Old Dog, New Tricks

Things Rosa didn't use to do, but now she does:

1. Follow me everywhere

2. Bark (when she's really, really excited)

3. Get excited 

4. Lick my hands, legs, and elbows...

5. Growl at Matt

6. Walk on a leash for about 10 steps 

7. "Walk" on a busy street without jumping into the snow out of fear 

8. Play...alllll....day....lonnnnng....

9. Eat more than just one type of food 

10. Chase Iggy (and Iggy alone). 

11. Beg for whatever food I'm eating (by staring at me)

12. Take things from the coffee table to her dragon's horde

13. Try to eat the cat food 

14. Run around with her tongue out while forcedly panting (it's like she saw a dog on TV do it, and she's copying)

15. Sleep on her back, on her side, sprawled out, on the blanket, on her toys, under the heater...

Wonder Pet

Rosa, Iggy, and me cuddling on the couch.

Rosa, Iggy, y yo estamos apapachando! 

Rosa cooking her own breakfast.
Rosa cocina su propia comida. 

I'm tired, so I want to keep this post brief, especially because I really suck at Spanish when I'm tired and I'm blogging in both languages.
I mean, I kind of suck at it all the time, but that's beside the point.

Estoy cansada por lo tanto quiero que sea breve, especialmente porque tengo que escribir en español y tengo problemas pensar en español si mi cerebro esta durmiendo...
Bueno, nunca escribo/hablo español muy bien, pero no es el tema de mi blog.

We've officially had Rosa here for just over a week. It's amazing to see how much she's blossomed in such a short amount of time. For the first 3 days, she was terrified to leave her kennel. Now, she's out and about, running around, throwing her toys...she'd almost have you fooled into thinking she spent her whole life in this house.

Hemos tenido Rosa aquí casi 10 días. Esta perrita ha crecido mucho en un poco de tiempo. Durante los primeros 3 día, Rosita estaba muy preocupado - no quería dejar de su perrera. Ahora, le gusta correr en la casa, tirar sus juguetes. A veces, casi parece una perrita que ha vivido con nuestro familia toda su vida. 

Almost.
Casi. 

She still won't wander further than the living room, she still won't approach you completely (she'll come really close, though). She still runs away if you look at her, and she won't eat if you watch. She sometimes cries when she sleeps, and today she had her stuffed animals pulled up to her side like they were going to nurse.

Todavía no explorará toda la casa. También no se acercará a mi completamente. Si la miras, correrá a su cama. No comerá con gente en el cuarto. Tiene pesadillas y llora en su sueño...y piensa que sus juguetes son bebés y intenta amamantarlos.

Heartbreaking, beautiful little champion. She's the poster-child for resilience.
She's also the poster child for stubbornness; last night I made her kibble-cakes a slightly different way and she wouldn't eat them. This morning I made them the normal way and she was fine again.

Rompe mi corazón, mi hermosa y pequeña campeona; el ejemplo perfecto de fuerza.
Y resistencia - anoche cociné sus pancakes en una manera diferente y Rosa no los comió. Esta mañana los hice "normalmente" y no tiene problemas...

Little princess.
Princesita.

I am continuously surprised and inspired by how much this little dog can teach me - about the world, and about myself. Sometimes we think we're the ones doing the rescuing, but I know all to well that it works the other way around.

Estoy sorprendida y inspirado por las cosas que Rosa me ha enseñado - sobre el mundo, sobre mí misma. A veces, pensamos que estamos rescatando los animales....pero en este caso...estoy segura que Rosa me esta rescatando.

Rosa the Explorer.

Si quieres leer en español, mira más abajo.

Rosa's morning wasn't a very good one. She didn't want to eat, she didn't want to come out of the confines of her kennel. She didn't want to explore. She just wanted to hide.

And she hadn't eaten in almost a day, and hadn't used the bathroom by 12. Since she has had a slight infection, this worried me greatly. With the help of the rescue and a friend, I was able to get her in to the vet.

This funny dog loves the car.
This funny dog loves the vet!

When we got there, she acted like nothing was wrong. Of course. The vet felt around and decided that she may have a small gut infection/issues with digestion because of her surgery (her spay was coupled with a hernia surgery), and the antibiotics which kill the good bacteria.

She's on a medicated food now, with a probiotic.
She finally used the bathroom, too.

But here's all the real good news: when we came home from the vet, Rosa was in such a good mood she bursted from her kennel as soon as the door opened. With her tail wagging at full speed, she trotted all around the apartment - greeted the cats, smelled everything, climbed behind and over things.

She even will look if you call her name, but she won't come over to you. That's a trust thing, and we'll get there.

For now, she's very comfortable in her new home. She's decided to claim it as her own, and that is a huge success. And the vet gave her a pedicure...so she's had a great day.

Oh, and she has not 1...not 2...but 3 new toys which she cuddles with in her kennel (the kennel top is no longer on, so it's more like a bed).

It's only been a few days, but she's progressing in leaps and bounds!
Here are the things that we need the most work on:
[ ] trust of humans - as in not being so hand shy, and approaching us as opposed to us approaching her (although right now she's totally spooning my leg while we chill on the couch). She also won't eat if human beings are in the room with her. The cats, though? No probs.

[ ] house breaking - she uses the piddle pads consistently...no off-piddle-pad-accidents...but the outdoors are cold and new and different and distracting, and she's not totally sure she wants to do her business out there yet.

