to move her out of her comfort zone. My son is away for a few weeks so I will do this when he returns. My daughter is away as I type this, but we will try it in a week. Darlin’ will turn over and give my husband her belly every morning and she will take a treat, but only if she is on the couch or in her bed. She will not go to him. I have asked him not to give her a treat if she will not go to him. I’m constantly correcting him too, but he only does it because he’s trying to help her overcome her fear of him. If he sits too close to her she will shake and has anxiety with labored breathing.

I went and bought a crate for her yesterday. She was in it last night during the fireworks at a nearby park. The fireworks were too close to our home because I could see our back deck light up. The dogs were barking as though someone was beating on the door, but we managed to quiet them down. They were scared. Bonnie jumped in my husband’s lap, Toby and Chloe were next to me, Sam went to his dog bed next to Darlin’ in the crate. We put Darlin’ in the crate last night to allow us more freedom of movement in the house, without having to leash Bonnie and so she wouldn’t bark at my husband if he walked through the room. It was the first time in months that we sat in the same room completely relaxed! Darlin’ was shaking because she was separated from me. It took her several minutes before she calmed down and relaxed in the crate. She did stand up during the fireworks, but she did not bark.



My friend also suggested I find a sanctuary for Darlin’ where she can live out her life. I started crying when she said that. Deep inside I know it is wrong for me to expect to live this was another 10-12 years. We haven’t taken vacation for over two years and I cannot be gone too long during the day because Darlin’ will not go outside to potty without me. I did seek rescue for her before I brought her home, but no one wanted her. I love her and she loves her life here so I want more than anything to get past the fighting and barking.

The crate may help Darlin’ get use to my family. If she barks in her crate, I don’t know what I will do next. It will also allow Bonnie and Darlin’ time together in the same room where they can learn that they are not a threat to each other. It also means that Darlin’ will not be right next to me, taking her out of her comfort zone and hopefully help her get use to living in our home without being so attached to me.

Dogs that need us - with video

A year ago this coming week was when I made the decision to get Darlin’ off the streets. I couldn’t go on driving to feed her every night. It was getting old, especially for my family.

I sent out this email to Best Friends in Utah and to three local rescue groups in our area. My husband thought I had lost my mind wanting to bring another dog into our home so I did what I could to reach out for help.

One year before (2008) I lost my cat after we moved 650 miles. She ran out of our new home and I never found her. I grieved for a month, I hurt so badly. I ran ads, had signs everywhere, had her registered online, and we even set traps in our neighborhood.

Exactly a year later I was trying to trap a stray that I refused to turn away from. Again, I was crying out for help and crying is no exaggeration. I shed a lot of tears over this situation.


Dear Friend,

The last thing you need is another plea to take a dog, but please take a minute to read my email. I am heartbroken and don't know what I will do with a dog I feed that's been living on the streets and taking shelter in the woods.

I have been feeding a stray for 6 months. I drive 6 miles to her every evening at dark and take her food. This started late last summer or early fall. She came about an hour after dark, when the time changed she changed with it, crossing traffic at 6 pm!

She was very close to emaciated when this started. After eating every night that it doesn't rain (she doesn't come then) she looks like a healthy dog now. My intention was to keep her alive through winter which has worked, although it's amazing she hasn't been killed by a car as she crosses a major highway through my area every night.

I contacted Animal Control 2/9/2009, we have one Police Officer in our area. He has agreed to ask permission to work a night shift to observe and catch this stray dog for me. I can't go on doing what I'm doing. She will NOT come to me; she is very cautious and keeps her distance until I move away from the food I leave by a tree. This has become The Real Giving Tree as I taught her by repetition that there will be food at the tree when she comes to it! She waited for me 3 hours when I was delayed in December and it was freezing! I can't eat dinner when I know she crossed a highway and is waiting for me!

She looks over her shoulder with every bite of food, very cautious. I also started bringing her pig ears and other chews around Thanksgiving. You should have seen how happy she was the first time she found it there!! I sit in my car and watch her; I also watch her run back across the highway right in front of bumpers with her chew after she has eaten!

Six months is a long time to try and get a dog to come to you. Sometimes I wonder if she's deaf because when I talk to her she just stands back away from me with her head low, but it just could be how she protects herself from harm. Maybe she's not deaf either because she sometimes gets spooked by cars in the parking lot. She'll grab her chew before finishing her food, run back to wherever she hides out and comes back for the food later in the night. The Police Officer said she may have been abused in her life by some of her actions, but she shows no signs of aggression at all. She is a lovely 40-45 lb mixed breed dog (maybe some Australian shepherd), but I can't judge her age, although I don't think she is very young.

I have sat at my computer and cried over your dogs that have been waiting for years for a home! I want a farm so bad! My house is barely big enough for a family of 4 and 6 animals, probably why my husband doesn't want anymore. This situation has caused problems at home for me, from the feedings every night to trying to figure out what I will do with her when I catch her.

And I know it's costly and time consuming for you, I just don't know where to turn! Rescue groups are not responding to my emails and I need to know what to do.

Animal Control said he will help me catch her, but my husband won't allow me to even try to keep her. We already have 3 dogs and 3 cats, we have transported Rescues that I would have kept if I could have.

