Basil is a very expressive little girl. She makes funny noises, she tap dances, she moves her ears and cocks her head... So I decided to try and capture some of her expressions to hopefully convey a little sense of what she is like. Without further ado, here are...

The Many "Looks" of Basil, Part I:

The "Give it BACK" look

The "Man it's been a long day and I'm soooooo tired" look

The "Do you HAVE to go?" look

The "I'll have some Cheetos too please" look

The "It's cold out here, can I come in now?" look

Stay tuned for part II coming up soon!

It's hard to get a good picture of sweet Basie girl smiling because when I bend down to take the picture, she comes over to me for attention. But I finally got a couple good pictures of her pretty smile. Look at how cute she is:

How can you resist that smile?! It will melt your heart! Email your placement advisor if you are interested in Basil and she will give you a lifetime of pretty smiles!

Hi everyone, it's me, Basil! Foster Mom said she was having trouble thinking of what to say and was getting seriously delinquent in sending in an update about me, so I figured I should step in and say something. I'm doing really well and I like it here, but I'm still waiting to meet my someone special, so I thought I'd tell you a little bit about me and about what you, my perfect Forever Home, would be like. So here goes:

About Me

• I'm just a small little girl! I weigh a svelte 38 lbs and my 5 month old purebred golden retriever foster brother is already bigger than me! In fact, we were about the same size when he was 17-18 weeks old! Here's a picture of me and him - this picture was taken when he was 12 weeks old and you can see that I'm not much bigger than him!

• I'm a pretty girl with a pretty smile! Yes, you read that right, I SMILE! If you go back to the top and read my Foster Mom's first update, she noted that I did not smile at all and I had very sad eyes. But now I smile and wag my tail a lot, and I'm generally a pretty happy girl!
• I like to play with toys now too! Another one of those things I used to not do - heck, I didn't used to even know what toys were! Now, if you give me a soft toy, I will carry it around proudly and then do my very best to tear it up into tiny little pieces. I love Nylabones and marrow bones and am very good at making sure I get every trace of peanut butter out of the Kong. I even pick up tennis balls on occasion. Here are a couple pictures of me with my toys:

• I love love LOVE to eat! I get so excited to eat (food or treats!) that I do a little happy dance where I tap dance my feet a little and flop my ears out and make a happy grunting noise! (Foster Mom says it is adorable!) Sometimes I get so excited, I forget my manners and get a little pushy or jumpy, but I usually sit quickly when Foster Mom reminds me ("usually" being the operative word here!). I really lose my manners though and jump all over the place when Mom gets out my favorite summertime treat - yogurt pops! They're really easy to make and I'll give you the recipe so you can make them for me when I come to live with you: you just put plain nonfat yogurt in an ice cube tray and freeze! Mom says they're a little messy though so that's why they're a "summertime" treat, because they're best eaten outside! I go crazy for those!
• I'm a brave girl (most of the time, anyway!). Foster Mom got out the kiddie pool on a hot day recently, and of the four dogs at this crazy house, I was the only one to go in willingly! Pringles ran away when he saw the pool and the hose come out (silly scaredy cat!) and Bella and Koa just watched from afar, but as soon as Foster Mom stepped into the pool, I followed her in. I got in and sat down, then I layed down and it sure felt good! Then I started "digging" in the pool and the water went flying everywhere! Foster Mom laughed and said she wished she had the camera handy!
• Even though I'm brave, I'm still shy sometimes too. I've come along way from when I first got here, but I'm still not 100% sure that everyone can be trusted. After all, of my 5 years, I spent the first 4 1/2 without much socialization with other people, so new people are still a little scary. I'm sure I will only get better, but I will probably always be a little shy around new people. I'm not shy with Foster Mom anymore though, because I trust her and I know that she isn't going to scare me or hurt me. So when I meet you, you have to understand that I will probably not instantly be your best friend - I will probably be shy around you at first, but once I get to know you better, I'll open up and become your best friend when I start to trust you. Foster Mom says she hasn't quite figured it out, but I seem to warm up quicker to some people and not so much to others.
• I don't like to dwell on my flaws, but I would be remiss if I didn't mention my one weakness - I get a little nervous if I have to be home alone. I'm fine with it if I'm crated with another dog though. I'm working on this though, so don't let it scare you away! I can be trained, as long as you have some patience with me!
• Other than the one flaw mentioned above, I'm a pretty low maintenance easy dog. I will let you bathe me and groom me without protest. I have a nice silky coat and really, I don't need to be brushed as often as some goldens. I do like to roll in "perfume" outside occasionally though, but who doesn't :) And I am happy to match my energy level to yours - when you want to walk, I'll trot along next to you (and by "next to you", I mean somewhere on the same sidewalk as you! I don't pull at all, but I like to zig-zag back and forth to catch all the good scents!); when you want to nap or watch TV, I'll nap or watch TV with you. I might even jump on the couch and snuggle up next to you sometimes!

