She's home, my beautiful new dog

We met up with Karen at the Adoption Day at Pet Smart and signed all the papers. Then we put Kira in the truck and drove the hour plus to Potomac Overlook Park, where (as Caesar Millan suggests) we walked her for an hour up and down hills...I think I was the only exhausted one of the three of us. Kira was ready to keep walking. So we drove to our neighborhood, got her out of the truck, and walked another half hour through our own neighborhood and park.

The most wonderful thing is how she responded to the cats! Oh my gosh! We kept her outside with us in the back yard for about 20 minutes, talking to neighbors (all of whom thought she was SO pretty!) and then, in the Caesar Millan method (I hope!), we had her sit politely, then invited her into the house, and limited the introduction to one room...well, the equivalent of one room: our family room and kitchen. She sniffed the cats, they sniffed her, Daily rubbed against her (Daily never met a dog he didn't like...seriously), and pretty much ignored her. She pretty much ignored them too. She won't eat yet. She REALLY misses her mom. She's very confused. We have a very calm household compared to her last one. So far, she has been great. She still doesn't come when we call. She knows the commands, but she doesn't respond. That's ok. She'll get there. Food doesn't work as an incentive...however, like Ziggy, she loves cheese! So H and I gave her a few little nibbles. She has SUCH a sweet way of taking the cheese from your fingers. Where Ziggy would grab the cheese, and often get your fingers, then be very embarassed, Kira delicately removes the cheese. She is SUCH a lady.

Damn! I love this dog. I need to do what the cats are doing. I need to ignore her and let her get her bearings. But it is SO hard not to touch her soft fur and beautiful ears. I want to KISS her on the face. I absolutely LOVE this dog! She is So different from Ziggy that I don't feel like I am trying to replace him. She is simply a new member of the family. We just need to acclimate her to her new surroundings. I will say that she needs lots of those LONG and exhausting walks. I can see that I am going to lose weight just keeping her exercised. Isn't that great????

I am really excited about tomorrow, when we introduce her to the rest of the downstairs. I want her to be able to come into the living room and be with us. If I understand the book (Caesar's Way) correctly, we need to let her stay in her crate tonight (it's her safety blanket), and then tomorrow we can take her for another long walk in the neighborhood and then bring her back, invite her into the house again, and introduce her to another room. H wants to take her out and work with her on the obedience commands tomorrow. Just the basics. Come. Sit. Stay. Down. But I don't know what to use as an incentive. Karen says it took her two days before Kira would eat when she got her from the breeder. She also says it took a couple of days for Kira to poop. It is going to be interesting, getting this dog used to us. But I so love her already, I can't help but think all will be well. After all, the way she reacted to the cats was beyond belief. And the way she took cheese from our fingers was so gentle. She is a very good dog. We just need to understand how to deal with her.

I know Karen is missing her tonight. It's her first night without her beautiful long-legged Kira. I called her as soon as we got home and told her about Kira's reaction to the cats. And I thanked her for trusting us to give Kira a good home. And Kira is really missing Karen. Trying to figure out what is going on. I refuse to feel sorry for Kira, because I don't want that negative energy to enter into our new relationship. I want to project purely positive energy (I like that alliteration). I hope Caesar is correct that "dogs live in the now." If that is the case, then Kira will come around quickly. We just need to be patient, calm and assertive pack leaders.

I love Kira. Beautiful Kira. Smart, gentle Kira. I am SO happy tonight. Let's see how I feel tomorrow, after a night of Kira without her two big brothers and Karen...stuck with two cats and us. I hope Karen calls a friend and starts on the bottle of champagne we gave her. As for me, I am totally exhausted. I need to get to bed early tonight.