This week Belle is truly starting to blossom!  She is now playing with toys with us in the room, I got my first kiss last night, she took a tiny treat from my hand and tonight she ate her first meal standing out in the open with all of the other dogs!  She has had trouble eating with the others around so I’ve been feeding her in the crate for her own piece of mind.  But tonight as I started doling out bowls she stood next to one of my males and wanted to eat there so I put the bowl down and within a few minutes it was gone.  Normally she will walk away if anyone looks in her direction but she felt confident enough to eat amongst the pack.  She’s also getting much more adventurous and starting to have a little fun.  You know you’re a true dog lover when you get excited to see your foster chewing on the side of the table 15 minutes after she stole a bag of cotton balls from your bathroom sink only to make snow decorations all over the living room! 

With one small verbal correction she stops immediately – I’m just thrilled that she’s learning to be a pet and enjoy life.  She has bonded with my shy greyhound, Wolfie, and the two of them have great fun running the yard barking at absolutely nothing.  Every morning when the sun comes out they bolt out the doggie door together, make a few laps around the yard barking then come back in to settle in for some more rest. 

I’ve been closing our doggie door periodically the past few days to test Belle’s house-breaking skills and she seems to have gotten it now.  She stands at the door when the doggie door is closed and waits for me to let her out so I think she’ll acclimate fine to a house without a doggie door (although I have yet to see a dog that loves lying outside in the grass, dirt, mud, etc. like she does). (JF)