On 13 September, Sidney tells us: LESLIE is now LILLY and has gone home

I delivered LESLIE to her new home today. She is now known as LILLY. She was nervous and uncertain, but not overly stressed. Her tail was tucked, but her ears were up and she was able to fall asleep as we chatted. She even allowed Jeanne & John to stroke her a little as I stood there. I think her days at the day care last week helped and she will quickly feel comfortable with her new family. They are prepared to give her as much time as she needs to get comfortable with them and are even more paranoid than I am about her escaping.

From Jeanne & John:

LILLY is sleeping her crate as I write this to you. She's been there since right after you left. We are going to force her out later to go for a walk/pee attempt. Poor little girl, while allowing me to rub her thru the crate slates without jumping, I know is: 1) missing you and her family/pack and 2) wondering who in the heck we are and what is this place she's now in. She's totally stretched out and seems comfortable, but if we make any moves or talk, her eyes blink open just to check what's going on.

I wanted to take her out in the yard again for a walk about, but she refused to come out of the crate. Will force her out later tonight for the walk down the road, etc. I think she'll want to sleep in her crate for the next few days/ perhaps weeks and that's ok. We'll just close her up inside it so she can't wander around at night and I'm sure she'll be fine.

John & I really want to thank you for bringing her up to us today and spending the time here at the house. I know you have an interest/love of this cutie pie and we want to be "good parents" of our new girl and appreciate all of your efforts with LILLY and the other dogs. Will keep you informed of her progress.

The next day, Jeanne tells Sidney:

Thought you'd like to know that: LILLY slept in her crate the entire night, didn't whine or howl, ate the food in the bowl in her crate, had two walks yesterday, one around 7:00 pm and again right before bed. She had a walk early this a.m. and I took her up the trail behind our house thinking she might like that but I think the rocks hurt her feet a bit. Will have to toughen her up.

She's discovered her water bowl: the pool. I was getting concerned that she hadn't drunk any water, but when we came back from the walk this a.m., we took LILLY, our coffee and the paper out onto the patio. We tied her so she could reach the pool/yard area and wow . . . she about drank up the pool.

Now . . . we just need to get her to do her business and pee. I took her out at 5:15 into the area behind the fireplace/patio and thought she might go, but a huge flock of quail had nested in the trees and we scared them and they scared LILLY. Now we are outside doing yard work and have her tied so she can get to that area to the left of the fireplace so maybe she'll go if we're not watching.

And . . . best of all . . . .she's let me pet her a whole lot, even came to me just a few minutes ago when I called her and follows me around the yard as far as the leash will let her. Yay!!! . . . huge progress in a short amount of time. Amazing. OK, back to the salt mine.