ZOE DEVELOPS A PERSONALITY

17 May I was watching something-or-other on tv when it suddenly thundered - this set off Rico & Cari, who ran barking and screaming into the living room. A few minutes later, I heard AROOOOOOO AROOOOOOOO AROOOOOOOO - Zoe. But where is she? Not under my bed, nor in her cubby hole in the printer cabinet. Aha - she somehow (maybe out of fright at the noise?) ended up ON VetteMan's bed (which she's never been able to jump on before) and then she couldn't figure out how to get down, so she was AROOOOOOOOing for me to come get her. Silly girl. I found a small pile of toys, a grape I'd given her and thought she'd eaten, and one of my bras which I hadn't been able to find earlier that morning, hidden away by her food and water dish. She's becoming a pack rat. She gets toys out of the toybox when I leave the house and let them have the run of the entire house. Obviously, she is pretty brave then! If I'm reading on the couch, she will be quick to join me, jumping up by herself and lying down next to me or, if it's available, on some newspaper. Cari likes to like on paper, too . . . must be a Cairn Quirk. 18 May This morning, I saw Zoe amble into VetteMan's room and then rub her head along the carpeting, in a show of exuberance at being free, I like to think. Shell writes: Visited with Cappy & Kathy today. It tears me up that no one seems to want Cappy . . . a sweeter, more loving dog you'll never meet. Don't think he'll ever be 100% housetrained but he's such a gem . . . just a sweet, darling little guy who craves attention. The big story is Kathy! Wow! She gives hope to mill dogs everywhere! She comes zooming up to Marge (Kathy thinks she hangs the moon) but this time, she came running up to me for a kiss and then sat there contently and let me pet her. She's really coming around. 19 May Today we must have crossed some kind of threshold in time . . . . . . not only did Zoe take whipped cream, she stayed in the kitchen with the others to get a breakfast piece of toast with peanut butter (some of which is now clinging to her lower lip). Then she ranranran with Rico. Her running away is no longer as fast furious or frantic as it has been . . . 20 May We're so proud of Zoe! Zoe is terrifed. Grass grows - she runs under the bed. Leaf falls - under the bed. Wind blows - under the bed. Someone stands up to walk into another room - under the bed. Or into her printer cabinet hidey-hole. You get the picture. In her two weeks with us, she has slo-o-o-o-o-o-owly gained a bit of courage, and will now voluntarily sit on the couch (with me) or ask to get on the bed (with me), and she eats out in the open rather than - where else? - under the bed. Anyhoo, the house has been in a general uproar since Wednesday, in anticipation of carpets being cleaned today. All small items moved out of the house, which gave the dogs more room to run. Zoe took full advantage of that, chasing and being chased by Rico. She even grabbed a toy out of the toybox and made tentative "kill it" motions. Today, the three Cairns were in the basement in a large pen, while cleaning machines made lots of noise above them; we were gone while this was going on and after the cleaner left; even when we came home, we didn't let them out. Not a peep out of any of them. Until about 3:00 p.m. AROOOOOOO. AROOOOOOOOOOO!!!! You know which dog THAT was! Ok, I figured they could all come outside, do their thing, get their diapers on, and run in and out of the house. Oh yes, and get brushed outside while we were at it. I assumed when I was finished with Zoe, she would hide in the house, or under the deck steps. Neither . . . she stayed around us inside and outside. Went outside to poop on the gravel (wrong gravel, but better than on the grass or the newly-cleaned carpet!) Ate and drank her food as though nothing was out of the ordinary. Hard to believe this is the same dog who was 'fraid of her own shadow only two weeks ago. Gives me hope that she will develop into a good pet for someone deserving of her sweetness.

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