So, a dog walks into the library

[Enid]

On Saturday, a dog walked through the automatic doors at my best friend/roommate/ fellow commune dweller's place of work. I woke up to a call to pick it up. Stuffed a happy, fowl smelling animal in my hatchback and brought it home. The Librarians worked hard, posting on Craigslist, calling the pet hotels- to see if they lost one, posters, the whole Research Librarian effort.
Long story short, we have a new dog. She goes to get all her shots, and get fixed tomorrow morning (and I'm not paying for it!!!) and then, by the grace of librarian connections, 2-3 weeks of free dog training from a foster. She needs the training bad, she's been an outside dog. She freaked out bad when I sneezed, tried to get ON the dining room table and surfed the coffee table.
Tonight will be the naming ceremony. We have a couple friends coming over and we will decide from these.



Ayn
Andy
Dorothy- Dot
Maggie
Betty
Alice
Lucille- Lucy
Greta
(and my pick) Hubble

 

[markfm]

Good job, cute dog

 

[uba egar320]

Good story lol. I hope you two really enjoy each others company.

 

[atsirk]

Oh she's so cute, and what a great story! Congratulations on the addition to your family

 

[Darkwitless]

Enid - she is adorable! And I have to tell you - that her name is Maggie. A little strawberry blond Maggie May. Thank goodness for the training lessons! Any suggestions of cats who KNOW they aren't allowed on the tables - but evidence indicates they get on them when I'm not home?

 

[charmed412]

Two nights ago, I went into my kitchen to get leftover dinner out of the skillet. My kitten had popped the lid halfway off and was sitting in the skillet eating my dinner. Last night he got a Campbell's soup can stuck on his head. I should have named him Disaster instead of Bogey.

 

[btngchck]

Enid....that is such an awesome story......she (if that's what she is) looks like "Hope" to me. Just the way she is looking at you with those big eyes saying I hope she keeps me.........

She looks like a Maggie too......

 

[Enid]

I worked for a lady who rescued animals and she used the scat mat. It has 3 settings and sends an unpleasant static charge to the wayward kitteh. She used it on her kitchen counters for under a week and they didn't get on the counter for about half a year. Then, she had to put it back down for a few days since they had "forgotten".
I tried the shock feature out and it really was like a small static charge, not any form of torture.
Contech Scat Mats - Scat Mat for Dogs and Cat Scat Mat from PETCO.com

 

[kj4lxw]

This is similar to how I ended up with my current dog.
These "happenstance" pets, imho. end up being the best companions you ever end up with. This one's a keeper for sure. Her "street smarts" will definitely end up causing all types of situations to occur in the household, but also you two will end up with a bond so much closer to what other pet owners have.

Yep, you're gonna have some good stories to tell, and later in life there will always be a tear in your eye as you recount them.

 

[yssiM]

aww shes a beauty ...I thought it was gonna be a joke the headliner... lol ..i am goofy

 

[keyzygirl]

She looks like a beauty.I like Hope,it fits.Though Maggie is a good one too!!

 

[cobaltblue]

Awwww, what a cutie! I've had similar experiences with my furry kids because they came from shelters. Shrinking back when you go to pet them because they've been hit, etc. but nothing a little love can't cure. When they've jumped on things they shouldn't, I just get a bunch of cardboard boxes and leave them on that area for a week or two. Looks weird for a bit but has always worked for me. YMMV

 

[cobaltblue]

Oh, and...

Maggie + Hubble = Mubble

..and a Wuvable Mubble at that

 

[Enid]

Thanks for the comments everyone. Officially she's my roommate's dog but since we've lived together over 6 years, she's kinda my dog too.
We decided that her name is Lucy

 

[Eekaa Chu]

I agree that she looks like a Maggie, but Lucy is cute too! Adorable dog!