He said that even if she did get along with our dogs that we can't keep her. It breaks my heart because I feel like I'm looking for a home for my own dog, yet I've never even been able to touch her or pet her head. I've cried about my decision for two days because I don't know what to do! Animal Control said he wouldn't want to take her to our County Humane Society, I don't know how long they could keep her and I want her to have a good life.

Please advise me! I think that she has become wild, but if I didn't have all of these dogs I would be able to keep her and rehabilitate her myself. I think she just needs to learn that not all humans will hurt her. She needs to be shown kindness besides the food.

We will work at catching her soon, maybe this week, he's suppose to call me today, but I'm not sure I could even bring her home because of my dogs. I don't know how she would react, in captivity or with my dogs. My dogs are socialized, but they get overly excited when they see another dog which could freak her out!

If you take her or another rescue could take her I will pay her Vet bill, bed, food and make donations to insure she has a home. I have a Vet too. She needs heartworm testing, I'm sure. She needs room to roam; I don't think she would do well in a kennel after living on her own. And I do not agree that putting her down is better than living on the streets, I just can't after making it this long and doing so well. I have a hard head I'm sure, but a deep love for dogs and misfortunate dogs especially. She deserves a chance at a real home, with food everyday and a soft place to sleep.

Please advise, we will be trying to catch her after dark at a shopping center, maybe this week. Her pictures are attached. Not good ones because it's dark. We call her Darlin’ because that's what I say when I feed her, "Hello Darlin’.”

Everything turned out as it should have. Little did I know that part of my path in life was to love and rehabilitate Darlin’. We don’t get the dogs we want, we get the dogs we need. I truly believe that. And I would add; we get the dogs that need us.

One January morning. Darlin’ was the first one to come back inside. She knows to sit for her treats and she is good at it!

Darlin’s first picture and Christmas story.

I’m posting this on both blogs because it seems appropriate.

A year ago today I took Darlin’s first picture. If I had taken her picture when I first started feeding her it would have made some people cry. She was so skinny that she looked hunched over with her stomach pulled up inside of her. She didn’t have her winter coat when we met, as a result her hair was thin and closer to her body. I thought she was some kind of hound dog. I was in such a hurry to feed her on schedule that taking her picture never crossed my mind. As soon as darkness fell I would watch the clock until it was time for me to leave the house.

So why Dec. 6th, 2008?

A local breeder had been shut down by the ASPCA. There were about 50 dogs that they had to surrender. The Humane Society took several, some went to rescues, and 16 were transported to a Michigan rescue. The ASPCA asked the breeder to pay for the gas needed to transport the dogs out of state. She said she wouldn’t do it because she didn’t want to give them up. When I heard about the gas, I made the donation because those dogs were not going to be delayed a chance at freedom if I had anything to do with it.

My husband and I met with the breeder’s husband at 8:00 in the morning at a grocery store parking lot. The same one that Darlin’ would be eating at once it turned dark. He was supposed to be bringing three Jack Russell’s going to Russell Rescue in Tennessee. They were not Jack Russell’s, they were Rat Terriers, but that’s okay, Russell Rescue wouldn’t turn them away. I had my camera along so that I could email the pictures to everyone involved in their rescue.

I asked the breeders husband for their names and any information he had. When he handed over the male he called JR, he said that JR had never been used for anything other than making puppies. They were frightened. In fact JR was in the back of the crate when we arrived at rescue and I didn’t realize it at the time, but he had to use the bathroom.





My daughter’s great grandmother (89 yrs at the time) lives in Tennessee so we stopped to visit with her that afternoon. Granny had a stroke in 2007 and moved into an assisted living home. We always take her out to lunch when we visit. It’s usually getting dark by the time we head home so I had Darlin’s food with me so that I could feed her on the way to our house. That day I had my camera too. It was hard getting Darlin’s picture because the camera I used isn’t good for taking pictures at night. Darlin’ was fearful too therefore I kept my distance as she ate over at her tree.




Yesterday we went to visit Granny in a North Alabama Rehab because she broke her hip in November and still isn’t able to walk. Darlin’ had been alone all afternoon and was really missing me. She cries, whines, barks, and gets overly-excited when I come in the door. All of are dogs are excited to see Mom and Dad even though the kids were home, but Darlin’ is different - and special. She usually hides in my room while I’m away. I’m sure she feels abandoned by me when I’m gone.

Last night I stood outside as Darlin’ went potty before bed. She still won’t stay in the yard without me and most times she will not go down unless I do. It was freezing cold and the ground was covered in frost. I wore my oversized coat with the hood over my head and I was still freezing, yet the night reminded me that it wasn’t quite as cold as some of the nights that Darlin’ spent alone outside last winter. As I stood there shivering waiting on the dogs, I was thankful that my mind is at peace this month.

Standing out in the cold last night took me back to last winter and winters past. It was December when my daughter asked what my intentions were concerning Darlin’. That’s when I told my family with tears on my eyes that I only intended to keep Darlin’ alive through winter by feeding her and the rest was in Gods hands. I didn’t want her, I had three dogs already. Besides, she didn’t want me, she wouldn’t come near me.

