Chillin'

When the girls first arrived in our home as new foster dogs, they were pretty freaked out by all the changes they'd been through. A suburban home in the Pacific Northwest was about as foreign and bizarre as it could get for these outdoor dogs who had grown up in the desert.

Salinas showed her unease through constant movement. She paced, wanted attention from the humans and then cowered when she received attention. Chima on the other hand was pretty still but always standing on the other side of the room from the humans and intensely watching us. It was pretty clear she wasn't going to relax with us in the room as she wanted to be able to escape from us quickly if we tried any funny business. Relaxing on the couch or even lounging on the floor wasn't an option for them.

Now here we are about 3 months later. Yesterday morning I was doing my computer work in the living room so I could supervise a bit while they played. Of course, I got distracted and after about 45 minutes looked up because it was way too quiet. With terriers, much like with toddlers, quiet can be a not so good thing.

Imagine my suprise when from the dining room where I sat, I saw no dogs. But they were gated into the living/dining area and the gate is still in place?! Where could they have gone?!! I stood up quickly in panic and then this is what I saw...

Chima, wondering what my problem is

Salinas popped her head up worriedly when I made a racket jumping out of my chair

The girls had finished their playing and chewing and had settled on their own piece of furniture for a snooze. Salinas, who always picks up on any human stress was concerned by my initial stress and then my fumbling with a camera and you can see in her ear and body position that I've made her worried. Chima, found my whole picture taking thing rather boring and went back to sleep.

Salinas, wanting to go back to sleep but concerned about me standing around with a camera

Chima went back to sleep when she discovered there was no emergency and that I didn't have any treats to toss her

Please be patient if you've adopted or bought a new dog. For you it may be wonderful to have a dog in your life. You are probably excited and overjoyed by their arrival. But that poor dog doesn't necessarily know that it will be a wonderful experience for them yet. They are in a strange place with an unknown person and they need time to adjust to this major change and to discover that their new life is wonderful. While some dogs can make that adjustment in a few days, for the typically smart and very sensitive Rat Terrier, that adjustment is more likely to take a few months. If you step back and give them time to decide things are okay, it will go much faster than if you push them and get frustrated. So hang in there and celebrate the little things...like a snooze on the couch. Who knew it could be such an exciting thing?