No Dogs on the Sofa

I stayed with Emma, Daisy and Biscuit for the weekend, while my sister and her husband went to Vegas to see Bette Midler. ("An amazing show.")
Her husband's only rule was, "No dogs on the new sofa." Yeah, you can see how we listened to that rule.

From the Woods to the Beach

After a long process with the dog trainers, Emma finally walks on a leash! Her first big adventure after walking down the street in front of her house was to the beach.

Emma loves the beach. She ran to the water and splashed her paws and part of her legs in the shallow water of Newport Harbor. Her biggest thrill was seeing other dogs and running around with them on the sand.

From the woods of Tennessee to the sunny beaches of Southern California. Emma's a SoCal gal now!
(I'm working on getting a photo uploaded of her standing on the sand)

I meet Emma! (Finally!)

I met Emma!! While visiting Southern California and spending time with family for the holidays, I went to my sister's house and met Emma. Daisy and Biscuit greeted me at the door, while Emma hung back. She followed us into the kitchen and continued to stay a few feet away. When I bent down to have Daisy and Bisuit run up to my lap, I pet them and Emma inched a little closer. I threw a cookie to her and she got excited searching for it.
Her face really lit up when my sister said, "Come on Emma, Let's go to bed." Even though it was only 3:15pm my sister walked upstairs with me, my nieces, Daisy and Biscuit following her. Emma finally brought up the rear. We all climbed on the bed and when Emma saw us, she jumped on the bed and let us (me included) snuggle up next to her. We hugged her, pet her, kissed her nose....she is absolutely the SWEETEST dog ever!

I hugged her, pet her, looked at her darling face and wondered what would have happened to her if my sister hadn't adopted her. What if I hadn't seen Mary's post on Facebook about Emma (then Goldie) being up for adoption in Tennessee? What if my sister had given up and told herself that Tennessee was too far away from California to rescue a dog?

It doesn't matter now. Emma's home and loved.

Rescued Dogs need help!

The Solano County (California) SPCA needs help! Close to 100 abused and sick dogs were rescued from one location. This has overwhelmed the mid-sized facility and they need help!
I am heading up there today with towels, blankets, money and food. Please, if you can help, here is their website:

http://www.solanospca.com/

Move over, Emma's Sleeping!

From my sister:

Emma loves to run upstairs and get in bed with me. She loves to snuggle and have her belly rubbed. When (my husband) comes to bed after I am asleep, he says that I tell him not to move Emma. So, basically, Emma sleeps in his spot and he has to fit in around her. What silly dog owners we are. You should see how happy she is when I tell her we are going to bed.

Emma's First Playdate

My sister (B.) and her husband (G.) have ignored Emma and the dogs for a week now. The dog trainers told them to ignore the dogs at first, then call the dogs when they want them to come to them. Emma hasn't been coming around adults.

Today, my mom took her neighbor's Golden Retriever, Audrey, to my sister's house to visit Emma. The dogs played and played and played in the backyard for an hour. Then Audrey came into the house and sat next to B. B. pet Audrey. Then Emma walked up to B. for the first time and let B. pet her!! Huge accomplishment!

Dog Whisperers Meet Emma

B., my sister, has frequently said, "Emma is the sweetest dog. She doesn't have a mean bone in her body. We adore her."
So, as Emma still runs away from adults after being a part of the family for a few weeks, B. decided to let the dog therapists meet Emma.

We learned a lot. The therapists believe Emma was definitely abused in the past. She's a good dog, but even more scared because the family is trying to accommodate her too much. The therapists said that since B. and her husband are coddling her, Emma thinks she has to be the guard dog. Emma gets scared, while the other two dogs are on guard, trying to protect the family.

B. and her family are now in training. They must ignore the dogs when they first come home and then call the dogs to them later. Basically, B. and G. (her husband) have to be the Alpha dogs. This allows Emma, Biscuit and Daisy to relax because they know someone else is in charge.

Hopefully, Emma will trust adults soon.