I knew my family was tiring of me not wanting to go places or do anything that might interfere with feeding Darlin’. I understood what was going on with them; they had to help me too. The questions hurt because it put what I had been doing into perspective. I knew that I was neglecting some of my own responsibilities because of Darlin’. How long was I going to continue with her feeding routine? How long could I keep doing it? I had to drive six miles every night. That’s not very far, but it was inconvenient. I couldn’t abandon her, especially not after three months. I couldn’t skip a feeding, not after establishing a routine. I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night knowing that I was capable of feeding her and without me she would be hungry. What if I ever missed a meal, would she wait for me? It was hard enough knowing she was hiding in the cold somewhere. December was an emotional time for me.

It was Dec. 13th when we went to see Trans Siberian Orchestra in concert. The concert started about the same time I would be feeding Darlin’. Afterwards we went to dinner. The concert was wonderful, but Darlin’ weighed heavy on my mind because I would be so late getting to her. We took my husband’s car that night therefore I knew I would have to ask him to stop so that I could buy food on the way home. There was more food than we could eat at dinner. I asked everyone to pass their plates and I scraped everything together in a carryout container for Darlin’. We pulled into the parking lot at the grocery store on our way home when I thought I saw something by her tree. As we got closer she lifted her head and I realized it was Darlin’ lying there napping and waiting for me! She waited over three hours!

It was raining and the wind blew hard for three days the week of Christmas. I knew Darlin’ wouldn’t come out in the rain, but I left her food anyway by putting a bowl out with a stick on top to keep the rain out. I figured if the rain slowed down she would come to eat. At that point I hadn’t seen her for two nights and I was getting worried. The food was gone, but I couldn’t be sure that Darlin’ was the one who ate it. On Christmas Eve we put her food out early so that I wouldn’t have to leave the house later. My husband bought a large basted bone for her as a Christmas gift and we left that too. She didn’t show up.

As we drove home I recalled the year before we were living in Missouri. Our cat Abbey had been bit by something and it tore a large piece of skin off of her that required stitches. Abbey had to go outside, she ran to every door in the house and begged to go out. She loved to lie around on the porch and play with our neighbor’s cat, but they also had one that was mean and attacked her. Going through my photos I found the picture of her wound was taken and emailed to my husband on Dec. 6, 2008. He had transferred and was already working at his new job in Alabama while I stayed in Missouri with the children so they could finish out the first semester at school before we relocated them.

I didn’t know until I wrote this post that Abbeys picture and Darlin’ pictures were taken at the same time a year apart. It seems significant to me because there is so much synchronicity in my life when it comes to animals. I will write more on this subject in the future.



My husband came home for Christmas in 2007. We were sitting in the living room on Christmas Eve when I spotted something that looked like eyes in our tree. It was Abbey lying in the branches! I pulled her out and noticed her stitches broke open and the wound was infected and oozing. We called an emergency vet and drove Abbey over right away. Two Christmas Eves a year apart we were out at night because of an animal.



We gathered around the tree a little earlier than usual last year. The kids open one gift on Christmas Eve and the rest on Christmas morning. Since it was still early and the house was quite I thought about making a second trip to check on Darlin’. The rain and wind had slowed so my thoughts turned to Darlin’ and whether she might show up. I asked my husband if he would mind if I drove over to check the food to see if Darlin’ was around. He said that he would drive me. It was at that moment when he offered to drive me that I didn’t feel bad about asking. When we arrived the bowls were empty, but the Christmas bone was still there. I had to believe that she had eaten and would come back for her bone later.

This year Darlin’ will spend Christmas next to me on the couch. Her head will be dry, her belly will be full, and this will be the first of many Christmases to come for her in a real home.

Dominant dogs

It’s been an interesting couple of weeks. I’m not as nervous as I was about allowing the dogs in the same space. That said, I’m still keeping them separated and rotating, but only until my back is better. My back hurt before the fight when I held Sam back. He is strong and it jerked me holding him, but I’ve had low back pain several times in my life so I thought it would heal up within a week. This time around it kept getting worse. Long story short, it was unbearable so I went to the doctor. I have an MRI scheduled next week because it’s been going on a month. As long as my back hurts I’m not willing to snatch a dog up that’s flying across the room or one dominating another which could provoke another fight. I’ll give you a few examples in this post.

She's good with the cats. This is Baby.





Bonnie has found her new bed. Darlin’ will continue to sleep in her dog bed over on my side of the room. Bonnie will no longer sleep with us and will continue to sleep in the crate. I never thought I’d see the day where I said that, but we are sleeping better and it’s better for everyone. There were a few nights when she whimpered and whined in the crate, but she’s been a good girl well over a week now. I mentioned in one post about Bonnie jumping out of bed and growling at Sam as he entered the room. Well, wait until you here this!

Bonnie had only been sleeping in the crate a week when one night she whined like a puppy and it got to the point I couldn't take it. She had been sleeping well in the crate, but that night changed things. I finally asked my husband to put her in bed with us. She laid down by my legs and went to sleep.

At 5:30 am I walked across the house to use the other bathroom because my husband was in our bathroom taking a shower. Too many lights on in there for me half asleep. Darlin' followed me, Sam and Chloe came to me, so I let the three dogs out. I looked and didn't see Bonnie, and Toby won’t get up until I do in the mornings. Darlin’ runs down to pee and comes right back to the door. I go back to bed and notice Bonnie still sleeping.