About You

• You must have another dog. I can't live without another dog. I grew up with lots of dogs and not much people interaction, so they make me feel safer and more comfortable, especially when you're not home. Your dog should be fairly self confident - I'm hoping to borrow a little of your dog's confidence and learn from him/her! Living in a home with people is still relatively new to me in the grand scheme of life, so I look to other dogs for guidance. I'm really not picky though about what kind of dog you have - I like boys and girls equally and I can tolerate obnoxious behaviors pretty well (goodness knows I have plenty of practice with that here at my foster home!). But if your dog wants to play with me all the time, she or he will be disappointed, because I don't really play with other dogs, I just like to coexist with them.
• I would really prefer that you weren't gone a lot, because that makes me a little nervous. Ideally, you will be retired and can stay home with me a lot! We can hang out all day and go for walks and be best friends! It'll be so perfect! Plus, if you're retired and home a lot, my one flaw (see above) pretty much becomes a non-issue! But if you must go to work, I would prefer you didn't work long days. 
• You should have a fenced yard to keep me safe. I love to run around the yard and fly from one side to the other, looking out for critters and fireflies! I don't mind the leash for walks, but a girl's gotta have some time to explore without being tied down, right?!
• I would rather you didn't have small kids at your house. They make too much noise and move too suddenly for me and that makes me nervous. I am fine with them on brief occasions though.
• It would be great if you had experience with puppy mill dogs like me, but not necessary. Patience will be necessary though - I won't be a move in ready dog, I will take some time to adjust to your home. But when I do adjust, boy will you LOVE me!

If you would like to meet me, let your placement advisor know and they'll put you in touch with my Foster Mom. But don't wait too long - I'm just DYING to meet you!

Love, Basil

Ps. Here is a picture of me relaxing in the sun in my new dog bed - just imagine yourself laying next to me enjoying the GOLDEN life!

♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOUHAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU HAPPY BIIIIRRRTHDAY DEAR BASILHAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪

Sweet Basil is celebrating her GOLDEN birthday today! She turned 5 years old on 5/5!

Before anything else, Basil would like to give a HUGE shout out to her buddies Riley (former foster brother Riley 11-358) and Teddy and major thanks to them for the Spring Fling carrot! She feels so special and can't wait for a play date in their private dog park! Happy spring to you two (and your mom and dad) also!

Basil has had a good month - she continues to come out of her shell and grow more and more each day. Here are some examples:

She now plays with toys on a regular basis! This is a milestone! For the longest time, she would only pick up a bone but would look at other toys like "what on earth are those and what am I supposed to do with them?" Now, after watching the resident dogs constantly playing with them, she decided to join in and boy is she enjoying them! She just LOVES to carry the soft toys around in her mouth and then rip them apart into little pieces!

