Brandy's Adventures

Wow! What a difference a day makes! Brandy visited the dog park yesterday and seemed eager to get inside the fenced area. We immediately released the leash and Brandy busily introduced herself to both dogs and people. She was soon chasing and being chased. It was thrilling to see Brandy running full out, exercise she could never get on our lengthy walks. Brandy would exhaust herself, take a short rest by Shirley and me, and, when rested, continue her vigorous exercise. Brandy repeated this for well over an hour. (Photo: Brandy(left) with her new-found friend, Missy)

Brandy was resting with her eyes closed in the car, but shortly after we returned home, she was running full out in her yard, through the patio door, around the furniture in the house and then back to the yard. Brandy is tireless!

Yesterday, just before sunset, we introduced Brandy to the Rancho Bernardo Dog Park. She seemed interested in the dogs inside the fenced area so we took her in and kept her on the leash. Because Brandy had recent surgery, we didn’t want any rough-and-tumble play. Brandy’s curly Shiba tail immediately tucked between her legs so we left the fenced-in area as quickly as we could. Once outside, Brandy’s tail quickly formed the Shiba “O” and she was sniffing the dogs through the fence, while Shirley and I were talking over the fence with a couple that had a beautiful, pure-bred Shiba. We think that the leash may have been a factor in her fear because none of the other dogs was leashed. We then walked through the lawns of the Rancho Bernardo Community Park and Brandy enjoyed the freedom of the long, retractable leash sniffing everything in sight.

I don’t like tight collars on my anthropomorphic family members; I remember all the years that I wore neckties. I thought Brandy’s collar was too tight so Shirley adjusted it. Sometime later, Shirley exclaimed, “Look at Brandy! She has her collar in her mouth!” Sure enough, Brandy had been able to bite the very loose collar and then couldn’t get it out of her mouth. The collar was all the way to the back of her mouth and, try as she did, she couldn’t expel the collar. I struggled to release the strap from the buckle tang and she struggled to expel the collar. Just as I thought I would have to quickly cut the collar, I was able to unfasten it. Brandy and I were both relieved. Now, we’re looking for a collar with a snap fastener.

Brandy is learning the Poway trail system beginning with those trails that are conveniently accessed from her home. She’s going out at least twice daily and experiencing either a new (to her) trail or a new segment of a trail she previously hiked.

Because of the Santa Ana, Brandy was out early today to avoid the heat. This was her first experience in riding in a car since she came to her new home and she cowered when asked to jump in the car. That was strange as there was no problem in her getting in the car at the Helen Woodward Animal Center. Brandy allowed herself to be picked up and placed in the car but she immediately wanted to crawl out. She quickly settled down for the short ride to the trail head at Lake Poway Road.

Brandy explored the Espola Trail, meeting a few other dogs, joggers, rabbits and cyclists. She responded well to all, and even said “Hello” to a couple of dogs. Brandy’s learning to wait at street crossings.

Brandy cowered again when asked to get into the car and let herself be picked up. Brandy has a vet appointment on Wednesday and needs to see the car as, at least, a most-times good experience. We’ll drive her to the Rancho Bernardo Dog Park and more distant Poway trails until she realizes that we are not taking her away.

Shirley and I went to Helen Woodward Animal Center today to see “Basil” and “Foxy”. We would have taken Basil but then we met Foxy! She’s a Shiba Inu mix, about fifteen months old and weighs nineteen pounds. She was skittish when we first approached her kennel but we quickly became friends.

Shirley kept throwing out names and eventually we narrowed her new name to a choice of Ginger and Brandy and, then, finally to Brandy. Now that we had a name, Brandy needed a website so she was quickly online.

Brandy had surgery last Monday so we are being careful with her. Brandy’s very inquisitive, a bit jumpy with new things and stays relatively close in the pack. This evening, she growled and barked at the TV when Shirley turned it on (Brandy must be my dog :).

She ate well after her fifteen-minute walk this evening and seems to be settling in.