Trapeze at her foster home

Trapeze arrived in heat, and was pretty overwhelmed with her own hormones. After a wild beginning, she is now out of heat, and is starting to settle down very nicely.

"Are you in heat, too?", Trapeze asks her foster sister

It's so nice to be out of heat.

I could get used to this yard.

Learning to get a little lovin'

Living in a house is new to Trapeze. She has shown a little unhealthy interest in the cats, so I have been keeping her tethered to me when she is out of the crate. She keeps me company in the kitchen, but there are some things that perplex her. She is puzzled by the black reflective front on the dishwasher and the stove. She stands and looks at it, trying to figure out the dog that she sees in there. She can't smell the dog, and she tries to go around to the side and back of these appliances, looking for the dog that she sees there. This dog in the reflection is quiet, and doesn't growl at her, so she is not too worried – mostly puzzled. How did it get in there, and what is it doing there?

What is that?

Who is that pretty girl in there?

If I go around side of it, will I find her?

I think I'll have to settle for watching her from here.

She is fond of stuffed toys. In particular, she has bonded with a stuffed tiger that already lost its squeaker to my other dogs. She has also taken a stuffed lamb as her own, but even though it has a squeaker, she has not tried squeaking it. She was utterly amazed when one of the other dogs ran around the yard with a squeaker ball. She was so excited, she picked it up and squeaked it until it punctured. To be fair to her, it was already very beat up, and nearly punctured. I guess I'll have to get some more squeaker balls, since they are so popular.

She is making HUGE progress on leash walking, although she is not perfect yet. The gentle leader is a help, and we are working on not pulling on the gentle leader. She is a strong girl, so training is a MUST! Much to her pleasure, we do a little training before eating, and she is discovering the delights of doing something good in exchange for a treat. She is learning "sit" and "watch me". She craves attention, and will stop eating after a few bites. When I am done getting everyone else fed, I return to her crate, and feed her whatever she has left in the bowl. She is happy to take it from my hand or even from a spoon. This seems to be very reassuring to her, and I will continue it for a while, in hopes that it helps her to adjust.

The neighbor kids came running to meet her as soon as they saw her. I wondered how Trapeze would do, but she sat immediately, and let them pet her. She likes children! She is strong, though, so I would suggest older, dog-savvy children.

After her vet appointment, I stopped at an outdoor café. She sat and behaved beautifully, and I was very proud.

Trapeze is aching to be the beloved dog of the house. She is jealous of the resident dogs here, and wishes she could be the special one with her own loving family. Someone lucky will adopt this devoted, loyal dog. No cats need apply.

If you think you would like this GORGEOUS girl to become a permanent of your life, go to www.illinoisbirddogrescue.org, and click on how to adopt.

Come back soon for updates. Trapeze looks forward to seeing you again!