I walked around the foot of the bed to my side when Darlin' enters the room. Bonnie looks up and goes crazy growling and barking! She acts like an aggressive dog that you see on TV. I grabbed her so she wouldn't jump off and start a fight in the dark. Darlin' runs over to the bed and has her front feet on my husbands side! That scared me, thinking she might jump into the bed at any second. I pulled Bonnie up out of the bed and I'm holding her up kicking and screaming at Darlin'! I know it empowers a dog to hold them above another dog, especially a dog like Bonnie. I really had no choice with Darlin’ alert and ready for action. Darlin’ was following me in the room, eyes dead on Bonnie! I'm yelling at Darlin', No! no telling how many times. No matter which direction I turned Darlin' was in front of me stalking and if I allowed her to get too close I felt like she was going to lunge at Bonnie in my hands! I finally threw our comforter off the bed over Darlin' so I could turn on the light! About that time my husband comes running into the room wet and soapy out of the shower. I was so upset trying to catch my breath I couldn't even speak! He put Bonnie back in her crate and I settled down and went back to sleep. Before I dozed off I thought to myself about buying a crate for Darlin'. Bonnie was the instigator by threatening Darlin’ with her barking and growling. If Bonnie hadn't started that then Darlin' would have gone right back to bed! So, we all sleep better with Bonnie in her crate, Darlin’ won’t be needing one.

The days following weren’t very easy between the two dogs. They could sleep in the same room and eat together in the kitchen, but the aggression was still there, at least for Bonnie. One night after dinner Bonnie started walking around the kitchen. As soon as I said, “They made eye contact” to my husband, he had to snatch Bonnie up and carry her out of the kitchen. Bonnie would also growl outside of my office door. Darlin’ sometimes whimpers when I close the door which didn’t help. It showed weakness and Bonnie was on the other side showing dominance.

One night I was on the couch with Darlin’ beside me. My husband was on the other couch with Bonnie in her dog bed. I watched him stroking Bonnie’s head as her face grew tense staring over at Darlin’. I was thinking (please don’t stroke her) right about the time she turned into a devil and flies off the couch in our direction! I snatched her up and asked my husband to please be more observant, especially when he’s showing affection. Bonnie has been more submissive with me since. She walks in with her tail down, she comes to the towel when I need to dry her from the rain, and she’s listening much better too. When she comes in from outside I tell her to go to her bed and she will immediately. She still likes to take her dog biscuit to her bed so she can threaten whoever walks by, but most times I wait and she knows to eat it if I’m standing there.

Now that Bonnie is getting better and more submissive, I have to keep my eye on Darlin’. She pulled a fast one and surprised me a few days ago. I was letting a couple of dogs out back first thing in the morning. Bonnie was already out in the yard, so I thought Darlin’ would stay inside with me. She doesn’t like to go down to the yard without me. Well Darlin’ slipped past me and ran down the stairs! I thought Bonnie would come running and I’d have a darn fight on my hands so I ran inside and grabbed my little cow bell and took off to the yard. It’s a distracter, a noise maker I came up with to distract them if they were to dominate or provoke one another. Darlin’ runs straight across the yard to Bonnie at the fence! My eyes must have been huge as I ran down and started shaking the bell. Bonnie came walking calmly to me with her tail down and Darlin’ is standing out there with her hackles raised looking right down at Bonnie! I picked Bonnie up and praised her for her behavior, told Darlin’ No!, and motioned for her to get back. The rotating continues until I can handle these too without further injuries to each other or my low back.

I got my first real kisses from Darlin’ on Nov. 1, 2009! She’s very playful in the mornings and she’s always excited when I get dressed and talk to her. She’ll follow me to the bathroom and sometimes sit next to my feet when I’m on the toilet. That’s when I leaned over to her, she leaned her head up and back and licked my nose! I know, now I’m on the toilet kissing dogs! Later that day I leaned down to kiss her and she licked me again. Then one day last week I was sitting at my desk with her lying at my feet and she licked my foot! I’m getting kisses from my girl now!

She will initiate play in the floor with me too! Sometimes she’ll jump up and put her paws on my stomach, then quickly give me a play bow! She is precious and playful, but we still don’t get out enough.

Darlin’ is getting use to the noises in the house too. For the first months that she lived upstairs she would hide and tremble at the sound of the vacuum cleaner. Now she’ll run back and forth in the room and watch me. She used to hide and tremble when I used my blow dryer. Now she’ll go to her bed and lie there calmly as soon as she sees me pull it out from my cabinet. She’s still uncomfortable hearing my sons music or TV, but I think her anxiety comes from the fact that she isn’t comfortable around my family yet. I can drop a spoon and she moves but doesn’t run.

She’s still guarding and territorial. Tonight she growled and barked at my husband as he offered all of the dog’s treats. She ran from one side of the room to the other, but her tail was down low the entire time. She's insecure. He kept calling her to him as he passed out treats on his knees in the kitchen. She finally went to him to get one! She loves her dog biscuits. She barks when my daughter walks in my office, then quickly hides under my desk and gets quiet. Sometimes I shake a pill bottle. I have been shaking a vitamin bottle to teach her to hush, but I was advised not to by a trainer on my Facebook. She said it will make her issue worse. Well, it works where nothing else has. It basically gets her attention so that she will hear me tell her No, or Go. The trainer also said that a fearful stray equals an emotional leader. She was fearful when I got her and she has made phenomenal progress in 8 months. Oh my goodness, eight months today! She may not be comfortable with my family, but she loves her Mommy which is more than I could have hoped for.

