Tammerlin's getting ready to move!
Thursday Tammerlin is moving to her new home.
I see I can't resist recounting the details, but the bottom line has just been stated -- she loves being with them, she loves being in their yard, she's charming and gentle to the tiny older dog who already lives there. Life is good.
The whole story:
So Sunday afternoon my Beloved Dog spent several hours with her new family at their house and their newly-fenced yard. She started whining and looking eager before we were halfway there (45 minutes on the interstate -- how did she know where we were going?). When we drove past the house to turn around she started whining and prancing in the back seat, something I'd never seen her do before.
She was eager to greet M, appropriately respectful with C, so excited she didn't know what to do for several minutes. Then she apparently intentionally calmed down when the little boys came over to say their cautious hello's. She can lick their faces while keeping all four feet on the ground, so their courage and her patience were lovely to witness.
Then we went through the new gate and let her off-lead. She ran around in excited figure-eights, looking at everything, and then settled down to sniff every bush and tree ... and then C threw a tennis ball in her direction and a great game of 'fetch' began. She treated all of us to about equal amounts of her attention and affection, and so in about twenty minutes I made my farewells and left them alone together.
Filed a whole stack of papers in my upstairs office, not interrupted by dog needing in/out/company. The afternoon at our house was amazingly quiet, too quiet, but it was okay.
Then at suppertime there she was on our front porch on-lead with M, looking as though of course she belongs here but by no means excited or desperate about getting home. M & I looked at the crate and stuff and stood talking a few minutes while Beloved Dog went back and forth between us, licking hands and generally being affectionate and calm. Then M left and Beloved Dog looked a little sad to see her go, but not too much.
During the rest of the evening, and this morning, she's been maybe a little bit somber with me, and more than a little bit clingy. But when I mention M or C by name, her ears perk up and she's obviously delighted. And she wants to go for another car ride Right Now.
They have a couple of evenings of babysitter coming up -- not the best thing for day one -- so we've arranged that we'll make the transfer on Thursday. I'll take her to their house with crate and dog-food bin and toys and most (but not all) of her stuff. In a week or two she can come here for a playdate and a romp around the woods. This looks like being wonderful for all concerned ... and I've become honorary visiting grandma to two dogs and a passel of kids.
I see I can't resist recounting the details, but the bottom line has just been stated -- she loves being with them, she loves being in their yard, she's charming and gentle to the tiny older dog who already lives there. Life is good.
The whole story:
So Sunday afternoon my Beloved Dog spent several hours with her new family at their house and their newly-fenced yard. She started whining and looking eager before we were halfway there (45 minutes on the interstate -- how did she know where we were going?). When we drove past the house to turn around she started whining and prancing in the back seat, something I'd never seen her do before.
She was eager to greet M, appropriately respectful with C, so excited she didn't know what to do for several minutes. Then she apparently intentionally calmed down when the little boys came over to say their cautious hello's. She can lick their faces while keeping all four feet on the ground, so their courage and her patience were lovely to witness.
Then we went through the new gate and let her off-lead. She ran around in excited figure-eights, looking at everything, and then settled down to sniff every bush and tree ... and then C threw a tennis ball in her direction and a great game of 'fetch' began. She treated all of us to about equal amounts of her attention and affection, and so in about twenty minutes I made my farewells and left them alone together.
Filed a whole stack of papers in my upstairs office, not interrupted by dog needing in/out/company. The afternoon at our house was amazingly quiet, too quiet, but it was okay.
Then at suppertime there she was on our front porch on-lead with M, looking as though of course she belongs here but by no means excited or desperate about getting home. M & I looked at the crate and stuff and stood talking a few minutes while Beloved Dog went back and forth between us, licking hands and generally being affectionate and calm. Then M left and Beloved Dog looked a little sad to see her go, but not too much.
During the rest of the evening, and this morning, she's been maybe a little bit somber with me, and more than a little bit clingy. But when I mention M or C by name, her ears perk up and she's obviously delighted. And she wants to go for another car ride Right Now.
They have a couple of evenings of babysitter coming up -- not the best thing for day one -- so we've arranged that we'll make the transfer on Thursday. I'll take her to their house with crate and dog-food bin and toys and most (but not all) of her stuff. In a week or two she can come here for a playdate and a romp around the woods. This looks like being wonderful for all concerned ... and I've become honorary visiting grandma to two dogs and a passel of kids.