Day 2

We decided that a crate would only enforce the feeling of being cold and alone like at the shelter, so the first night we bought gates and had her sleep in the kitchen. When we came out of the bedroom in the morning we were met with a wet nose sticking through the gaps in the gate. Today we began to see her true personality. As it turns out, Ruby is a cuddle bug, a 35lb lap dog. Jackie and I did our best to not move once she was comfortable, or course that much weight on your legs for a long period of time begins to take it's toll. When we would get up Ruby would either follow us or stay where she was and whine until we came back, tail thumping against the couch. This was the hardest when we would need to go to the bathroom or shower, Ruby would stand by the door whining and wait for us to open the door. We were beginning to build a foundation of trust.

One of the hardest, and most surprising things that we have encountered during this whole process is when it came time to feed the dogs. While this blog is based on the assimilation of an adopted dog into a stable environment, this part of the story involves the dog Jackie and I have had for about a year, her name is Zoey.

Zoey, unlike Ruby, if given the chance gorges herself with food. When we got her from a family member she was overweight. Through diet and exercise we helped Zoey to lose those extra pounds. Now back to the story... Somehow Jackie and I never really thought about how dinner time would go for these two dogs, one who eats everything and a virtually non-existent appetite. As soon as the food dish hits the floor Zoey shoves her face into the dish, while Ruby just wags her tail and stares at us. Dinner on night 2 was Mixables (basically a gravy with chunks of meat, making the whole food bowl taste better), 2 cups of Nutro, 1 cup of Science Diet. We had to put the gate up to keep Zoey away from this feast. But that didn't stop her from jumping up and down at the gate trying to get in and eat everything. Out of what is just about a normal size meal for a dog like Ruby she ate most of the Mixables (it's a 3oz package) and maybe 1/4 cup of food. Again tonight, feeling unsure about the amount of food eaten (or not eaten), we boiled another small chicken breast. Once again, the whole breast was eaten within seconds.

Bed time was easier than the first night, as Ruby was following us wherever we went, I simply walked into the kitchen and put the gate up as soon as Ruby crossed the threshold. Right away Ruby found her bed and laid down. She is quickly becoming more than just a dog, she is becoming our dog.