We have a new member of the family; Tessa!
Tessa is a Springer Spaniel, and came to us yesterday, June 29th. She is about 4 years old, and is about as nice a dog as you could ask for. Her previous owner passed away in May, and Tessa had been staying with his daughter, Susan. She wasn’t able to keep Tessa, so posted an ad on Sioux Falls Freecycle. I read her post the morning it came out, and had a chance to mention it to Yvonne before I left for work. She thought it’d be worth a try, so I responded right away, giving my work number and our home phone number to call; Susan called Yvonne first, just to make sure getting a dog wasn’t all my idea. Smart move!
She gets along well with everybody; happy smile and wagging what little tail she has! Caleb has always wanted a dog, but both he and Ian are a little hesitant around her. Might take a little time to warm up to her. No AKC registration or anything like that; just a very nice dog. One bonus though is that she has had some training as a bird dog. We’ll have to get her out a bit this fall!
Her first night with us was a little rough; we weren’t quite sure what she was used to for sleeping arrangements, and wouldn’t use the makeshift bed we made for her. She was in and out of our bedroom all night, claws clicking on the wood floors, so Yvonne & I didn’t sleep too well. To top it off, we had a little thunderstorm roll through in the night, which kept her a little on edge. We all got some sleep, but not quite enough! Hopefully we can get her a little more comfortable for tonight.
We agreed with the previous owner that if things don’t work out, she’ll take her back and find a new family for her. But I’m thinking that option won’t really be necessary.
Update: July 1, 2006
Tessa’s second night in our house was much calmer than the first. We spoke with Susan about Tessa’s usual sleeping arrangements, and found that she was accustomed to sleeping on the floor at the foot of her former master’s bed. That explains why she gravitated to our bedroom that first night. We set her bed up next to my side of the bed, and she stayed there all night; didn’t hear her leave the room at all. Kinda cool that she now considers me to be her new “master”.
It’s also neat how she sticks by my side as I go about the house. Wherever I go, she goes, and she’s always ready to hop to attention whenever I move. Even in the middle of the night; I’d roll over, and she’d be up & at the side of the bed, wondering if we were going somewhere. I’d know she was there by the smell of dog breath and the wet nose getting stuck under my arm. Less than pleasant, but I guess I’ll get used to it.
I stopped after work yesterday & got a brush, a rawhide bone and a fetch toy for her; she absolutely loves a good game of fetch combined with tug-o-war when she brings it back. The boys have a great time playing with her, and you can tell she really enjoys it as well.
I took her to the park last night and for a good long walk, and I’m kind of amazed at how well behaved she is. I took her leash off for a bit at the park, and she’d sniff around near me, but never out of sight. I don’t think she got more than 30 feet from me. I’d call and she’d be right back at my side. Her good behavior shows in the house too; so far she hasn’t even showed a desire to get up on furniture. I think we got spoiled getting such a good dog!
Update: July 30, 2006:
As nice a dog as Tessa is, Yvonne, the kids, and I decided that we aren’t really a “dog family,” and she has moved on to another family. Yvonne’s friend from work, Jada, took her home last weekend, and she fit in really well there. They have another Springer Spaniel as well as another small dog; Tessa and the little dog wrestled and played like old friends.
It was nice having a dog around for a while to see how it was. While some aspects of having a dog around — greeting me at the door with a wagging tail, having a second (and third) shadow following me everywhere around the house, watching her chase after every scent while we were on walks, wrestling matches on the living room floor — the kids weren’t overly excited about having a dog around and Yvonne wasn’t really up to cleaning up dog hair. If it were up to me, I think she’d be sticking around. She really had a hold on my heart strings.