Brown Ears was a little underweight, and she seemed a bit apprehensive of strangers, especially men. Although she wasn't at the shelter for long, I do think she was overlooked because of her nervousness. We knew that she just needed some love and attention. She has turned out to be the VERY BEST dog we could have hoped for, especially considering she was already an adult (4 yrs). She is the very definition of a dog: happy, fun-loving, eager-to-please, and loyal. She's been great with our two adult cats...who still play hard-to-get but only because it amuses them more than just being friends with her already! She's quick to learn, and very obedient. Its obvious that one of her former owners spent some time training her.

I think the true test of her personality came just days after we adopted her. I took her home with me to visit my family in Chicago. While sitting around the kitchen table chatting with my parents, Brown Ears laid on the floor beside me. My 4-yr-old niece was dancing around when suddenly she tripped and fell, nearly landing on top of Brown Ears. For a brief second, I was scared of how Brown Ears might react, with thoughts of her potentially lunging at or nipping at my niece out of fear or even playfulness. I was so relieved when she just jumped up and out of the way, and then laid back down at my side. She never barked; she never reacted negatively. Now every time I talk to my niece on the phone, the only thing she has to say to me is "Aunt Nikki - I like your doggy."

With regular walks around the neighborhood and trips to the dog park, Brown Ears has easily put on the weight and muscle that she needs. With the increased socialization, she's also made huge strides in better accepting strangers. She has the run of the house, and we haven't had a single behavioral problem with her. She has proven to be a great substitute for slippers this winter as she's always laying at our feet. And on occasion she substitutes for a blanket, as she thinks she's a 53 pound lapdog!!

We still hope to eventually get her certified as a therapy dog to visit nursing homes. For now, we'll start with basic training classes in a few weeks...although I suspect there's not much new she'll have to learn. I think its more for us than for her!

We knew we wanted to adopt an older dog. We got a total sweetheart!

Sincerely,
Nicole & Charlie Davros