My protector and comfort - ha ha ha ha

Well Cha Cha, you have come to be the key to this family. Our matriarch has passed to the rainbow bridge and you dutifully took your post as head of the family. You are a wonderful snuggler. A fantastic barker to warn of danger (or impending mail delivery). You are also a great playmate to Britton who just loves dressing you in the gingham apron and balancing plastic tea cups and saucers on your back. Most importantly, you are a member of our family that we adore. We feel more confident and loved when you are around.

Now for the negatives....
If it isn't too much to ask, could you please try to understand that the mail carrier is just doing her job. She means you no harm.

Please refrain from drinking out of those tall standing white bowls in the bathrooms. You have your own self filling water bowl. How did I find out you ask? Your slobbery, wet evidence all over the floor.

Finally, I would prefer you slept on your bed rather than the couch. It's not because I am one of those "anti-dog-on-furniture" people. It really is because no matter how we clean you up you still remain a retriever living in the country. What I am trying to say is you find enjoyment in making yourself extra dirty and stinky. Also in reference to this point, if you are going to sneak onto the couch could you at least try to look surprised and ashamed like you used to when I would walk in on you? It kind of makes me feel like you still consider me in charge.

I love you Buddy Boy! You were the piece of the puzzle that we were missing.

My new life, week 1.

The lady took me to a vet where I got my shots and a clean bill of health. She took me for a long walk outside where I got to do my favorite thing....eat snow. She took me back to the vet's office and put me in another cage. I was so depressed. Here I was back in another pound. This time it was different though. That lady came back 3x a day every day to walk me. She understood and helped me to figure out not to chase cars or jump on people. I started to like that lady. One day when she walked in she said, "Mommy is here!" Mommy? Ohhhhh, she is my new mom! Then why am I in this cage?

She came one final time and took me for an extra long walk. She said, "eat as much snow as you can since where you are going to live we don't have snow." Then we loaded into the car and went to this place that gave me a bath. They did my nails and primped me. Maybe someone forgot to tell my mom that I am a boy and a hunting dog at that. We aren't supposed to be froo froo! She came back for me and put me in my big kennel in the back of the car. The kids were in the car and so was grammy. We drove and drove and drove. I got to get out alot and smell all of these great places! We stopped at Auntie Lonna's house. She has cats and chickens and this great mountain woods to hike in. I got to lay in some great stinky mud to rub off this fluffy smelling stuff! After a fun filled day there we got back in the van and drove, drove, drove some more. As the sun was coming up we pulled into a house with a big fenced in yard. There was a guy there that I remembered from when I was picked up at the pound. My mom told me this was my dad and this was my new home. A big black girl dog came out to see my mom. She seemed so happy to see her so I figured my mom must be a good mom to dogs. I went up to greet this other dog by checking out where she stood in the family pecking order. WOW! Old dog my butt....she laid into me and made it very clear where I stood in this familyline up. Never again will I question my elders!

I dove into the turtle pond twice and my Dad was really mad. Especially when I jumped into the van covered in pond slime! Sorry Dad! I tried to eat the mailman's truck while dad walked me in the yard. (Goofy dad! Mom told him to use the no pull harness not the collar.) I broke off one of mom's little palm trees in the yard in that fiasco. I tried to see if I could get better grub by standing up with my front paws on the counter. Man my mom made this wierd loud noise that scared me out of doing that ever again. She made that same noise when I sniffed the garbage and wee weed on the floor. I now understand that noise is a "STOP." To finish out my day, this small fuzzy black thing that makes meow meow noises came up to me while I was sleeping and I tried to hunt it. It was fast and ran up the curtains so I couldn't reach it. My dad looked really mad at me and my grandma looked scared. WHAT?

My mom and I worked on all kinds of things today and played outside alot. I really like it here and I am trying very hard to be everything this family wants me to be. So far, I think I am doing great! I was so tired by the end of the day I just crawled into my crate with my baby and went to sleep.

My secret.

I know where I used to live and who I used to live with. My mom thinks she knows my history by things I do or the scars I have. I will never tell her what my old life was like or where I came from. My old family and I got separated which I know can sometimes happen. What I don't understand is why they never found me? I was in the local pound for over 6 weeks and was listed on Petfinder too. Not to mention how long I was out running around in the freezing N. IL winter scared and hungry. I didn't like living in that pound. I had nice enough neighbors but some of them were so loud. The guy that cared for us seemed to really want to help us and I felt kind of bad for him that his job sometimes meant ending our lives. I can't even begin to tell you how terrified I was when day after day, week after week people came to adopt dogs and they never even looked at me. I tried to impress them by jumping and barking to show them how great I am. They weren't impressed! I knew I had been there a long time and that soon I too would be crossing that Rainbow Bridge known only to a stranger, the animal control officer.

Then one day the phone rang. The officer said, "yes, he is still here." "He would make a really great family dog with a little training." Could he be talking about me? The officer went on, "yeah, I can hold him a few days past his expiration if I know you are coming for him." OH MY GOSH! Was I that close to leaving this earth? The next few days dragged past. Was the caller serious? Was it just a passing thought of someone? Then one morning, when it was still dark out I saw headlights outside. It was way too early for the officer to be there. The engine on the car stayed outside running for hours. I was scared! When the sun came up the officer came and unlocked the door. A woman walked in with him with a big smile on her face. She looked at me and said, "Hey there big beautiful black boy, I am here to spring you!" My guardian angel was here! I was totally obnoxious but I was just so glad to get the hell out of there. I jumped in the van, tore out some upholstery (sorry Dad) and refused to get out. Even if that family didn't like me, I wasn't getting out of that van! I made it this far! The lady rode in the back with me bouncing all over her. She said I smelled bad but she would take care of that soon. Who cares how I smell....I am alive!