I just noticed, look at her tail and how high she's carrying it walking past Sam. That's dominance!



I need to get Darlin’ out of the house more so she won’t be afraid of the leash and go stiff on me. She also needs more exercise because she doesn’t run around the yard much. She’s gaining weight. Her belly fat from having puppies is starting to fill out. Because we have a big yard and dog activities, like Frisbee for Bonnie, we don’t walk them that much. My husband will take them each out for walks over the weekend. This way he gets exercise in and manages the dogs better. He’s thinking about starting to run again so that will be nice for them. I want him to take Darlin’ too. I know the first few times she will freeze like she does with me. But it’s a good way for him to spend time with her and for her to see that he’s a good guy.

See her tummy in this one.



This past week my husband has been fixing the dogs food and taken it to Darlin’ the few times I kept the dogs separated at meal time. So she is learning his scent and to associate it with her resources as well. He’s also learned my routine and how I feed the dogs. I have my quirks and certain dogs get their bowl down first. They also have to sit quiet and calm before it goes down. They eat canned dog food with chicken broth and a little meat on top. Yes, my doing. I started cooking for Darlin’ and never quite stopped. I don’t mind boiling chicken once a week. My sister asked one night what I was cooking for dinner. I told her if my husband didn’t mind boiled chicken thighs that we would be in good shape!

My husband has been watching me more and how I interact with the dogs. I showed him that he could treat the dogs when they come inside by pointing to the floor. They don’t have to be told to sit every time you give them a treat. Most of the time they sit anyway if there is any hesitation on my part whatsoever. Sam and Chloe walk in and sit automatically. And they certainly don’t need to be praised every time they take a treat from your hand. All of the dogs do this including Darlin’.

I need to put Darlin’ in the car and ride around the block. I’d love to take her to my Vet in January for her heartworm test follow-up. If I did those things then I would have tons of work cut out for me in just a couple of months if I expect Darlin’ to be comfortable in those situations. I know she’ll be tense and fearful which is mostly why I haven’t hurried introducing her to new things.

Here Sam was on the ground, Darlin' had been sniffing him.



It’s not easy living with five dogs. They do take a lot of time out of my day and sometimes they take a lot out of me. I really love my dogs. The trainer also asked me why I rescued Darlin’, what was I needing to rescue in myself? I’m still pondering that one. I’m so glad that Darlin’ is here with us and not out in the cold tonight. I know she has helped me be a more patient person and that lesson is ongoing. I know that Darlin’ has helped me learn about and understand the canine world a little better. I have to keep my eye on them, but I learn so much in doing so. The trainer also said that everyone wants to be like Cesar and walk a pack of dogs. Nah, I’ll decline on that one, I don’t like dog hair and vacuuming that much. I never wanted five dogs, but I had to get Darlin’ off the street, for her safety and my sanity. I hear the phrase “It is what it is” isn’t favored by many people. It is what it is, I have five dogs that I’m committed to until they cross the bridge someday. Right now I just want to outlive them all because they are my responsibility and I want to keep it that way. The only thing I want to change right now is for Darlin’ to trust my family and for her and Bonnie to go back to how they behaved before their fight. Sometimes it’s hard to balance everything and maintain structure and routine. While separating the dogs has become part of my routine, it hasn’t been challenging. The rest has been easy.

First bath

Yes, Darlin had her first bath yesterday. I've had her seven months, but by the time I brought her indoors, I'm sure most of the road grime had fallen off of her. I applied Frontline Plus her second week home so I didn't have any concerns about fleas. She has never smelled either. She didn't want to come to me when I called her to the bathroom. Toby had just had a bath so she seemed to understand what was coming. She ran to her bed in the bedroom. I had to carry her and put her in the tub, but she was no worse than any of our dogs. She just stood there not especially happy about it, but she did well. Most dogs shake like crazy when you give them a bath. Not Darlin', she sat in the corner and allowed me to dry her. She only shook once after I allowed her to leave the bathroom.

She was still damp. Her winter coat is starting to come back.



Her barking isn't any better. Some days it's worse than others. Yesterday she started barking and acting territorial when my husband came home so I told her to "Go" pointing by finger and watched as she ran to the bedroom. I didn't close the door. A minute later she came back and was quiet.

I took Chloe to get her hair cut a few days ago. When we came home Darlin' ran up to her and nipped her! I snapped my finger and told her to knock it off and she does, but she continued to show some anxiousness. She did the same thing to our blue heeler (Sam) when he came home from the vet. It's like she didn't like it that I had them with me. She does not like me to leave her.

We went out of town over the weekend and I was gone almost 10 hours. My son tried calling her to go outside, leaving the back door open, but she would not leave my bedroom. I arrived home and called her to go out. After her barking and whimpering at me she ran down and pottied immediately after her feet hit the grass. I don't know how or why a dog that lived on the streets is able to control her bladder (and bowels) the way she can. She wouldn't mess in the house for nothing. Poor thing would go on herself in her bed if it came down to it, but someone would carry her outside first. If I had been away any longer, I would have asked my daughter to carry her outside and put her in the grass.

She's getting big. I'm anxious to see how much she weighs now. I'll have her weighed when the mobile vet checks to see if her heartworms are gone in a few months.



