Adjusting to His Forever Home

       
Day One: The hour-long ride to his Forever Home in Rancho Cucamonga was a pretty easy one for Uno.  From what I could tell, he's an old pro at the car.  After a few minutes of looking a little nervous, he settled into the blanket I had placed on the front seat and settled in for some cuddles and a nap. 









Our first stop was to pick my kids up from school.  Lucky for him there is a fabulous dog park right across the street where he got to stretch his little legs, off leash.  My 11-year-old, Sophie, quickly claimed the rights inherent with "I met him first" when her brother, Eddie (9), and sister, Olivia (7), arrived and took care to make sure no one crowded him or overwhelmed him. 

Our family has three other dogs: two Labradors (Bella and Jasper -- yes, I am a unapologetic "Twilight" fan), and a Bichon named "Dottie" (she was pre-Twilight) My hubby and I were a bit nervous about introducing them to Uno as both Labs are pretty territorial of us.  We took things slowly, though, introducing him first to Dot and then letting him sniff around the downstairs before finally letting the Labs back inside.  Uno was SUPERB!  He let the Established sniff him up and down and paid almost no attention to them at all. 

Although he was quite a bit jumpy with sudden or loud noises, eventually he went upstairs and sniffed every room, then settled in for some quiet time on the couch, or ottoman, as it were.


Uno's first night in his Forever Home was exciting and, no doubt, tiring for him.  After several minutes of clicking around on the wooden floor trying to figure out where to settle down, I gave in and plopped him on the bed (usually my hubby doesn't like having dogs on the bed -- it's the only piece of furniture besides the kitchen and dining room tables dogs are not allowed in our house) but he was tired and didn't object until Uno climbed on top of him and settled on his chest for his long winter's nap!  Eventually Uno found a comfy spot by my feet and slept through the night. 

I think it's remarkable that this pooch who has been through so much, is able to trust that there are human beings in his world that are not here to hurt or exploit him.  He readily bows his head for a scratch to his neck, he puts his front paws on our legs to be scratched on his backside, and he gives you his paw...   He could not have found his way from a lab in Spain to a better foster home with people who showed him what love is and that there is another, better way to live.  Thanks, M & S, and all of the amazing people at Beagle Freedom Project, for bringing this sweet boy into our lives, and into his Forever Home.