Rough Night

October 5, 2008.
Well, I look about ten years older but Bella looks great! It was kind of like when you bring a new baby home, without the tearing out the sheetrock part :) Petie and Ollie and I slept on the sofa
in the den to listen for Bella...and we heard her...many times throughout the night :)

Let's just start with the fact that she hates to be confined and she obviously wanted to come inside but we couldn't do that because she was treated for worms and had nasty diarrhea, so the
garage was a better idea. That was my opinion, anyway but obviously not hers.

I heard her on and off, then I would drift off to sleep, then I would wake up and she would have a new surprise for me! :) After she had torn out part of the wall (I still love her) I put
her in a large crate. I came back in about an hour and the crate door was still locked but the crate was empty...kind of the way a raccoon will go in a trap, get the food and leave.
Apparently she had pushed the door open enough to squeeze out....she only weighs 48 pounds.
After that, I found her sleeping peacefully in the corner by "her wall."

Anyway, I'm hoping that all of this can be worked out in time. I love her and I understand that she has been through a terrible time.

A friend asked me today if she wags her tail....and she doesn't. I learned that dogs who have been abused, neglected or confined, like in a puppy mill, don't wag their tails because they don't know what that means and they are too traumatized to be that communicative and happy. So
when I see her wag her tail, that will be another good sign.

Already, she looks a little better than she did yesterday, she seems to recognize her new name, she is eating well and has spent the whole day outside with me and Petie, just eating,
resting and sleeping. She follows me with her eyes when I go from place to place so I think she knows that I'm Mama. It never takes them long to figure that out.

We are going to try to all sleep in the den tonight because she doesn't like going up the stairs and we are going to see if that settles her down. If she doesn't do well, I'll let her sleep in the
back yard as she may have always been an outdoor dog and if the weather is mild enough for her to be comfortable.

If I were not so braindead from sleep deprivation I would write
more but we'll catch up later.