Ups and Downs

Yesterday was our first full day with Penne and it didn't go so great. In the morning, she was very hyper and insisted on testing me by biting at my ankles, hands and feet. This was very frustrating and every time she decided to get hyper we would just take her for a walk. This seemed to work because it is so hot and it would just wear her out. The adoption agency offered to send a trainer to help us with some of her behavior if needed and we took them up on that. I spoke to the trainer and she was very nice. She thinks it is a transition phase in which she is trying to get used to us and therefore the problems can be fixed easily. At one point, I told her that Penne only bit me and not Brian. She then asked me what was the difference between us and I told her I had no idea. The trainer also suggested that a tired dog was not a destructable dog. So at least we were doing one thing right. Anyway, the trainer and her husband will be coming tomorrow at 3pm and we will see how it goes.

We really love her so if we could just fix these problems then it will be great. We actually got so desperate last night after watching a movie, that when she came up to us we would play dead so that she would leave. I know this sounds horrible but it worked the one time we did it. I think I sound like a bad parent.

Today has been better. She is still very hyper in the morning and at times during the afternoon. Brian and I left to go to Ihop for lunch (we watched Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and were both craving pancakes) and stopped at PetSmart to check out crates, food/water bowls and toys. We decided to buy three toys, a rope with tennis balls, a Nylabone and a squeak toy. We chose to only give her the rope with tennis balls one at first to see how she liked it. We thought that she probably would because she loves playing fetch with a tennis ball. I think she is beyond in love with the new toy and I am in love with her loving it! By the way, if any friends and family want to buy Penne a toy for Christmas please feel free to go to PetSmart and choose from a variety of rope colors for this toy. You would make us owners very happy.

Since she is a chewer, she went for the rope thread first and got some out. But then she found that she could tear the neon fuzz off of the tennis balls and she has been doing that ever since. I actually think that tonight she will poop neon fuzz and as we speak is choking up fuzz balls. See pictures below for the mess that she has made in our living room and how it clings to her mouth so elegantly. By the way Mom, we might be needing that vacuum cleaner sooner than we expected.