Aaaaaargh..

 Our lives were too easy.  Too simple.  Too neat. 

So I had to go and muck it up.  

Of course.

I have had cats and dogs my entire life.  Multiple cats and multiple dogs throughout my entire life.

As our animals, who thankfully led nice, long lives, started leaving us one by one, I had to fill the silence.  

I wanted a rescue.  

I wanted to save the one who needed me most.

I prayed about it 

I tried not to rush out and just do it..  but to  honestly think about it and pray about it.

And then I saw this face.

I wanted her.

I have no idea if God wanted me to pick this one or if I wasn't listening at that point, but I wanted her.

I kinda felt like it was meant to be, because, before I saw her picture, I had an appointment to meet with a different doggie.  Then I saw THIS PICTURE and felt drawn to THIS DOGGIE. 

I felt a commitment to the first dog and planned on keeping my appointment, however, the day before my meeting, that dog was adopted, which opened me up to now proceed with "Pinkie".

We made an appointment to meet her.  

Even before meeting her, I had already made up my mind:  she would be ours.

Conversation between me and Mark about her name:

Me:  Her name is Pinkie.  We can keep her name and make everything of hers pink!

Mark:  No.

Me:  Pinkie Tuscadero?

Mark:  No.

Me:  Leather Tuscadero and we make everything leather??

Mark:  Who is Leather Tuscadero?

Me:  Pinkie Tuscadero's sister.

Mark:  You're making that up.

Me:  Google it.

Mark: Hmmm. There was a Leather Tuscadero.  She was played by Suzi Quatro.

Me:  Suzi Quatro?  I like it!  We'll call her Suzi-Q!!

-----

We went and met her.  They literally drug her into the room to meet us.  She would not take a treat.  She barely responded to us.  She was shaking as she lie on the ground.  My heart broke for her.

We came back and got her the following week.

She was so scared.  And withdrawn.  We knew she needed to decompress.  We brought her home, and we gave her space.

Initially, wherever we put her, that is where she stayed.  If we put her down in the living room, she would change positions, but she would not change locations.  Same with the bedroom. Same with any room.

We finally put her in the back yard.  We knew she needed to move around, and we were hoping being outside would do the trick.

It did!  

She really seemed to be enjoying being outside and having her freedom.

Problem:  She would not come to us. Not for a treat.  Not for food.  Nope.  Not gonna happen. She would get close as we sat and talked with her, but she made a point of staying just out of reach, so we could not catch her.  (We were not trying to catch her,  but she didn't know that.)

We weren't too worried about this.  We knew everything was new to her, and we knew she was safe in our yard, but we weren't happy about it either.

What would we do when night fell?

Ah, when night fell, she was scared.  She simply curled up into a little ball and shook and shook.  We picked her up and carried her into the house.

Not ideal, but at least we had her inside for the  night.

OK.

That plan only lasted a few nights.  I guess after some time, she realized how safe she was in the yard, because she no longer curled up in a ball shaking.

Pro:  She was no longer shaking.  She was becoming more comfortable.

Con:  Now we couldn't get her into the house for overnight.

I didn't love the idea of her staying outside all night, but we knew she would be safe.

Fine.

Next morning go out and check on her.  She had moved my shoes from the back door to down in the yard where I had been sitting.  What?  She didn't chew them up or anything, just moved them.  And moved them to the location where I had been sitting with her.  She also took an old towel off the deck and was sleeping on it.

We took that as both a sign of progress and her being quite smart. 

This is how our days passed.  We would spend as much time outside with her as we could.  Talk with her.  Place food and treats nearby.  And she would get closer and closer and closer.  She would sleep close to where we sat.  But always staying just out of reach.  She did, however, get along with the cats, especially Billie.

We eventually got her eating treats out of our hands, but she would get that treat and back away from us to eat it.

So, at this point, we get into a routine where she spends all her time outside.  We spend as much time as we can outside.  She seems comfortable with us, but still not trusting.  She keeps us close, but not too close.

But now she is also becoming more and more comfortable in our yard.  And she is getting into places and things she should not be getting into.  Now she is chewing up my shoes.  Now she is getting into our plants and potting soil.  That is NOT gonna cut it.

Mark had been working on trying to get her into the house by leaving a trail of broken up treats.  

Last night, between all the rain storms and her tearing up our yard, we decided we needed to change things up.

Today marks three weeks since we brought her home.  We have given her time and space and even her freedom.  Now it's time to do a few things our way.  

Mark made a trail of treats, and as she walked into the house eating them all up, Mark shut the door behind her.

He also went to Walmart and got a stake and some cord.  She can have freedom, but not unlimited. Now we can bring her in each night and let her out during the day where she can roam and get in a bit of trouble... but not too far and not too much.

So this is where we are in our rescue dog adventure ... ANY and ALL tips for what we are doing right and what we are doing wrong are greatly appreciated!  

She really is a sweet dog, we do not know her history, and we really want to give her a great future ... we just hope we are not in over our heads.  Help!!