We have been going to some of the adoption events to help her get used to new faces and new places and she is taking it in stride. They are a little overwhelming for her and she spends a good chunk of the time hiding behind me or under my chair, but she is getting more and more brave and will cautiously sniff people's hands and let them pet her. She very briefly approached another volunteer on her own once too! Of course, treats also help :) If you come to meet her at an event, know that her behavior there is typical of how she reacts in new situations with new people, but it is not typical of her behavior at home with the people she knows and trusts. Here are a couple pictures of Basil at some recent events (thanks to Devon TT and Angie M for the photos!):

Basil is starting to let the "kid" in her come out now and then! In the 7.5 months she's been with us, she has never once played with the other dogs. She definitely needs them around to build her confidence, but she won't actually play with them. We have three young dogs (puppy, 1 yr, and 2 yrs old) so they are a constant rough and tumble, roll around, gnashing teeth ZOO, and she just watches. The other day - albeit VERY briefly, like a millisecond - Basil appeared to have MAYBE started giving chase to the puppy! It was so quick, I can't even be sure that's what it was, but hey, I'm still going to call it progress! And just last night, I went to run a couple errands and was gone for only about an hour, but I came back and she was so darn excited she got the zoomies and started galloping around down the stairs and outside and ran in a few circles! When she ran back inside, she was running so fast, she went sliding across the floor and tripped over herself, but she just got right up with the biggest smile on her face! Which, of course, puts an even bigger smile on my face when I see that and think of how just 7 months ago, she wouldn't even smile at all and creeped along the ground afraid of everything!

Another happening that is a sign of progress: when puppy mill dogs first come to a new place, we always have to be extremely careful of making sure they are securely leashed. You've probably read several of the stories of the Missouri bunch that was rescued a little over a month ago and noticed that many of them were wearing two collars and trailed leashes even in the house and fenced yards. That's because puppy mill dogs will bolt if something scares them and since they don't know or trust people yet, they won't come back. As they get more comfortable and learn to trust their humans, they can be given a little more freedom - they should still always be leashed outside the house and fenced yard of course in case something does scare them, but we no longer have to wear two collars or keep the leash on inside the house or fenced yard. This is where Basil is at. Yesterday, I took Basil to work with me and as we were leaving, I was unlocking the car door and I thought I was pressing the "unlock" button on the key fob, but I accidentally hit the "panic" button. Well as you can imagine, that surprised Basil (surprised me too!) and freaked her out, and she snapped the leash out of my hands. She practically leaped in the air and 5 feet away, then cowered with her tail between her legs. Now, thankfully, we were in a pretty remote area so I wasn't too worried about the immediate danger of other cars and I had the treat pouch attached to my hip, so I just spoke to her softly and offered her some treats and she came right back to me. I tell you this story, not because I think she has good recall and doesn't need a fence, but because it shows that she has learned to trust me. If this had happened 7 months ago, (although 7 months ago I would have been more careful not to let something like that happen), she probably wouldn't have come back to me, not even for a treat. The fear would have been too strong for a treat to entice her to come to someone she doesn't know and trust. But now, she has learned that there are people she can trust, that I will always be there for her, and that she can always come to me even if something makes her afraid. That's not to say that she immediately wasn't afraid anymore, she was still shaking for a few minutes, but she came to me for comfort. That's sure progress.

And perhaps one of the biggest signs of progress - she is learning to be in the crate by herself! We started her on an anti-anxiety med that helps calm her down a bit and "take the edge off" and have been working on getting her used to being crated by herself. First, we started by putting all the dogs in separate crates next to each other, while I sat down nearby so Basil could see me. I read on the iPad right in front of Basil so that she could still see me and periodically gave her treats so that she would get comfortable in the crate by herself. Once she was okay with that, I would go about my usual routine and leave for a bit, never making a big deal about my departure or return. I started small (2 minutes) and gradually increased the time I was gone as she was comfortable. That hour I mentioned earlier that I was gone, she was crated by herself, so she's making progress! We still crate her with another dog if we have to be gone for a longer period, but this is a good sign that hopefully she will eventually be able to be crated by herself (or maybe she will be okay with free roam eventually, but I haven't tried that yet). She will still need a home that can crate her with another dog, as I would expect that she may regress when she moves to a new home and her adoptive family will probably need to start over working with her on this, but I promise that I will work with her adoptive family long after the adoption to help you with this process so that she can acclimate into her new home.

