Annalise (formerly Flora of TN) New Thread

[kshort]

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And just so people don't think Rose and I are totally nuts, I photoshopped the hair out of Anna's nose!



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[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/34_rotflmao.gif[/img] I saw it, but I must admit she does look prettier without the nose hair!

Gorgeous pic of your girls!!

[law3962]

Pop by anytime Jean I would love to see her! She sure has come a long way. Gotta love her spirit!

[Avamom]

I'm glad you mentioned the Photoshopping. I couldnt' see any thing wrong with her nose or any hair for the life of me!! I was starting to think you were nuts or I was [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/32_poke.gif[/img]

She is sooo pretty! She's come a long way!! [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/18_thumb.gif[/img]

[G Girl]

Anna looks AWESOME. But seriously, I thought that hair was on my monitor screen and was trying to flick it off [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/05_biggrin.gif[/img]

[harmony]

Gosh she looks great Jean. I was sitting here reading your update when my daughter walked in, without reading it she said "wow that looks like that Flora dog" , lol. She sure has flowered. I am going to ask you all the questions my daughter just asked me (I kept saying "I don't know", lol. Does she come up to people? Does she eat food from your hand? We want to hear all the details. How is Karen doing (if you know)? I can't wait until you start classes with her, sure do want to hear some good reports.

I felt so bad about that dog from the very beginning. No one showed up to pick her up, poor Karen what she went thru, then poor Flora going here and there, and everything that poor dog had been thru and you. A rescue you could probable never rehome, ah did I just feel bad about that. You and your feelings for her made it all worth it (and Karens [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/25_angel.gif[/img]). I never knew if we were all doing the right thing for that dog, but now I see you have, you really love that dog and that is great, it made it worth it. Not that a dog is not worth saving, but life is not worth living without love, and it plainly shows you love her.

[JeanKBBMMMAAN]

Okay-that missing nosehair really threw you all, huh! [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/05_biggrin.gif[/img]

Harmony-please tell your daughter how nice it is for her to ask these questions!

Does she come up to people? No she still will hide behind me and some people still make her very nervous (like poop nervous), but others have been able to pet her when she's in a more confined area. She does come up to me when I am sitting and ask for petting though, which is a big one! Last night she came up behind me and nudged my arm and I didn't even realize or think it was possible that it was her, but it was!

Does she eat food from your hand? Yes, she does! Thanks to the miracle of Arby's, Anna has learned that good things come from human hands! That was the first food she took from me, and it was while I was driving and putting it back to where she was on the floor in the back seat of the car. Since then, she's gotten good at taking any food from me-first without eye contact, then me sitting and looking at her, and now she'll even take treats from me when I'm standing. She's even taken stuff from people she doesn't know recently-as long as it's good stuff! I had never seen a dog so afraid to take food from a person before. I can see why that stuck with your daughter.

How is Karen doing? I heard from her at the holidays and she is doing well and is thankful that Anna has her place in life.

I also wondered, from reading her old thread all along, if Anna ever would make it. Things that you take for granted with dogs just don't happen with her. And time in terms of progress is just not the same with Anna. BUT, now that she is home with me, time is meaningless because there isn't that thought of adopting her out, and that is a real gift. We can just meander along!

Thanks for checking in on her! Class is Monday night (I think-better check...) and if your daughter has other questions, I'd love to try to answer them. I do love Anna!

My helpers:
Playing chase with Ava and Ilsa:


Playing tug with Bruno and Ilsa:

[JeanKBBMMMAAN]

And thanks, Harmony, for such a nice post-it really got to me!

[ded37]

Jean:
You know I think this has to be one of the top Rescue stories (all are wonderful though)! Anna looks beautiful and happy. I love to see that she is playing with the pack. I hope Monday's class goes well for you both. We all will need updates.

[LaciesMom]

YAY Anna!!!!!!! Good luck in your class sweetie!!!! I KNOW you'll do well!

And tell Nina I said "Hi!" [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/05_biggrin.gif[/img]

[JeanKBBMMMAAN]

Anna had her class last night. It's called socialization and bonding. It's for future therapy dogs and for dogs with issues, so it's an interesting mix! It's so laid back, sit in a circle and then do activities, back to the circle-it's more like group therapy! But very nice.

She did do a nervous poop, but only one and she did it right away and got it over with. She didn't want to sit in the circle, so we sat in a corner where she watched everything. She's extremely nosy, so I think she's going to enjoy that. There are three other rings that have obedience classes going, the one closest to us has puppies, and she loves puppies, so we may visit.

She sat behind me or under the chair, which I had expted, but she did so much better than I thought in terms of thing the things I asked of her. I figured just being there would be good enough but she did some heeling, walked over the sheet on the floor (textures), took some Arby's from the trainer, and ate her sandwich throughout class. Bella was too nervous to eat back when she started classes, so I thought that was good (of course...this WAS Arby's)! I am VERY proud of her for being in there with all that newness-it would be like me getting stuck at a circus clown convention! She only did her creepy crawl a few times, the rest of the time she walked normally or only slightly hunched down.

There was a GSD there, also afraid of people (not AS scared, but scared) and Anna went right over to her and laid down on the floor behind her, with her head almost on the dog's behind. She really liked seeing a sort of familiar face.

She really did do great. The expectations for her in that class are different than for the other dogs-the trainer just wants her to be there, and we can do pretty much what we want. I have now figured that I am able to anticipate when she shuts down, so I am going to "take control" by giving a stop type command seconds before she does.

THENNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN...when we came home, everyone ate, had some quiet time in their beds, then play time during the Golden Globes. Ilsa started to mount Anna and I told her to knock it off. A little bit better, Reese Witherspoon is getting her award and I see, out of the corner of my eye, I see Ilsa is getting mounted. AND IT WAS ANNA DOING IT!!!!!!!!!!!!! Never has she done that. One class and she's becoming a monster! I said ANNA! and she stopped and got in the chair, very la-di-da about it. This should be interesting!