Darlin' gets along with all of the dogs, but Toby is still her favorite playmate.



She still watches the back doors when she's outside, but not nearly as much as she has. There are times I see her acting like one of the pack sniffing the yard without any signs of fear or anxiety.





I bought the book, Help for Your Fearful Dog by Nicole Wilde. I haven't had a chance to read through it yet. I'll let you know if I read anything helpful that applies to a dog like Darlin'. Right now my only concern is getting past her territorial barking and guarding.

Breaking through fear related issues

Darlin’ is making a tremendous amount of progress. While she would still prefer that no one else lived in the house except me, she’s doing really well trying to adjust to my family and overcoming some fear based issues.

In the living room one evening, but still fearful. See how her tail is low.

click on all images to enlarge, then click the BACK button.








Sometimes it’s obvious that her body doesn’t work in sync with what she’s trying to achieve. She wants to be in the same room while other family members are there, but she trembles so bad most people just couldn’t imagine. She sits at my feet in the kitchen frequently and hides behind my legs. If my husband or children walk in for a drink or to speak to me, she won’t run away like she use to. She does tremble and will scoot closer to me, but the key here is that she stays put and her feet aren’t sliding out from under her trying to get away.



I use to reach down and rub her ears during times like that, or I would tell her she was fine and doing great. I’ve realized it’s time to stop comforting her when she shows any anxiety whatsoever. She trusts me completely now, which I needed her to do. I truly believe it has been love and affection that got her this far in almost 5 months. I’m ignoring all signs of stress and anxiety that I see in her, but when she is in a relaxed calm state of mind I give her affection and praise.

I no longer have to put a leash on her to get her out of my office. She will come out, sometimes hesitant or slow to react, but she will pass through the living room to get to the back door. Even when someone else is on the couch or in the kitchen. That’s a huge step for her!



I’ve mentioned in previous posts that Darlin’ displayed some separation anxiety since we’ve bonded. She still whimpers when I come home and she still looks out the glass at the front door. I managed to get a picture one day of what I see when I come up the steps. She even stands up looking in the back door if I leave her out too long. I need to correct that also, but I’m careful right now. There have been a few times that I corrected her where she acted fearful of me. She doesn’t do it constantly and she’s certainly not hurting anything looking in the door standing on her back feet.



Darlin’ has become more confident and assertive. Sometimes she’ll low growl or low bark at my family when they step outside and she’s in the yard. It’s happened a few times when she’s sitting next to my feet in the kitchen. It’s more like a bark through her cheeks, like a warning or an alert that she is there. She’s being a little protective and territorial, but I correct her and tell her firmly, “No” and she stops. No one seems to mind her growling, but my family will be her caregivers at times and I want her to enjoy everyone. Besides, I won’t allow her to growl at anyone unless it’s a stranger entering the house or yard without my knowledge. She’s harmless, but she has finally found her voice.

She acts a little camera shy, always turning her head away when I start taking pictures.



Last week I went out of town. I hate leaving Darlin’ because I know how she shuts down when I’m not around. She went potty at 4:30 am because I left at 5 am. I called my son a few hours later to ask him to let Darlin out to potty. He said he heard her feet on the woods floors a lot that morning. She kept walking back and forth between my office and our bedroom. I think she was probably looking for me or maybe just felt unsettled. This house is Darlin’s safe haven; I can see that by how she is constantly focused on the back door. My son left the back door open, but she wouldn’t go outside so I asked my daughter to carry her out. My thinking was if they carry her to the deck, and then take a few steps behind her, she would run down, mostly out of fear, but the intent was to get her to the yard. Once in the yard she would potty and if they left the door open she would run back inside.

Well it seems they tried to pick her up from her bed in my bedroom. She jumped out and cowered between the nightstand and the wall so they left her to calm down. Later when they tried again she ran down to the landing in the house so they opened the downstairs door and followed her that way. At that point she had not used the bathroom in 10 hours. My daughter said she trickled and dropped a little mess on her way. That was the first time she ever pottied in the house, although it wasn’t intentional on her part. I know it was from fear. I was afraid she would loose control of her bowels if they picked her up. She did relieve herself and ran back inside. I was told that she actually came back up the stairs only a few feet behind my daughter’s boyfriend. I returned home around 8 pm and immediately called Darlin to go outside. She whimpered and was excited to see me, ran downstairs to the yard, and immediately had a bowel movement right after her feet hit the grass. Poor dog!

We spent time together on the couch before bed.



I have to admit I had concerns about housebreaking a mature dog that has lived outside on her own. The strangest thing happened; I never had housebreaking issues with her! My friend, Sandra, may have hit the nail on the head as to why Darlin won’t mess in the house. She said that maybe it’s because Darlin had always used the bathroom outside so to her it’s natural to go in the yard. I can’t think of any other reason myself. It’s been a real blessing not having to deal with her relieving herself indoors because training a fearful dog is not easy. Heck, living with a fearful dog is a challenge in itself. I do know since living with Darlin’ that she never bonded with a family or lived indoors, nor did she have any social skills with other dogs.

Speaking of socializing: She ran after Bonnie (JRT) when Bonnie chased the Frisbee the other day! It was exciting to see! Bonnie turned around and looked at her as surprised as I was! She usually whimpers wanting to play, but the dogs don’t pay her any attention, probably because the whimpering suggests some kind of instability. She’ll learn because she has come a long way already.

