Bailey's Visit

Hi Everett,

There's a new girl in the house. She's Paisle's first female pitty companion, and Marshal's second girlfriend.

Bailey weighs 53.4 lbs, so though she is taller than Paisle, she's lighter (by only 2lbs).

This pretty brindle girl came back into rescue, after a few years with her adopted family. I don't know much of her story. I don't know her past. All I know is this is a very loving, though timid, young lady.

Marshal can't catch her.

Or take the bumper from her

Bailey arrived Thursday night. She rides so nicely in the car that on the trip home, I forgot she was sitting in the back seat.

Thursday night I kept the house divided, and gave Bailey a chance to explore the new house on her own, without too much exposure to the live animals that created all the smells, chewed on all the toys, slept in all the beds throughout the house. The first time they were all in the same room, was when we went to bed, where even the bedroom was divided. Bailey has her kennel with its nice fluffy bed in it (which she doesn't chew), and I put a babygate in front of the kennel (the other sides are not reachable because of the room arrangement), and a chair in front of the gate to give her even more 'space'. She didn't make a single sound throughout the night.

Friday morning, Big Boy met Bailey, and the two had a blast chasing each other around the yard. It wasn't until Saturday, however, that I learned Bailey is a magnificent jumper. There are 13 steps to my basement, and while we played an indoor game of rope (and she won consistently) she cleared the stairs in two bounds. I wish I had a split level home with a landing between sets of six steps, because it would be really awesome to see her fly up and down the stairs, without actually touching any of the steps!

Bailey also cleared all three rabbit fences in the yard. The highest, that raggedy looking thing in many of my photos, is only 30 inches (if there is any portion that is actually standing straight). Okay, so maybe that is no big feat, as the fences are so low, but they clearly did not display any obstacle to her desire to explore. I did see her eye the fence around the yard, however, especially where the compost bin provides an excellent launching pad over the fence. Perhaps an added note to whomever takes her home for good--this may be a girl who needs constant mental stimulation to prevent her from making up games for herself.

Saturday the serious snow started, so I had all four dogs outside as much as possible, knowing tired pups when the real cold arrived would be best.Poor Marshal, entertaining both girlfriends on the run, had to be prodded to go out the last time before bed Saturday night. And by that time, the wind and falling snow were quite impressive. That's a very hard to identify photo--the yellow thing is my rain/snow gauge, full, and surrounded by the swirling snow.

In case anyone is having a hard time telling the difference between the brindle girlfriends, Bailey is wearing the black collar--Paisle is collarless. Paisle is not in any of the photos in this post. Bailey also has the most interesting dark markings on her back, visible here.

Besides all the playtime outside, Bailey and I also went to Chuck & Don's, for some socializing (and an excuse to get out of the house). Again, she was very good in the car, but as soon as we went inside, she started to shake and shake. Heavy panting soon appeared, so we just stayed on the entry rug (it was a slow day at the food store), while the employees lured her with grain free treats and lots of encouragement. We tried to not make a big deal out of her nervousness, but instead praised her for anything she did--sit, wag her tail, eye contact, etc. Every person who met her commented on her beautiful coloring.

I had my camera with me, but I brought the wrong lens so was not able to take any photos of Bailey or the dogs she met there. There was a Wiemeraner (female), a really large Golden Retriever (male), and one small mixed breed (Westie size--female), and she did very well with each of them. Given how well she's been playing with Big Boy, maybe Bailey needs a forever home that has another dog?

We've done very little in the way of training, other than very basic manners: sit, eye contact, and down. She is only with us for a very short time, and I thought it more important to give her time to settle in and gain confidence in a new setting. She is so nice! She's a polite licker--doesn't take off skin like Paisle, nor is she slobbery. It seems her biggest desire is to just be near you, wherever you are. She does not shove past you to get to the door, nor weave underfoot during meal preparation. Maybe her polite manners are still indicative of being unsure of her surroundings, and her naughty, playful side would emerge over time. Here's hoping!