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Sadie Learns About Life

Six Months Later

You know how they say cats have 9 lives? Well, since I was "rescued" at one month from a drug dealer and my mom got me at 6 months old, I have a "new leash" on life. The rescuer tried taking me to a shelter to adopt me out there but after a week caged up, I must have gone beserk and they called her and said they couldn't adopt me out and she came and got me again. That's how I wound up at the Rescue Fair and finally got adopted. My new mom didn't realize what "special needs" I had but was willing to go along. The vet said I was going to be "a project" and suggested my mom take me to obedience classes, which she did. Heck, they liked me so much (or felt so sorry for me) they invited me back to puppy classes again! They said I wasn't a "people dog" (except for my mom) and they modified my exercises. They recommended to my mom that she take me for an "evaluation" a couple of hundred miles away, which she did! We stayed in a cabin and I am pretty good at traveling now and have finally stopped barfing everytime I get into the car! Don't tell anyone but I think I actually like the car now. Getting evaluated was no picnic but the folks there were nice and I got alot of treats. They gave my mom some recomendations to help "manage" me, which she implemented right away. Since I am so sound sensitive, I get Melatonin in the morning to tone down the sounds which seems to be helping. We found a really great place to walk that hardly anyone comes to (a State park with a view) and there are way less distractions to freak me out. I'm supposed to find a walking partner but that hasn't happened yet. I'm also learning to tolerate a soft muzzle for when I visit the vet and get to wear a "pheromone" collar to give me a sense of "well being". We're trying it out anyway and hope it's not hocus-pocus. The behaviorist also gave mom some plug in's with the same stuff, kinda fascinating don't you think? It's the same stuff that all species have, like what makes bees return to their hives even. Maybe the beekeepers should check into it with all the disappearances! I am also getting more turkey (has triptophan) kind of a natural sedative, since right now mom is trying to avoid "medication". She is especially cautious to keep me separate from little kids, like her grandson but don't tell anyone this either...I actually am very fond of him. He makes some pretty quick moves being a 2 year old so mom has baby gates all over the place. I'm not supposed to "guard" even though it's my nature so she lets me know if I start doing that. Mom wispers to me sometimes, "I don't care what they say about you, I still love you". The behaviorist says I won't be a good dog to "re-home" so I know my mom will stick with me and keep working with me forever (in a very controlled environment) and knows I am a long term committment. She says I am good company for her and that's why she got me. I make her laugh at some of my antics and she says I am very intelligent.