Dog Log Cafe Sissy's Final Tail

I usually get attached to a new dog immediately. Without exception there is some connection. Not so with Sissy. At about the one year mark of fostering her we received a call from the Humane Society that we needed to do something- either return her or adopt.

For several months after bringing Sissy home, Xena was her only K-9 friend. Every weekend, weather permitting, we would take all the dogs to the dog park. Most of the dogs love it. Not Sissy. Her fear kept her at arms length from all the other dogs who tried to befriend her. But when she and Xena would take off running, perhaps after a real or imaginary squirrel, Sissy was in heaven. If she could play with just Xena, she was in heaven. Problem of course is that Xena wants to play with everyone. After a while Nikki and Xena and Sissy began to all play.

There was still the problem with us, me and Sissy. She would not allow me to approach if I was standing though she would tolerate me while sitting. In fact after a year she would come up to me in the car while going to the park and nudge me for some affection. She tolerates women much better and allowed our daughter's boyfriend to approach and to pet her while standing.

With all our lack of trust and lack of public displays of affection there was no way I was going to return her and have her go back in that cage. I knew, no matter how short the time, that she would have lost everything she gained. She and Xena and Nikki are good friends. A new beagle has entered our lives, Penny and they too are friends. Sissy and I are also making progress both while sitting and standing. It will improve with time.

Next installment- Penny.