It's Friday, Why Not Have Another Update?

It's also worth mentioning that Julia just started her first training class at The Dog Den (http://www.thedogden.com/). For those of you who don't know, The Dog Den is in my opinion the most wonderful dog training/daycare/boarding facility around. 

Julia has come so far in the four weeks that we have had her; she now responds to her name and will happily sit for a treat or some praise. We are working on improving her recalls and teaching her "down." Julia is very smart so I'm sure she will master those new skills and be working on others in no time. She is also much braver about approaching new people and is learning that they are often the bearers of treats and nice pets.

When she's not in class, Julia enjoys spending lots of time outside running around. While she would probably adapt to only going for walks on a leash, I will say that she truly loves to run free. If you're looking for a buddy to go on outdoor adventures with you, she's your girl!

This is one of my favorite pictures of Julia. I also love that Jim is in the background :)

Julia The Great Adventurer!

Julia continues to be so much fun to have in our lives. Our other dog, Jim, loves her and she really looks up to him as her big brother and partner in crime. Jim really enjoys swimming, even in freezing cold water on a frigid day. When Julia saw Jim swimming out to chase some ducks, much to our surprise, she hopped in the water and swam after him.

Jim was already about halfway across the pond when Julia decided to join him. Brave Girl!

Almost back to shore! It was only about 35 degrees outside and I can't even imagine how cold the water must have been.

 

 

Sweet Sunshine!

 We've been enjoying our time with Julia as much as the amazing sunshine and beautiful weather we've had this past week.

Julia continues to be the model foster dog and in case you need a little refresher or are new to our blog here are just a few of the reasons why she's so awesome:

• Julia is house and crate trained. We trust her to roam the house with our other dog while we're at work. Haven't had an incident yet.

• She is very good/calm about getting baths and having her nails trimmed. She stayed very still while we cut her nails and she accepted her bath much better than Jim (our other dog) does. It's also worth mentioning that she doesn't shed very much at all.

• She is ultra cuddly and knows how to appreciate the little things in life, like soaking up the sunshine during nap time.

•  She adapts really well to everyone's energy level. We currently take the dogs to the park twice a day and then walk them before bedtime. Julia would be totally fine with a few walks a day and less frequent trips to the park, if that's more your style. She loves to play with toys and enjoys ripping the felt off of tennis balls (super cheap distraction!). While she really likes sniffing/running around outside she doesn't need hours of intense exercise to keep her happy.

•  Julia is excited to be your new best friend, but we are more than happy to keep her until you're ready.

Julia is my cup of tea (or coffee)

What better way to start your morning than with a super cuddly dog and a nice hot cup of coffee....

Things We Love About Julia....

If you've read our blog you're probably picking up on the vibe that we love Julia...a lot. Here are just a few  reasons why she's so awesome:

• She is crate and house trained. She has never gone potty in the house and will sleep soundly in her cozy crate all night. That being said, if you didn't want to crate her you could completely trust her to free roam the house. That's what we do during the day and there hasn't been a mishap yet.

• She has a ton of personality. She does this thing where she closes her eyes almost all the way and then smiles. She was doing that on the car ride to the dog park yesterday afternoon.Cutest thing ever. She also jumps around in circles when she gets really excited and sometimes hops around on her hind legs when she's waiting for a treat.

•  She is happy go lucky. Julia has adapted really well to all of the changes that have happened in her life in the past week or so. She made it through several very cold winter days and has learned to brave the foot of slush and mud that is currently inhabiting most of the dog parks. She's not one to whine and cry about being cold, wet or dirty. She loves to spend time outside with her people.

•  She is incredibly cuddly. After having some fun running around outside or wrestling with our much larger dog she is ready for a cuddle session. She will really match your energy level and seems to enjoy playing with toys in the house as much as going to the park or for a walk.

It's impossible not to fall in love with Julia....

Julia is a tough cookie!

It has been so cold for the past couple of days but Miss Julia has been outside with us three times a day braving the frigid weather. Yesterday afternoon we headed to the park to spend some time in the woods and Julia seemed right at home sprinting around with Jim (our other dog). She is really good about coming back as soon as she hears us calling her name and she is enjoying having a big dog to follow on the trails. Here are a couple pictures from our excursion:

She has those super cute ears where one is up and the other is down.

Julia, just like Jim, seems to be most excited about being out in the woods. I have to agree with them that it's  the best way to spend an afternoon!

In other news, a couple of nights ago Julia decided that she felt brave enough to play with Jim who outweighs her by about 60 pounds. He has been trying so hard to get her to wrestle with him and, understandably, she has been somewhat hesitant. She learned pretty quickly that she's a lot more nimble than Jim so she can fit herself into small spaces where he can't reach her and outmaneuver him when it comes to making quick turns. It was so funny to watch them careening around the house.

Julia has also learned that having stuffed toys to play with and things to chew on is pretty awesome. She has a tiny little mouth so she has been able to pull stuffing out of toys that I thought were already empty. Julia really enjoys playing tug of war and will also chase down a toy or ball if you throw it for her. After she has decided that she's done playing she's more than happy to curl up in your lap for some serious cuddle time.

Quick Update - Julia Loves Her Crate!

Our dog (Jim) is not crated and our first foster dog was not very fond of being crated (to say the least!), so we were pleasantly surprised when Julia took such a liking to her crate! 

 Julia will happily wander into her crate during the day to catch a little nap - it is her safe place and she has made a comfy nest for herself in there! At night she has no issues with going into the crate and doesn't make a peep when we leave the room.

Julia is also getting so much better about responding to her name and she will now come running when she hears "Julia, come on!" We can't possibly overstate what a sweet little girl she is. She is so eager to please and just loves to cuddle. We feel truly blessed to have her as a part of our family.

Julia took a nice car ride from Alabama to Madison on Saturday!

Saturday night we picked up Julia (Julia-Roberts on the website)!

Julia is an amazing terrier mix who loves to be petted and has quickly acclimated to home life.  Last night she was very excited to explore the house and the neighborhood on a nice (cold) walk.

She slept all night in the crate and we barely heard a peep out of her. In fact, we had to wake her up this morning because our other dog was ready to go out. We are unsure about her history but so far she is taking all of these new experiences in stride and with a wagging tail. Julia hasn't had any accidents in the house thus far and hasn't tried to get up on the counters or the kitchen table (although she can JUMP!!).  She is great with Jim (our big black dog) and ate her breakfast this morning. 

Corinne and Julia have been battling over shotgun!

Still a little shy but enjoying her freedom to run at the park.

She follows well but doesn't know her name or "come on" yet, so the drag along leash is our back up run-away plan at the fenced in dog park.

As close to action shots as a camera phone can get!

Julia loves rolling around on the carpet.  We will keep the blog updated on how the name, sit, and recall training go!