Amadea aka “Dea” came to stay with me on St. Patrick’s Day all the way from North Dakota. I guess that was my luck of the Irish. I can’t believe that we’ve had Dea almost a month now (Wow, does time fly). In that month, she has made wonderful progress. She still barks but it is significantly less than it was originally. I believe most of the excessive barking was just her way of dealing with being in a whole new place. She does stop when you tell her quiet. Most of her barking is at other dogs and if she can greet that dog, even if it’s through a fence, she immediately stops barking and wants to play. I’m also finding, that in our walks around the neighborhood, she barks no more than any of the other dogs and a whole lot less than others. So, maybe, my reaction to the barking was my issue not hers. She has also made progress with her recall but she’s still not reliable to come when you call her unless she’s ready to. Therefore, I still think that obedience classes are needed to help her take that next step. Because I did something to my knee about the time we got Dea, I’ve taken her to doggie daycare a couple of times because it’s been a little difficult for me to get her out on the walks she needs. She loves daycare and I can hardly hold her when we get there. She runs right up to the door and can’t wait to go in. (I should say that the feeling is mutual with the daycare staff, they love her too.) She gets along great with the other dogs even though the first time there, she was positive that the 5 lb dauschund going to eat her on the spot.
Dea’s new favorite toy is a Jolly Ball. I had one that I have for when my horses have to be in a stall, so it’s horse size not dog size. I brought it home to see what she’d do. She circled it, barked at it, nosed it (and jumped back when it moved), licked it and then pounced on it. She then proceeded to pick it up and carry it around, throwing it periodically. She pretty much ignores the other toys when she’s outside where the ball is.
Inside, the rubber chicken is still number one. One of the places that we walk is where the soccer and ballfield’s are. Therefore, there is a lot of activity when there are games going on. We’re stopped at least 2-3 times each walk for someone to tell us how beautiful they think Miss Dea is. As a result, Dea has met all sizes and ages of people. She still likes to jump a little, mostly with adults, but is getting better. Just yesterday, we met and appropriately greeted 2 ½ yr old twins in a stroller and I’d guess about a 4 yr old boy who came running up as fast as he could to pet her. In both cases, she careful licked the hands that were outstretched to her even though her whole body was wagging with her tail.
Dea likes to “help” mow the yard. She helps by running laps around the yard to make sure that FD didn’t miss any spots. While I am blessed to be able to work from home so that I’m with Dea most of the day, I believe that once she got used to the routine, she would do fine with being left for a normal working day. It is my understanding that she was left all day in her first home. I am working on getting Dea cat tested and hopefully will get that done sometime in the next few days. The only cat we’ve encountered was one that was laying in its yard. She perked up her ears and was interested but didn’t growl or lunge.
Dea is a wonderful girl and while she may be a mix, she has a 100% Golden soul and personality. She will make a wonderful addition to your home.
