Poppie (now known as Bella) Day Two

After an anxious first day and a restless night's sleep, day two went a good bit smoother. Bella (we decided Poppie looked much more like a Bella, so hopefully she won't think we're too incredibly nuts and eventually understand that we're talking to her...And anybody who knows me and my dogs, knows that they all end up with nicknames they hear far more frequently than their actual given names: Tucker is McFinnegan or Finn for short. Sweet Pea has a slew of nicknames--at least close to Pea--Peaster being the most common. So...Bella...Poppie...as long as she knows she's safe and loved...A rose by any other name would smell as sweet...right?) Anyway--Bella is hanging out in the office with the birds. She is completely fascinated with these feathered friends! So close but so impossible to eat! I may end up putting her in Michael's room when I go to work on Wednesday--less temptation when there's zero supervision seems like the safer option. We switch off through the day, putting Tucker upstairs so Bella can come out and run around the house, pop outside to go potty. Sniff every blade of grass, puddle of pee and pile of poo. And the birds can all breathe a sigh of relief for a little while. Sweet Pea is doing fantastic with Bella. She's grumped and grumbled a few times but seriously--she's a Bassett, and completely unthreatening. Bella just side steps around her and life goes on.

After the rain let up, we took the three out back for a walk around the yard again--Tuck and Bella on leashes. Zero aggression, lots of little positive reinforcement training treats when Tuck would get close and sniff but not snap or growl at Bella. And later in the afternoon we took them all for a stroll around the neighborhood, and they did fantastic again! Lots of treats, no bad tempers. A huge sigh of relief for all of us.

So, I think we're still juggling turns from who's in a separate room and who gets free reign so smells and potty breaks and love fests are equally enjoyed by all. Bella has her first trip to the vet this afternoon, get her set with all her immunizations and blood work and flea/heartworm medicines. I'm anxious to find out what she weighs so we can start to track her progress back to full health. She already looks amazing after what she's been through--I can only imagine how beautiful she'll be in another couple months of regular food and plenty of treats, love, and exercise! Stay tuned!