 

[Ardeagold]

Awwww....she's a cutie pie. She looks like part Golden Retriever. If she is, she'll learn fast. Just remember, lots of praise, lots of treats and it'll be 5 steps forward and 4 steps back. It takes a good deal of time for a rescue to become used to their new home and learn the rules. Heck, they don't even know where the door is to go out to potty yet. Just be patient, use nothing but positive reinforcement, and be firm, but loving. She'll have her "party manners" on for quite a while, but slowly she'll become more confident, and then really begin to test you. Plus she'll become more demanding of the good stuff. Some take a couple of weeks, some take months, but they're like onions...new layers underneath each time you peel one back!

Thank you for taking this girl in. I hope you all will have many happy years together!

Can I make a suggestion? DON'T name her Lucy!!! NO NO NO! I've had several Lucy's over the years, and they've all been a little whacky! Just like Lucy Ricardo. Lovable, but wild children. I swore I'd NEVER name another dog Lucy (or keep that name if one we adopt already has it). They've been serious trials to our sanity. (And we've had many many dogs for 30+ years).

You may think I'm crazy, but we've found that dogs DO live up to their names. So name her something calm, gentle, peaceful, or something smart, malleable, and devotedly loyal. Or just something other than LUCY! hahahaha

Maggie is good. I have one of those. She's one of the best dogs I've ever had!! Smart, loyal, easy to train, obedient without much effort.

Our girls, right now, are Molly (good but stubborn), Mira (beautiful and active), Addie Mae (goofball), Ellie (just a doll all around), and LUCY (our rescue Toller - she came with the name and we, foolishly kept it - who's a wild child just like our Golden Lucy (we reverted to calling her LuLu when the other Lucy came in) who was also a nutcase. They were BFF's, of course. Double trouble! Our Lucy Golden passed away this past spring).

We've had Sasha, Dee Dee (Dierdre), Carrie, Ruba (Aruba), Jamaica, Whitney, and combined they never gave us the trouble that either one of the Lucy's did. So now, that name is forever banished from this house!!!

Wishing you only the best of luck with your girl. No matter what her name is. Really!!

 

[Enid]

Oh, I do believe animals live up to their names. A college student who worked for me one summer had a stray cat follow her home one day. (She walked because she didn't have a car.) The stray cat had kittens and the college student had to find homes for the kittens before she went back to the dorms. I took in one of the cats until it could find a home. I named him Forrest and everyone treated him like he was stupid, so I changed his name to Einstein and he became smart and confident and got a good home.
My best friend/roommate of 6 years named her Lucille Augusta because she was in the Augusta Rd Library She'll end up being called Lucy and no matter how she acts, my roomie will love her and give her a forever home. ((I really have no say in the naming. I just gave my suggestions!))

Lucy got fixed, is heartworm negative and got her shots. Vet said that she was 10 months old and a collie/golden mix. She will be staying with a fulltime dog-sitter/ trainer for 2-3 weeks, to learn manners etc. I have a very old, deaf toy poodle (she came from a shut down backyard breeder rescue) with herniated discs, so Lucy will get socialized around other dogs at the dog-sitter/trainer for a while. That will lessen my concern about Lucy accidently hurting my dog. The dog trainer is doing this for free. She's part of the local rehabbing/fostering dogs group, so I feel like we are in good hands.
Thanks for your comment, suggestions and well-wishes.

 

[Darkwitless]

Enid - we adopted 2 kitties last year and after a week or so named them Einstein and Pavlov. I trained them to respond to my whistle with treats - Pav "got it" right away - Einstein was more cautious. To this day he sits back and waits to see what will happen before he moves forward.

 

[librarising]

Enid, your new family member Lucy is adorable and that tongue! I wish you and your roommate all the joy in the world with her! The community you have behind you is incredible in making sure she gets the very best start in her new life. EnJoy!!!!!

 

[Princessdee]

Enid, congratulations (to the pup) for a new life! How wonderful for her.

I very much agree with the scat mat. Hubby and I have had over 2 dozen foster Great Danes. 9 of them deaf (easy to train, I love my deaf dogs). They all cabinet surf when we get them. Scat mat is a staple in our house. One in the kitchen for the cabinet, a stip on the bay window to keep them from jumping up. I've grabbed them many times while cleaning forget to turn them off, and it's not painful, just a gentle reminder to get away.

Hugs to you and give Lucy a cookie for me. ~ Princess