Bella

I kind of forgot to mention the most important change in my last post. That was Bella! A sweet little 6 month old beagle mix I got from Sterling shelter a week before Thanks Giving and a three weeks after we closed on the house!

 This is how I met her. Alone, a little sad, but quiet and very excited when I entered the kennel at Sterling shelter.

How could I say no to this face?

Well, I did not actually go that day over there to get a pet. Though I had visited them in the past and thought a lot about it. And every one who knows me, knows how badly I have wanted a dog ever since I was a kid.. Well, but that day I was just supposed to volunteer. More like window shop I should say. I had checked out the available pets on their website, and had not even noticed her. The one I had noticed was another 6 month old puppy, supposedly another beagle mix. But when I saw him, he was big for a 6 month old and I kind of was just looking into the other cages when I noticed her. The volunteer asked me if I wanted to go in the kennel, and I did... and then I left with her!

Bella and her siblings

Apparently all her siblings were already adopted and she was a little sad because she was the last one there. Lucky for me! :)

Ofcourse, being a dog parent was a whole new experience. Never having had a dog even in the extended family, I was  as petrified as I guess she was. The volunteer at the shelter asked me to just put her in the back seat and drive home. Well, Bella had her own plans. She wanted to sit in my lap! So I decided to get out the car and go back to shelter office for advice.. which was about 100 meters away from where I was parked. We got out of the car, but Bella did not want to go in the same direction! After trying to pull her for 15 minutes, another volunteer came out and helped me open up the crate I had purchased and we finally drove home.
We got home, but Bella did not want to go inside. I decided I would tie her to the back porch, go inside the house and then bring her inside. Simple plan, right? Well, I get to the front door, and Bella is right there behind me. She had somehow managed to get free and did want to be left alone. Thank God, she did not run away. But she was shivering and I was sad and afraid and worried if I had done the right thing! After another 20 minuted and a few tears later,I called my friend Tess, an animal lover and owner of 4 dogs, 6 chickens, one parrot, one finch and one turtle. She came geared with her dog parenthood and a blanket from her dog, picked the damn dog up and brought her inside and stayed with us for another hour and a half till we both calmed down.. Thank God for Tess!!!!

 I spent the next few nights with very little sleep, only to learn afterwards that unlike what the volunteer had said, 6 month old dogs do not need to go out every few hours and they do sleep through the night. After a trip to Petsmart to beg one of their dog trainers, Devon, to start a training class for her, I also learnt that she can go for a full work day without going out and I do not need to come home in my lunch break!

Now about 6 months later, we both are quiet settled in. She is the sweetest and friendliest dog I have ever seen. She loves people and dogs no matter what. She is a cuddle bug! She will sleep in your lap for hours if you let her.

You can see my crazy blue carpeted floor and the new laminate floors we finally laid down.

She is great with kids. She does not react even when my niece decides that she is going to ride Bella or pull her by the tail.

Natasha and Bella

 Yesterday was Bella's st birthday! And even though she decided she was not going to not sleep throughout the night and keep me up with her and I started the day by yelling at her for going back to sleep, she still waited patiently on the stairs for me to get ready to take her out. After beginner and intermediate training at Petsmart she understands sit, down, touch and paw and plays dead when you shoot her and say "Bang"! She even comes once in a while when called, though her Beagle hound roots make her ignore you  mostly when outside. But when I am home, and sitting by myself and she brings me one of her toys, it makes even the rainy New England weather feel a little brighter!

Enjoying her birthday afternoon at Waggerz Lounge.