One day Darlin’ was walking through the living room and picked up a toy on her way through. Later I found that she took it to her mat under my desk. It was so cute to see her show interest in a toy and it was such a pleasure to see her with a toy in her mouth. I try to throw balls for her or offer her toys, but she doesn’t know what to do with them. The balls usually scare her so she’ll run away.



Guess who sits for her treats? I started asking her to sit for her treat while holding it above her nose so that she would have to back up. At first she acted like I was teasing her and eventually turned or walked away. Then I used more tempting treats, like boiled chicken, cheese, and salami. Ha! That worked, but she turned ever so slightly to the side and sat. That was enough for me because she was sitting. Now she comes in the kitchen with the other dogs and she’ll sit before I tell her. Last night I did tell her to sit because she had her eyes on my husband in the dining room, but she sat so pretty.

Two nights ago I took the dogs out back. I almost always go out with them because if I don’t Darlin will stand at the back door waiting for me. You’ve heard of moms with a baby attached to their hip, well I’m one with a dog attached to mine. Two dogs actually, Toby, my broken coat JRT rescue, is the other. So I went down with the dogs, then I peeked my head in the downstairs door and let my daughter and her boyfriend know I was there and for them to come out. If they had been outside already, Darlin’ wouldn’t have gone potty. I let her do her business and then we could sit and visit. Previously if anyone else was outside, Darlin’ would run to the back corner of the yard and wait for me to get up to go back in the house. Once I started back up the stairs she would run across the yard and up the steps following just a few steps behind me. She still has the best pack manners and always allows me to lead the way.



Thursday night she sat next to my feet trembling as we all sat around the patio table talking. She was just 4-6 feet away from my daughter and her boyfriend! A few minutes later she crawled under my chair and stayed there until we went back inside. That was a huge step for her in learning to trust and be near my children. These children I speak of are young adults themselves, not little kids running around the yard.

She’s always watching the doors, even when she's sitting at my feet.



Darlin loves her house and yard so much. She’s so happy when she lets down her guard, although she remains fixated on the back door most everyday. She’s been prancing around with her tail so high, she really is a beautiful sight. Just a week ago she would come in the back door so fearful that she would slide through the living room trying to make her getaway to the spot under my desk in my office. If I could coax her to the couch, I would sit next to her and ask my husband to close the door for me. She would scoot in closer to me while hiding from him, she still does that today. I remember one night last week sitting outside watching her scratch her back in the grass and thinking that if I didn’t go outside with Darlin’, she would never stretch her legs. She would lie under my desk all day long, holding her bladder of necessary. I’m sure I’m repeating myself from previous posts, and if I am, well some things haven’t changed yet. I’m watching for signs that she’ll want to go out on her own, either to be outside or because she needs to use the bathroom.







I don’t have many pictures of her that look like this.



I need to keep my camera beside my bed because I would love for readers to see how happy she is in the mornings. She prances around the bedroom when I get up or if I lay there for a minute she comes over to my side and greets me in the morning. Most times she will not get out of her bed until my feet touch the floor, but occasionally she stretches out in the floor on my side after she hears my husband leave for work. She won’t go out with the other dogs when my husband lets them out first thing in the morning. Our dogs get a treat when they come back inside. Since she never gets out of bed until I do, my husband lays a treat down for her. This morning I heard her crunching after he left the room. Just the sound of her eating a treat that he left makes me happy for her. This dog wouldn’t eat anything while I was in the same room for weeks and before that she wouldn’t eat until after dark when the house was quiet.

Normally I wouldn’t tell this to just anyone, but I want to share my joy with you. One morning last week I woke up and went to the bathroom. Darlin sometimes runs in, smells my husband’s clothes in the laundry basket, and runs back out. She’s happy, she knows I’m up, and that we’re about to go outside. Sniffing his scent on the laundry is a good thing too. So there I sit watching her run in and out of the bathroom. I called her to me, “Come here you sweet thing, give Mommy a kiss.” She runs up to me, bows her head, I kiss her on the forehead, and she turns around and prances back out of the bathroom. She was precious!!

I started giving Darlin’ fish oil caps in her dinner because her shedding continues and the hair on her back is so coarse. After about a week I began noticing the difference in her coat. You can actually feel the moisture in her hair and it’s softened up a lot. She is still shedding, but it has slowed a lot. I inherited a Border Collie years ago after my customer died. Seriously! He had a terrible time with excess shedding and inflamed skin due to grass allergies. The Vet put him on fish oil, nothing else, and it cleared up right away so I knew it worked. Since Darlin’ was a stray her diet may have contributed to the condition of her coat as well. She probably had vitamin deficiencies; after all she was skin and bones when we met.



Her coat has dramatically changed since she’s shed so much of it. If you look up at the banner image, taken just a few weeks after trapping her, and you look at the pictures I’m posting today, you’ll notice she has lost all of the extra hair on her backside and quite a bit all over, including around her neck. I don’t know if her coat will grow back the way it was or if it will remain thinner now. The reason I wonder is because last year she lived outside all winter and this year she will be a house dog. I would think that a dog’s winter coat could change depending on their environment, but I haven’t done any research on the subject.