Otherwise, she's great and not giving me much to write about!
She did want me to post her pictures for you guys (and a video, too). She does enjoy having her photo taken. See below for photo documentation of Rosa's adventures today.

Rosa waiting for the vet.

Rosa está esperando el veterinario.

 Rosa en su cama.
Rosa in her bed. 

Rosa the explorer!

Rosa la exploradora!

Español (es mejor que inglés):

Rosa no tenía una buena mañana. No quería comer, quería quedarte en su perrera. No quería explorar...solo quería esconderse.

A las 11, todavía no había comido ni usado el baño...y porque ha tenido una infección por su cirugía, sus incapacidades de comer y hacer popo/pipi me dio miedo. Pero, con la ayuda de la gente con Second Hand Hounds, podía llevarla al veterinario.

Mi perrita graciosa le gusta mucho el carro.
Mi perrita graciosa también le gusta la oficina del veterinario!

Cuando llegamos a la oficina, ella actuó como si estuviera completamente saludable. Por supuesto.
El veterinario hizo una examen y me dije que Rosita tenía problemas a causa de su cirugía y las drogas. Ahora, tenemos comida especial...
También (y finalmente) Rosa ha hecho las cosas del cuerpo.

Pero aquí están las buenas noticias que he querido compartir con ustedes: después de la aventura al vet, cuando regresamos a la casa, ella dejó su perrera y corrió sobre la casa - quería oler cosas y conocer a los gatos.

Rosita sabe su nombre, pero todavía no quiere venir cerca de mi.... pobre Rosa y sus problemas de confianza.
Yo estaba muy feliz para verla más o menos cómoda en su casa nueva - con su familia nueva. Rosa ha decidido que aceptar su hogar...

Oh, y mi perrita afortunada recibió una pedicura....y 3 juguetes nuevos! Ella le gusta apapacharlas en su cama. <3 nbsp="" p="">
Aunque ella ha progresado, tenemos cosas en que necesitamos trabajar:
[ ] necesita tener más confianza en mi y mi marido...tiene miedo de los humanos en general, y necesita aprender que nadie va a dañarla otra vez. (Esto digo mientras estamos apapachando el en sillón).
[ ] necesita aprender cómo hacer sus cosas del baño en el patio - todavía el viento y la nieve y las ardillas y los coches dan miedo a Rosita. Puede usar sus toallas de entrenamiento sin problema - y eso me da esperanza.

Mi Rosita estará muy bien. Ya está haciendo mejoras grandes!  

Rosa is Hogging the Good Space Heater.

Scroll down for English. 

Rosa es similar a un bebé. Se despierta de buen humor y quiere socializar....desafortunadamente, esto sólo dura 5 minutos. Pienso que se despierta feliz y después de 5 minutos recuerda todas las cosas malas del mundo.

La única cosa Rosa necesita temer es el invierno.
Oh, invierno.

La nieve y el hielo y el viento hacen que Rosa tenga miedo. Nunca ha experimentado viento ni hielo ni la naturaleza en general. No podía sentir el viento en su jaula.

A pesar de todo, Rosita ha tenido 3 éxitos hoy.
1. 5 minutos de alegría
2. Usó el baño en el patio [pienso que realmente Rosa tenía miedo y también un accidente, pero tomaré lo que Rosita me dará].
3. Conoció a su nuevo amigo de Facebook: Bali.

También han sido cosas con menos éxito...como el hecho que Rosa no ha comido desde esta mañana.

Hemos apapachado mucho, pero todavía prefiera esconderse en la perrera.
Oh --- y anoche bañé a Rosita!! No le gustaba mucho, pero realmente necesitaba ser bañado.
Ahora, intentaré a alimentarla otra vez...

Rosita quiere su privacidad...
Rosa wants her privacy...

Rosa y yo después de su aventura en el patio.
Rosa and me after her bathroom experience in the yard!

English!

So, Rosa reminds me of a baby. This morning when I woke up, I went over to see her and she was sleeping. When she woke up and saw me, she was instantly happy...wagging her tail, accepting being pet. But, after 5 minutes...it was like she was reminded of everything terrible in the world. She resigned herself again, and decided she'd had enough for the day.

Oh, Rosa! Don't you know you have nothing to fear!? Except for the winter...stupid winter. All the snow and wind and ice really freak her out. And that's no big surprised. Living your whole life in a cage, I highly doubt you experience much of the weather...and you definitely don't do much walking around in it.

But despite her resignation and apprehension, Rosita has 3 successes today:
1.) She woke up happy
2.) She used the bathroom outside once! She was nervous and cold, but she did it. She hasn't repeated this yet...but a success is a success and we have to celebrate them.
3.) She made a friend on Facebook. She has a penpal now; he's a dog named Bali who lives in Mexico. He's my friend's dog...and she enjoyed sending him messages earlier this afternoon.

And, of course, there have been less successful occurrences today - her appetite hasn't been great (although it seems to be picking up now), and she's preferred to to hide away in the kennel (but while I've been writing this, she's been wandering around, huffing and puffing).

We got a lot of good cuddling in today, too. That's never bad.

Oh -- and last night, Rosa got a bath! We had to cut a few dreads off of her...and she didn't exactly love being bathed, but she tolerated it....and desperately needed it. She's definitely come a bit more out of her shell since then (although the two things may not be related at all).

Who knows what tomorrow will bring us...