"When one door closes, another one opens..."

Mandy's official adoption day was on Thursday.  I started crying BEFORE Mandy's new mommy came to pick her up!  That's never happened before!  Then again, she was a part of my life for a long time.  I feel like it's a little different when it comes to puppies.  Going through puppyhood is a HUGE part of of the process of owning dogs.  If you've ever had a puppy, you know what I'm talking about it!  I love puppies.  I do.  However... after raising quite a few... I have to admit that the adults are just THAT much easier.  The great part about Mandy, though, was that she was never that difficult as a puppy.  She was always pretty well-behaved, rarely had accidents, did well in the crate, and was an overall good girl.  Mandy was truly was a joy to have in my life.  Same with her sister, Candy.  Both of them were great!  But going through puppyhood means you were there for that special part of their lives.  You were there through the tough times - whether it was the potty-training, crate-training, chewing, whining, barking... and all of the other fantastic aspects that come with puppies.  If you can make it through puppyhood, you can make it through anything!  Lucky for me, Candy and Mandy were easy puppies.  Yes, I miss them both, but I know that K9 Justice League works hard to find the right families for the dogs, so at least I always know that my babies are in good hands when they finally leave for their forever homes.

I went a whole 48 hours without a foster in my house.  Okay, maybe it was a little less.  The need for a new foster kicked in just moments after Mandy left.  My dogs were calm and quiet.  They were sleeping.  Lyla wasn't wrestling with anyone.  It was... weird.  It was too quiet!  Jessica mentioned that a shelter from North Carolina was bringing a handful of dogs to an adoption event at one of our local Petsmarts.  She had her eye on Lonnie.  We agreed to meet there near the end of the event.  Go figure... who remained?  Lonnie!  Another dog, Blackie, was also left behind.  For now, the rescue could only take one on, so I had the pleasure of taking Lonnie home with me.

Lonnie is a Hound mix... from what I can tell.  He's quite handsome!  About a year old... spent about a month-and-a-half in the shelter... probably 40lbs or less... and a total sweetheart!  I brought him home yesterday to meet my crazy kids.  He was nervous about my dogs at first... considering that they bombarded him.  He didn't even get into the house before they "greeted" him.  Jackson did his typical growling and acting dominant.  Brody did his sniffing... then insisted that I play fetch with him.  Lyla was thrilled to have a brand new BFF!  She loves her foster siblings!  I sent them out into the backyard... yelled at Jackson some... and watched as Lonnie and Lyla tore up the backyard running in circles.  They had a blast!  So... Jackson stood on the deck, Brody played with his ball, and Lyla and Lonnie played tag with each other.

He's settling in pretty well and figuring out where he stands with the dogs.  Gloria has put him in his place, too, letting him know that cats are nothing to chase or play with or pester.  She's a great teacher!  I'm assuming he's never lived in a house before.  He was very nervous about the ceiling fan.  He'd just stare at it... and scoot a little at times.  He's curious... just not so sure.  He's also nervous about coming inside from being outside.  It's like he thinks the door will shut on him!  He's being really good, though!  No accidents, no whining in the crate, being good with the dogs and the cats... and is generally doing great!

Hopefully Lonnie will settle in well and find a new home soon!  He's great and cute and playful... so I think he deserves a great home.

Peace, Love, and Paw Prints... Emily