My dad came to visit and finally got to meet Darlin’. I carried her outside because she wouldn’t come out on her own. He was surprised by her size because he thought she was bigger. True, she has a bigger dog look to her, but she is what most people would consider as a medium sized dog. She stands as tall as our Blue Heeler and maybe a little longer, but she weighs between 35-40 lbs. She’s tall and long legged, with a deep chest.









Darlin has eaten in the kitchen every night for at least two weeks now! I have called her from my office, but most days she hears me open the cans of food and knows what I’m doing. So I now have 5 dogs waiting for dinner, all are calm and patient, except my hyper Eskimo Spitz that talks the entire time. I’m usually preparing the bowls when Darlin runs in from my office and scoots in tight next to my feet. Sam (blue heeler) gets his bowl first, then Chloe (Eskie) eats closer to Sam. Then Darlin gets hers on the rug in front of the stove, and Bonnie and Toby. Toby and Bonnie, my Jack Russell’s, don’t eat much at all. They eat the chicken on top of their food and lick the chicken broth I pour over it. Darlin’ is still very hesitant and not completely comfortable eating. I stand with my back against the sink and watch. If she stops eating I tell her to “eat” and she will. She takes a bite of food, and then looks up to make sure the coast is clear before having another bite. Very similar to how she ate when I fed her at the tree before trapping her. Sometimes when she has her head up looking around, Toby will go over and start licking the broth out of her bowl. She doesn’t care at all, she’ll stick her nose back in the bowl right next to his and eat some more. He’s taking advantage because Darlin’ is protective of him and treats him like her puppy sometimes. Darlin’ shows weakness when she exhibits insecure behavior which makes it easier for any dog to take advantage. It has happened, but I’m not allowing Toby to continue the behavior. I don’t want him to intrude while she’s eating and he has learn to respect her too.

Toby leaning up against Darlin.



Cesar Millan had a show on recently spotlighting Baby Girl, a Doberman Pincher, possibly mixed with greyhound. She was fearful of thunderstorms, fearful of the kitchen cabinets being open, fearful of a lot of things. She lost a lot of weight when he had her at his Dog Psychology Center and he tried everything to get her to eat. Darlin’s fear issues are/was worse than Baby Girl. No camera man could ever walk in this house and film Darlin, she’s just too fearful of people to come out. I did see many similarities in Darlin and Baby Girl, but I also saw in Baby Girl things I have not witnessed in Darlin’. I would be terrified myself that if Cesar took Darlin to his dog psychology center that it would set her back. My comments have nothing to do with trusting Cesar’s ability to help a fearful dog; it’s that I know my Darlin. Cesar always says he’d rather work with an aggressive dog or red zone case than a fearful dog. I know exactly where he’s coming from. Fearful dogs need a lot of time to come around on their own. I can’t believe it’s been 5 months since I brought her home. It may seem like a long time, but the months have flown by. In addition, I have read many stories of fearful dogs, some took years to rehabilitate. Five months is a drop in the bucket.

I’d like to interject about my comments regarding Cesar Millan. I watch a lot of dog shows, not just dog training shows. I agree with many of the techniques that Cesar uses to train dogs, but I also disagree with other methods. I've often wondered how Cesar would handle a dog like Darlin’, then I think about some of the methods he’s used to push a dog past their limitations and I realize Darlin’ is in the best place for her rehabilitation. Rules, Boundaries, and Limitations are keys to avoiding problems and building a relationship with your dog. Mastering the walk may be essential to your dog’s health and happiness. Although I know from my own experience with dogs in my life that there are a lot of dogs that don’t need a routine walk to be good dogs and family pets.

Darlin’ crossed a major threshold this weekend. This is the first weekend that she has ever walked around the house passing family members. She may take a detour through the kitchen or behind the couch, but she has surprised us all. She does not like to be alone. I know this because I’m with her when no one else is in the house. She’s such a normal dog when we are alone now. Every time I leave a room, she is right beside me. This weekend her behavior is very similar to those times. Today I stood in the dining room next to my husband while he showed me something on his computer. When I left the room we realized Darlin’ had been sitting directly behind my husband’s chair the entire time! We are all extremely proud of her!

I can’t comprehend why someone would dump or abandon this dog, or any dog for that matter. There is something special about her spirit and something in her eyes that makes me want to comfort her. She actually licked my foot when we were sitting on the couch last week and she has licked my hand a couple of times. I’m not much into kissing and licking dogs, I’d rather be the one that kisses, but what she did meant a lot to me. I actually hope she licks me in the face by surprise someday. Darlin’ is respectful of the other dogs and looks up to her canine leader (me). I have put my hand under her muzzle, lifting her head high, as I kiss her on her head, the top of her nose, or the side of her face. I have never had the slightest concern that she would bite. She is the gentlest dog with so much love to give. I see that when she smiles outside as she runs over to me like a small child happy to meet with her parent’s approval for something she’s done. I can’t help but love Darlin’, she makes it so easy. I tell her often that I’m happy she’s here and that she’ll always have a loving family.

Over the last month I’ve worked with rescues, one long distance rescue that took a lot of me time-wise and emotionally, but there was a happy ending. I worked at my business and my own computer was down. This month I hope to do better. I have a feeling Darlin’ will be making quite a few changes to her lifestyle over the next few months. I can see it coming by the way she’s stepping out showing more trust and confidence this weekend.







Whatcha got Mom?