A couple weeks ago, a very nice lady drove all the way from Iowa with her dog to come meet Basil! On paper, it was a great match and I was very excited that Basil might have found her forever home. They met and all went well, but the "spark" just wasn't there and we decided it wasn't the right fit. I think both of us were bummed out at first, but it was the right decision, and that just means that there is someone out there that is a PERFECT fit! Could it be you? Let your placement advisor know if you would like to meet Basil! She's waiting!

Basil continues to be a joy to foster. She gets the zoomies when we get home because she's so happy to see us! It is incredibly rewarding to see that, compared to the shy little girl she was when she came here 6 months ago! She is now a happy girl that loves her walks and is just waiting to meet you!

Basil really is a very easy dog to have around. She just has a few needs (fenced yard, no kids, and another dog that she can be crated with), but if you can meet those, she will be a wonderful addition to your family!

Here are a few new cute pictures of Basil:

Living the good life!

Snuggling with foster brother Pringles 11-401!

Huh? What's that you say?
I'm a good girl and you want to give me a treat?

Snoozing with the new puppy!

Basil made some more progress this week:

Last Saturday, we went out into the backyard and she actually rolled onto her back so I could scratch her belly!  That's a BIG first!  Yay Basil!

Then on Monday, we went to the vet.  Basil was all up to date on her shots when she came in, so I didn't have to venture out with her right away, which was good.  She was due for a booster (or so I thought, but it turned out she didn't need it) and a round of heartworm and flea/tick preventative so I brought her in.  When I first picked up Basil, we had a really hard time getting her to go in the car.  I think we spent a good 20 minutes trying to coax her into the backseat, and even then, we could only get her into the floor in the back.  So I was a little nervous that going to the vet was going to be traumatic for her, but she jumped right in the back and up on to the seat!  She weighed a whole 40 lbs and since she didn't end up needing the booster, it was pretty low-key for her and all we ended up doing was applying a little Frontline and eating a Heartgard treat.  She did spend most of the time hiding under the bench in the exam room though, but I can't blame her for being a little nervous at a new place meeting new people.

Today, we went back to the vet, but this time it was for foster brother Riley 11-358.  I thought I'd bring Basil along since she did so well the other day.   Interestingly enough, she did better today and I think it was because she had another dog there with her showing her the ropes!  She didn't hide under the bench quite as much and was barely nervous at all!  Because of this, I definitely think Basil needs to go to a home with another well-adjusted dog.  While she doesn't necessarily play or interact with the other dogs a whole lot (although hopefully she will someday!), she does watch them to see how they react and what they're doing and they boost her confidence level.

Basil also got a pretty new collar this week!  You can see in the earlier pictures, she's wearing a big bulky blue collar that hung so low because it was too big.   Now we got her a pretty pink collar that is much more flattering to her little feminine figure!  (And it fits her a lot better.)  She's really quite adorable in it.  Oh who are we kidding, she's adorable no matter what collar she's wearing!

Basil is a very cute little girl and her pictures really don't do her justice.  And she is such a sweetie that is just looking for a wonderful home that will love her forever and be patient with her as she learns to love and trust you.  While she might take a little more time than the "typical" dog to adjust to you and your home, the reward of watching her blossom into a well adjusted dog will be so worth it.  She's been here for almost a month now and the progress she's made in that time is amazing, so I can only imagine the progress she will make in her forever home.  I am quite confident that she will make some lucky family very happy when they find her - she is just a joy to foster.

Here are a couple new pictures of Basil:

Smiling with twinkle eyes!

Napping by the fireplace

Please let your placement advisor know if you are interested in meeting Basil!