Happy Adoption Day, Banjo

It's been one year since we adopted Our Girl Banjo. She seemed like such a lazy pup at the adoption event. The minute we got her home, we realized she was just exhausted from the nonstop people walking by the crates ogling the dogs all day. We got her home she walked into the kitchen and that's when we realized she had lots and lots of energy. Her personality quickly became known as rambunctious.

I worked with teaching her to sit, stay and look. She growled a lot. I wasn't sure what we were in for not knowing her breed. 

Our Girl Banjo tried hard to understand us and we tried so very much to understand her. We tried to talk to the shelter to see if her growl was going to be a problem. They suggested training.

Turns out she just needed to have lots of playtime and her growl was a playful growl. Her breed will let you know if it isn't a kind growl. She has never shown us her vicious growl or any type of aggression. 

Within a few weeks, she learned to sit and stay until I called her to me. She seemed bored with the simple commands. Little did I know that she is a very intelligent dog. 

Not being the kind of dog that likes to chew our furniture or our shoes, chew sticks were her teething toy of choice.

Lots and lots of chew sticks. She carried them around like a toddler with a pacifier. Being a shelter dog for a couple of months and just turning four months old she was a bit timid and sometimes scared. 

A lot of her stress went towards the chew sticks. They seem to soothe her as she adjusted to her new home.

The more we worked with her the more she started trusting us as her new owners. She made wonderful eye contact and anxiously awaited to learn a new command. 

The first month, the dog beach was out of the question. It was too overwhelming and terrified her. She doesn't like water touching her tummy. Water to her knees is good...any higher and she is just like me, she panics. 

We tried to put her in a child's bike carrier to get her used to the trail. She hated it, we sold the trailer and she is perfectly content to actually walk the trail. 

After having Our Girl Banjo for a few weeks, we decided to buy a new boat. That was the day that she decided that she would love us forever. 

A year later and she is climbing trees, chasing squirrels and taking me on 4 mile walks. 

The pontoon, is her favorite thing to do. She quickly took over my position as first mate. You won't find a more content dog than Our Girl Banjo on a pontoon ride.

When she isn't peacefully napping on her Auntie's lap...

she is carefully guarding our home. Well, actually she is having a staring match with our neighbor's cat, Flash. They do this for ten minutes each and every morning. 

Our Girl Banjo is a goof ball most of the time. But you know, it's okay because she is OUR goof ball and we wouldn't have it any other way. 

There was some doubt of course when we first got her as with any pet adoption. But to see her sweet face when her daddy drives off to work, is priceless. 

Actually, I lied. She did chew something of mine, just one time. She got into my mixed media art supplies and chewed my, "kindness" with little remorse, as you can see. Those eyeliner eyes though.

We've had a year of major renovations and remodeling with our fixer upper. While Our Girl Banjo hasn't been much help, she does mind her own business and let's us get the job done. 

If you see Our Girl Banjo out and about today, wish her a Happy One Year Adoption Day.

By the way, The Night Circus, the book selection for one of the book clubs that I attend, has inspired me so much this month, I had to share my take on the chocolate mice. 

If you read the book, you'll get the reference to chocolate mice.

Blog break time is over, time to get back to work on the kitchen floor tile. We said we would never do herringbone pattern again...never say, never.